Moros narrowed his eyes, his blue lips curled to a stressed smile long before she noticed anything herself. “It is working”, he gasped, his gaze fixed on her. “More, child! Tell me, what do you see?” His wrinkled hands grabbed Irae's, clenching them heavily with elongated fingers, as the young woman stared into the bowl of water between them.
It wasn't normal water, yet in this place, it came hardly as a surprise. The House of the Undying in the great city of Qarth, home to the order of warlocks. Irae Caleris' home, from the moment her father had placed her here just hours after her birth. For the first two decades of her life, she had trained under them, studied their arts. She had drunken their shade of the evening, had participated in their ancient rituals and yet, her curiousity about the nature of their powers and about the darkest pieces of their knowledge had brought her not just friends.
It came as a surprise that Moros Qo Malxis had asked for her help. A legend among warlocks, a sorcerer, a man who could bend shadow and flame to his will and the minds of his students, if the darkest of rumours could be believed. Taller than her, taller than most people actually, yet cadaverous, with a gaunt body and an even gaunter face, putting emphasis onto his high cheekbones and his sharp beak of a nose. His skin was ghastly pale, yet already taking a turn to the blue, as was the case with many warlocks of his age. A thin mouth, blue lips and long, brown teeth as well as ears that ended slightly pointy. Remnants of white hair grew long, but shockingly thin, way down to his shoulders. “What do you see?”, he asked again with his hoarsy voice.
At first, Irae saw only herself in the pitch black water. A sight some would consider no less unsettling than Moros. Pale skin, hair that was white despite her youth, with an even less natural colouring as some strands turned blue the further down they reached, the same blue her lips had from the warlock's wine. Yet the one feature even Irae considered unsettling were her eyes. The pupils were white, or perhaps a very light grey. The warlocks said she was born under a dark star, a bad omen according to some. The blood of Asshai flew through her veins and of the lands beyond, the shadow lands she longed to see for herself one day.
She took a deep breath, breathing in the mixture of strange herbs and shade of the evening Moros had heated before pouring it into the ice-cold water. The mist that it emitted was blue, sweet and dazing, though it made it easier for her to concentrate. Moros' voice, though he was seated only a few inches away from her, was nothing but a thin whisper in the back of her head and then, Irae saw.
“There is a field”, she mumbled and through a numbing veil, she felt Moros' claws digging into her hands. “Dead, brown grass, trampled by a hundred thousand hooves” Moros nodded frantically. “The Dothraki Sea”, he told her. “Do you see any of them?”
Still focussing onto the surface of the water, Irae nodded. “A man”, she told him. “With dark hair, but... blue eyes... there are bells in his braid, so many of them... a Dothraki Khal” She gulped, as Moros' fingernails began to cause her actual pain. “The Witch Khal!”, he hissed. “Do you see the Witch Khal?”
“I... don't know”, Irae replied, before she narrowed her eyes. “Wait, there's more...”, was all she managed to say, before the vision overwhelmed her. For a moment, she was no longer on Moros' chamber, but on that field, with that Khal. He stood still, frozen in time, on that endless grassy plain. That was where she saw the shadow behind him. And the shadow saw her.
It was a looming shade, just barely humanoid in shape, black, two long appendages wrapped around the Khal's shoulders. It glared at her from where its eyes should be and Irae tensed up. “You...”, it said and its voice was hoarsy, incredibly ancient, yet undoubtedly female. “Do you think I don't see you?”
As it crept closer, Irae stood her ground. She knew, if she'd move, if she'd just look away, the vision would break. It could not harm her, not in the House of the Undying. Just as she thought this, the shade chuckled, a high-pitched and terrifying sound. “Warlocks?”, it hissed, momentary anger flaring up in its voice. “Charlatans! Smoke and mirrors, that's the power they wield!” As it reached Irae, there was a momentary darkness surrounding her. “And murderers, that's what they are...”, the shade added, the lack of emotion making it all the more chilling.
It wasn't the first time Irae had to deal with a creature of darkness. In the House of the Undying, there were beings stranger and more dangerous... “None are more dangerous than me...”, the shade interjected, cutting right through her thoughts and deep down, Irae knew it was right.
“Who are you?”, she asked, forcing her voice to remain as steadfast as her body. “And who is this Khal?” The shade moved around her, putting its hands onto her shoulder. “This is the Khal of Khals”, it explained, surprisingly ready to give an answer. “Blood of my blood, the beginning and the end, the instrument of my vengeance”
As Irae glanced down, she noticed the shade's clawed wrapped around her shoulder, even if she felt no physical touch. Her own hand was shaking. “Vengeance?”, she asked and she could hear the shade right next to her ear, as she focussed onto the young Khal in front of her. Physically Dothraki beyond any doubt, there was one feature about him that almost fascinated her. These eyes, these blue eyes, so unlike anything common among his people.
“His grandmother's eyes”, the shade whispered. “My daughter, Thirri” All of a sudden, it filled out almost her entire field of view. “Hers is a life I mean to avenge, as is mine” Irae gulped. Moros had not said anything about this and by now, it was unusual even for her, even considering the place she lived in.
“Why are you telling this to me?”, she asked and the shade moved aside, allowing her to gaze upon the Khal again. “Because I mean to crush your precious warlocks, among others”, it revealed. “Those who betrayed me” Irae narrowed her eyes, forcing herself to look at the dreaded creature. “You cannot hope to stand against the might of the warlocks”
This time, the shade outright laughed. “The might of the warlocks?”, it hissed. “At the height of my power, I could have crushed them with a thought if only I would have cared for them at all” To this, Irae raised an eyebrow, meeting her own fear with defiance. “And yet you plan your revenge on them?”, she asked.
For a moment, the shade grew larger. “Don't twist my words!”, it shrieked. “What pathetic strength they had, they used against me when I expected it the least. Since then, they have only grown weaker, but I...” It paused and Irae could feel its smug satisfaction. “I am no longer on my own”
With this, Irae saw figures appearing behind the Khal, only a handful at first, but quickly growing in numbers, until they became more than anyone could ever hope to count. Dothraki, on horseback, their braids reaching down their backs, their arakhs raised high above their heads, their mouths opened in silent battlecries, all frozen in time, the most terrifying horde she could ever imagine.
“He is the Khal of Khals”, the shade explained. “And if I demand it, he will raze your city to the ground. Your warlocks cannot stop his horde and it would leave me free to focus on the enemies that truly matter”
Slowly, Irae managed to calm down, though the sight of the Dothraki horde was still unsettling. The shade was right with one thing, if this horde truly existed, then the walls of Qarth would not stop them. She wasn't sure if there were enough walls in the world for that. And yet, she realized something. “What do you want?”, she asked. “You wouldn't just warn me about your intentions”
The shadow tilted what she considered to be its head. “Smart”, it said and it came close to a genuine compliment. “And more powerful than those you serve. Yes, you ooze power” It moved closer once more. “You are not a warlock” Irae clenched her fists and the shade chuckled. “Oh, don't feel insulted, girl”, it told her. “You know it yourself. Don't limit yourself like they do”
“What do you want?”, she repeated, this time pressing the words through her teeth. The shade turned back to the Khal. “I don't want Qarth”, it revealed. “Though it is the warlocks I'm after, your city can stand. You may be spared, if you give me what I desire out of your rotten city”
Once more, the vision faded. Gone was the Khal, gone were his warriors. Instead, Irae saw a familiar sight, one of Qarth's numerous market places. Men and women from all over the world, buying and selling their goods, all frozen in time. They were a blur, it was clear they did not matter to the shade, they weren't what it wanted to show her.
Instead, it focussed onto a single girl amid the crowd, a woman perhaps only a bit younger than Irae. Her clothes were indicator of her high birth, as she was clad in purple silk, one of her breasts left bare, her neck adorned by a golden necklace. Clearly a beauty, she had pale skin, a slender build and dark brown hair, cascading down her shoulders in gentle locks. Numerous silver chains were woven into it, filigree work that must have cost a fortune.
More importantly though was that Irae knew this girl. “You do?”, the shade asked and Irae bit down onto her tongue as she heard the surprise in its voice. Cursing her wandering thoughts, she realized she had given this creature a piece of information it had not known about before.
“What do you want from her?”, she asked, watching the shade slowly moving around the girl. “She is the spark”, it revealed. “All the reason my Khal needs. I see her before me as clear as I see you and I know, she has to reach Rhavarro”
Irae, gathering her courage, approached the shade, something that seemed to surprise it. “And what then?”, she growled. “What is your goal? Just revenge?” The shade began to laugh, a cold, hollow sound. “I don't have to answer your questions, not-warlock”, it spat. “But you will see in time. Ask your warlock master, he might have an idea, but knowing their kind, you won't receive much of an answer from them either”
Letting go of the girl, it now moved closer to Irae again. “I demand this girl and for that, I shall spare your city”, it promised. “Bring her to me and I shall give you what you desire” Irae narrowed her eyes. “And what might that be?”, she asked, to which she shade moved a hand across her face. Where it touched her skin, she felt a tingling sensation. “It matters not”, it said. “Power, knowledge, riches, name it and it shall be yours” It raised a finger. “Once this girl is mine”
“Where can I find you?”, Irae asked, looking past the shade and onto that familiar face. The shade moved around her, obscuring her view and all she heard was its voice. “I am bound to my blood”, it spoke. “Find Rhavarro. Find the Khal of Khals and I shall wait for you”
It was the last word the creature spoke to her. From one moment to the other, the vision had stopped and Irae found herself back in Moros' chamber, the sudden change of scenery hitting her harder than a punch to the face and knocking her straight to the ground.
Lying on the cold ground, facing the dark ceiling far above her, Irae groaned in pain as she spotted the emaciated figure of Moros Qo Malxis looming above her. “Irae!”, he yelled. “You have been gone for a while" He knelt down next to her, his bony fingers, supporting her as she lifted herself into a sitting position. Up close, she noticed one of the most unsettling things about the man and it was his complete lack of smell. There was no sweat, no perfume, simply no odour at all on him, not even on his dusty robes.
Needing a moment to regain her breath, the old man grew visibly impatient. “Have you seen the Witch Khal?”, he barked and while panting, she gave him a nod. “Rhavarro”, she revealed and Moros' face lit up. “Then you have seen more than I thought you'd see”, he complimented her. “Certainly a more useful vision, compared to my own, albeit yours seemed to have been more... intense as well”
Irae gulped. “I know where he gets his powers from”, she told him and Moros raised a thin eyebrow. “Is that so?”, he asked. “Well, spit it out! Is it a relic? A trinket? Or maybe a foreign sorcerer who supports him?”
To this, she shook her head. “It is worse”, she replied. “There was... there was a creature behind him. A wraith, a being of darkness and hatred” The small smile on Moros' face vanished in an instant, though his eyes widened, which gave his already long face an even more cadaverous look.
“I spoke to it”, she added, regaining some of the confidence that had been shattered by the harrowing talk she had gone through as she noticed how Moros looked utterly shocked for a moment. He was a legend among the warlocks, one of the few in contact with the Undying Ones and there was no doubt he would join them once his body would wither. And yet, he seemed so weak in this moment, just like the old man he truly was.
“I believe this wraith is one of Rhavarro's ancestors”, she explained. “His great grandmother to be precise. It mentioned a woman named Thirri, the Khal's grandmother” Moros sighed regretfully. “Then it is worse than the Undying Ones feared”, he whispered. “Thirri is a name I am familiar with, for she is a daughter of the Blood Witch”
He said this name as if it was one to fear and if this Blood Witch was the creature Irae had spoken to, then he was probably right. “Who is the Blood Witch?”, she asked, to which Moros shook his head. “I don't know how much I am allowed to tell you”, he admitted. “This is not exactly a common topic. You should know, the Blood Witch was an enemy to our order, back in the years shortly before the Doom, when our magic had been at its peak. We killed her, with plenty of help, though through Thirri, her blood lived on”
Irae frowned. “It seems to did her spirit”, she said and Moros gave her a nod. “A Khal as powerful as Rhavarro would be enough of a concern to us as it is”, he explained. “A Khal using dark magic is something unheard of, a threat to more than just Qarth. But a Khal of Thirri's blood?” He sighed. “The situation is grim, though not hopeless”, he spoke. “What did she tell you?”
“She showed me a girl”, Irae spoke. “Naela Orlatis” Moros tilted his head. “Whom?”, he asked and coughed slightly, a gesture that shook his frail body. Irae sighed. “A girl from Qarth, the only child of Kareq Orlatis, the Prince of Furs”
Moros' confusion did not grow weaker. “The Blood Witch shows interest in a merchant's daughter?”, he spat. “What does she need the spoiled brat for?” He gave her a glare of slight distrust. “And how come one such as you knows Qarth's Fur Princess?”
Irae tried not to take offence on that last one. “She came to us days ago”, she explained. “Her father was wounded recently and she asked for medicine” She pressed her lips together. “She's not a bad person. A good heart, as far as I can see” Moros shrugged impatiently. “Irrelevant”, he growled. “The Blood Witch is after her and I can't even guess for what end. A visit from the Sorrowful Men is the kindest fate we could offer to her. At least a knife to the heart would be a quick end”
His lips curled into a gleeful grin as he noticed Irae's shock. “Relax, girl”, he calmed her. “I don't intend to do that. The brat's fate is of no concern to me. However, we might be able to use this to our advantage. Did the Blood Witch promise you a favour for delivering the girl?”
Irae nodded at this. “She told me she'd spare Qarth, she'd spare me”, she revealed and the old man raised an eyebrow. “But not the warlocks?”, he hissed, to which she shook her head. He hesitated only for a moment, before his bony shoulders shrugged again. “Doesn't matter”, he proclaimed. “It might buy us the time we need. We don't want a Dothraki horde in front of these gates before we know how to deal with the blasted witch once again”
His hands grabbed hers once more, uncomfortably strong, especially for his age. “We will play her game for a bit, it might buy us time”, he explained. “I shall converse with the Undying Ones, to find a way to bring the fight to the Blood Witch. Meanwhile, you shall do what she asks of you. Bring this Naela to her. Buy us as much time as possible”
It was not a suggestion, but an order and Irae knew, she could not resist. Yet one question formed in her mind and the moment she had thought of it, she had to bring it up. “You saw a vision as well”, she said. “One that had to be connected” She narrowed her eyes, mustering him with a white gaze. “What have you seen?”
Moros rolled his eyes. “I wanted to see the Witch Khal with my own eyes, but the Blood Witch hid him from me”, he revealed. “What she failed to do though, was to hide her allies to the west and a glimpse of her plans. With you confirming the identity of our foe, it even makes sense”
“Her allies?”, Irae asked and Moros gave her a nod. “They who ruin”, he explained. “The prophet, the conqueror and the deceiver” Irae looked at him with growing interest. “Threats?”, she asked, to which Moros nodded again. “But not to us”, he assured her. “We are out of their reach, just like they are out of ours”
“Who are they?”, Irae demanded to know and Moros' thin smile returned. “A dangerous question”, he admitted. “They are her unwitting pawns. Only the conqueror remains in Essos and I saw him gathering his troops, ready to follow the other two. He is ferocity and zeal and hunger” He paused, glancing into the dark water “The prophet is in Westeros, I saw him kneeling to a man that claims to be king. He is ambition, he is cunning”, he continued. “And the deceiver weaves her lies, ready to plunge her thorns into another poor victim. She is the darkest of them and the purest”
Irae gulped. “Her only allies?”, she asked. This time, Moros shrugged. “I doubt it”, he said. “And as I told you, they are pawns. At most, the prophet might find out the truth, but the other two are not clever enough. I saw them, but for the time being, we should focus on your vision. The Fur Princess, that merchant's brat”
“Naela”, Irae reminded him again and Moros gave her an impatient glance. “Naela”, he agreed. “She is important to the Blood Witch. If it buys us time, she shall have her. For the time being, we must do her bidding until we are ready to confront her”
One of his bony fingers jammed into her shoulder and Irae frowned. “You will take her”, he ordered coldly. “You will lead her out of Qarth and to the Dothraki Sea. You will deliver her to Khal Rhavarro and the Blood Witch and you will buy us the time we need”
“I will”, Irae agreed and Moros' cold smile grew a tiny bit warmer and more satisfied. “And I appreciate it”, he replied. “Which is why I trust you to choose how to approach her. I mean, you somehow have to get her out of this city and as the Prince of Fur's only daughter, I'd like to imagine many have reason to rather keep her here”
“What do you suggest?”, Irae asked and Moros sighed. “I have never been good with people”, he admitted. “Keep in mind, this is not about what you want, but about what you believe to be the best approach to assure success. You could, of course, always just force her. You are powerful, child”
Irae grimaced at the suggestion. “It would be cruel”, she stated and Moros raised an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”, he asked. She gulped. “I am not sure”, she told him. “I'd like to avoid being cruel to her. If there's a way to bring her through this alive, I would appreciate it”
“And I won't mind, as long as she plays her part in saving us from the Blood Witch”, Moros told her. “I leave this up to you. If you manage to save the girls life, she can have it for all I care. Befriend her if that's what you want. Surely a friend will have it easier to convince her of such a drastic step” A sly expression appeared in his eyes. “Or you could be honest with her. Tell her what you know right away”
Irae raised both eyebrows. “A risky approach, coming from you”, she told him and Moros flashed her a crooked grin. “Is it though?”, he asked. “Sometimes, honesty leads to the greatest results. You told me she's not a bad person. Dutiful, would you say?”
To this, Irae nodded. “Then maybe this could be enough to move her to help”, the old man explained. “Her duty to Qarth and to her family, to protect all she loves from the Dothraki horde. If she cooperates out of her own free will, knowing what is at stake and the consequences of staying and leaving, respectively, she could make a decision for herself. If she comes with you freely, knowing what awaits her, you'd avoid having to trick her and the messy confrontation that would come up once she figures it out”
“Not so bad with people after all”, she complimented the old man, though he did not react to it. “I don't want to be cruel to her” Moros nodded. “Sometimes you have to be”, he advised her. “But you are not supposed to do what you want, you are supposed to do what you see as the best approach for our order and the city of Qarth” He gave her a look of honest curiosity. “Tell me, Irae Caleris, how are you going to deal with Naela?”
[Suggest winning Naela's trust][Suggest forcing Naela][Suggest revealing everything to her]
[Suggest winning Naela's trust] Well, this was a completely unexpected POV, and it has given us a huge insight on the Warlocks of Qarth. I wonder if the Blood Witch is somehow related to the sackings of the Qathi cities that drove them to extinction everywhere but Qarth.
Well, this was a completely unexpected POV, and it has given us a huge insight on the Warlocks of Qarth. I wonder if the Blood Witch is somehow related to the sackings of the Qathi cities that drove them to extinction everywhere but Qarth.
Hehe, I knew she'd come completely out of the left field for most, given that the story has been very low on magic until now. But I received quite a number of characters with an affinity for the supernatural and Irae as a viewpoint can help me with exploring these a bit better, given that magic is generally stronger in the east. When it comes to the Blood Witch, it is definitely in the realms of possible. Her life and the conflict with the warlocks fell around the same time the Qartheen civilization beyond Qarth itself collapsed. There were, of course, other factors as well, but the warlocks having to focus their attention onto the Blood Witch and being unable to face the other threats that came up after the Doom of Valyria. She has a history with the warlocks and Qarth itself and both will be explored as Irae's storyline continues
[Suggest winning Naela's trust] Well, this was a completely unexpected POV, and it has given us a huge insight on the Warlocks of Qarth. I w… moreonder if the Blood Witch is somehow related to the sackings of the Qathi cities that drove them to extinction everywhere but Qarth.
[Suggest forcing Naela] We must be mean. Irae will be mean. Qarth is mean.
Instead, it focussed onto a single girl amid the crowd, a woman perhaps only a bit younger than Irae. Her clothes were indicator of her high birth, as she was clad in purple silk, one of her breasts left bare, her neck adorned by a golden necklace. Clearly a beauty, she had pale skin, a slender build and dark brown hair, cascading down her shoulders in gentle locks. Numerous silver chains were woven into it, filigree work that must have cost a fortune.
You know, I really wish the Qartheen dress was in the show. Not for any story reasons though, of course.
“Who are they?”, Irae demanded to know and Moros' thin smile returned. “A dangerous question”, he admitted. “They are her unwitting pawns. Only the conqueror remains in Essos and I saw him gathering his troops, ready to follow the other two. He is ferocity and zeal and hunger” He paused, glancing into the dark water “The prophet is in Westeros, I saw him kneeling to a man that claims to be king. He is ambition, he is cunning”, he continued. “And the deceiver weaves her lies, ready to plunge her thorns into another poor victim. She is the darkest of them and the purest”
Very interesting. I have a great suspicion on who this "prophet" is. Archmaester Wulvren. But ambition and cunning don't really seem to fix them, do they? But it would connect to Elena and Noelle, who could be the deceiver. The Great Other's servant, conspiracy, ship it all to China, Alex Jones, yada yada yada. The conqueror though, that's not Aegon since he's in Westeros.
Irae
Moros narrowed his eyes, his blue lips curled to a stressed smile long before she noticed anything herself. “It is working”, he gasp… moreed, his gaze fixed on her. “More, child! Tell me, what do you see?” His wrinkled hands grabbed Irae's, clenching them heavily with elongated fingers, as the young woman stared into the bowl of water between them.
It wasn't normal water, yet in this place, it came hardly as a surprise. The House of the Undying in the great city of Qarth, home to the order of warlocks. Irae Caleris' home, from the moment her father had placed her here just hours after her birth. For the first two decades of her life, she had trained under them, studied their arts. She had drunken their shade of the evening, had participated in their ancient rituals and yet, her curiousity about the nature of their powers and about the darkest pieces of their knowledge had brought her not just friends.
It came as a surprise that Moros … [view original content]
[Suggest winning Naela's trust]
I believe the best would be winning Naela's trust, especially that Irae knows her already.
That's pretty interesting PoV, I must say and such a surprise in same! You know what I mean by saying that, haha! Speaking of, it inspired me enough that perhaps soon I will share with everyone the new PoV artwork... for better imagination and feeling of the magic, which was introduced to us by this part.
Irae
Moros narrowed his eyes, his blue lips curled to a stressed smile long before she noticed anything herself. “It is working”, he gasp… moreed, his gaze fixed on her. “More, child! Tell me, what do you see?” His wrinkled hands grabbed Irae's, clenching them heavily with elongated fingers, as the young woman stared into the bowl of water between them.
It wasn't normal water, yet in this place, it came hardly as a surprise. The House of the Undying in the great city of Qarth, home to the order of warlocks. Irae Caleris' home, from the moment her father had placed her here just hours after her birth. For the first two decades of her life, she had trained under them, studied their arts. She had drunken their shade of the evening, had participated in their ancient rituals and yet, her curiousity about the nature of their powers and about the darkest pieces of their knowledge had brought her not just friends.
It came as a surprise that Moros … [view original content]
Qarth!! Can't say I ever expected to see Qarth in the story, but I'm so down for it. I have a feeling that Irae will become one of my favorite POVs in no time.
Ah, so it was Qarth, I kind of expected that, though I could've seen you going all the way to Yi Ti or Asshai as well Nonetheless, this was a very interesting part, and while it certainly feels very different from anything else going on in FoT right now, that didn't really bother me. I'm pretty sure wraiths are an entirely new concept to this world, but I think it fits well with the mythology. And this Blood Witch certainly seems powerful, can't wait to learn more about her, and Khal Rhavarro as well. And what comes to these "allies" that Moros mentions... well, I have some ideas whom they could be. I could see the conqueror being Nain Anturion, though obviously I don't know enough about him yet to truly know. The deceiver could perhaps be Noelle, though I'm not sure if the description really fits... I don't really see her as a liar. As for the prophet, well, I have on candidate, but I won't mention him for reasons
[Suggest revealing everything to her] I'd say it's best to go with honesty. Taking this girl all the way to the Dothraki Sea is quite a task, so it's not like we can just trick her to travel thousands of miles. And forcing, well, let's not go there yet.
Anyway, I am very interested to see where all this goes!
Irae
Moros narrowed his eyes, his blue lips curled to a stressed smile long before she noticed anything herself. “It is working”, he gasp… moreed, his gaze fixed on her. “More, child! Tell me, what do you see?” His wrinkled hands grabbed Irae's, clenching them heavily with elongated fingers, as the young woman stared into the bowl of water between them.
It wasn't normal water, yet in this place, it came hardly as a surprise. The House of the Undying in the great city of Qarth, home to the order of warlocks. Irae Caleris' home, from the moment her father had placed her here just hours after her birth. For the first two decades of her life, she had trained under them, studied their arts. She had drunken their shade of the evening, had participated in their ancient rituals and yet, her curiousity about the nature of their powers and about the darkest pieces of their knowledge had brought her not just friends.
It came as a surprise that Moros … [view original content]
Irae
Moros narrowed his eyes, his blue lips curled to a stressed smile long before she noticed anything herself. “It is working”, he gasp… moreed, his gaze fixed on her. “More, child! Tell me, what do you see?” His wrinkled hands grabbed Irae's, clenching them heavily with elongated fingers, as the young woman stared into the bowl of water between them.
It wasn't normal water, yet in this place, it came hardly as a surprise. The House of the Undying in the great city of Qarth, home to the order of warlocks. Irae Caleris' home, from the moment her father had placed her here just hours after her birth. For the first two decades of her life, she had trained under them, studied their arts. She had drunken their shade of the evening, had participated in their ancient rituals and yet, her curiousity about the nature of their powers and about the darkest pieces of their knowledge had brought her not just friends.
It came as a surprise that Moros … [view original content]
You know, I really wish the Qartheen dress was in the show. Not for any story reasons though, of course.
I always found it odd they'd leave it out. I mean, that was Season 2, back when the fanservice in the show has arguably been at its strongest and it would have served well to show the strange, slightly debauched nature of the Qartheen society. My only guess is that it would have been way too distracting in the show to have Emilia Clarke and every female extra in her scenes go half-topless for the entirety of the Qarth storyline. That won't be the problem in written form, so the Qartheen dress is definitely canon in FoT.
Very interesting. I have a great suspicion on who this "prophet" is. Archmaester Wulvren. But ambition and cunning don't really seem to fix them, do they? But it would connect to Elena and Noelle, who could be the deceiver. The Great Other's servant, conspiracy, ship it all to China, Alex Jones, yada yada yada. The conqueror though, that's not Aegon since he's in Westeros.
Hm, definitely a couple good guesses. I can reveal, there is hard evidence for the nature of these three allies to the Blood Witch and Moros' explanation itself contains a hint for the true nature of another character who is not as they seem to be. It is a twist I am very proud of, because it's about what I like the best, hiding some small yet crucial clues to a big plot twist so painfully in plain sight that everyone is almost guaranteed to overlook them until it is too late. Remember Butterfly? This is going to be another one of these twists
[Suggest forcing Naela] We must be mean. Irae will be mean. Qarth is mean.
Instead, it focussed onto a single girl amid the crowd, a w… moreoman perhaps only a bit younger than Irae. Her clothes were indicator of her high birth, as she was clad in purple silk, one of her breasts left bare, her neck adorned by a golden necklace. Clearly a beauty, she had pale skin, a slender build and dark brown hair, cascading down her shoulders in gentle locks. Numerous silver chains were woven into it, filigree work that must have cost a fortune.
You know, I really wish the Qartheen dress was in the show. Not for any story reasons though, of course.
“Who are they?”, Irae demanded to know and Moros' thin smile returned. “A dangerous question”, he admitted. “They are her unwitting pawns. Only the conqueror remains in Essos and I saw him gathering his troops, ready to follow the other two. He is ferocity and zeal and hunger” He paused, glancing i… [view original content]
I believe the best would be winning Naela's trust, especially that Irae knows her already.
Well, knowing her would be a bit too much. Irae has spoken to her for a bit, but she has first met her only a few days ago when Naela came to get medicine for her wounded father. So, Naela herself will probably recognize Irae (given that she is not someone to forget), but they are not even acquaintances and while Irae has a positive opinion on Naela, there is no guarantee this feeling is mutual.
That's pretty interesting PoV, I must say and such a surprise in same! You know what I mean by saying that, haha! Speaking of, it inspired me enough that perhaps soon I will share with everyone the new PoV artwork... for better imagination and feeling of the magic, which was introduced to us by this part.
Hehe, I am still so glad the surprise worked out! Kinda proud I managed to keep it a secret until now, when it comes to such stuff, I am so eager to reveal it, I often give in to the temptation and reveal it in advance. And well, you know I am always happy to see more artwork, so whenever you feel like sharing it, feel free to do so. With the new forum layout being a bit distracting, perhaps right after I close the voting on Saturday or Sunday would be the best opportunity for it to be seen without getting overshadowed by the part itself, but really, do it whenever you want to
[Suggest winning Naela's trust]
I believe the best would be winning Naela's trust, especially that Irae knows her already.
That's pretty… more interesting PoV, I must say and such a surprise in same! You know what I mean by saying that, haha! Speaking of, it inspired me enough that perhaps soon I will share with everyone the new PoV artwork... for better imagination and feeling of the magic, which was introduced to us by this part.
Hehe, the idea to show Qarth came a while ago, after I received to Qartheen characters (Naela and Irae) and two characters with potential connections to Qarth (both to be introduced in this chapter) in the span of just a few weeks. By then, the idea had won me over, especially as I found a way to connect them to the larger storyline. Qarth will be the centre stage for a while, but eventually, I plan to show other exotic locations with Irae as well.
[Suggest winning Naela's trust]
Qarth!! Can't say I ever expected to see Qarth in the story, but I'm so down for it. I have a feeling that Irae will become one of my favorite POVs in no time.
Ah, so it was Qarth, I kind of expected that, though I could've seen you going all the way to Yi Ti or Asshai as well
Not going to lie, this would have been tempting, Asshai in particular. The problem is, the farther away this storyline is, the more difficult it will be to reasonably tie it into the other storylines. Irae will have ties to the larger story arc through the Blood Witch and her Westerosi allies, but a character from Yi Ti would have had it even harder.
Nonetheless, this was a very interesting part, and while it certainly feels very different from anything else going on in FoT right now, that didn't really bother me. I'm pretty sure wraiths are an entirely new concept to this world, but I think it fits well with the mythology. And this Blood Witch certainly seems powerful, can't wait to learn more about her, and Khal Rhavarro as well.
Ah, I am very glad to hear you enjoyed it! I liked the chance to show something different a bit more high fantasy for once. I am not sure if wraiths are entirely new though. I don't have the sources here, though I wouldn't be surprised if ghosts and worse are actually a thing in some of the darker places in the barely known regions in the east. If not, well, as you said, it probably fits, given that the existence of the supernatural is confirmed in the canon.
And what comes to these "allies" that Moros mentions... well, I have some ideas whom they could be. I could see the conqueror being Nain Anturion, though obviously I don't know enough about him yet to truly know. The deceiver could perhaps be Noelle, though I'm not sure if the description really fits... I don't really see her as a liar. As for the prophet, well, I have on candidate, but I won't mention him for reasons
Hm, nice guesses, I like them I must say, I feel like the prophet is the most enigmatic description of these three, mostly because the character is probably not anyone's first choice when it comes to naming a prophet, but as the storyline will progress, it should become more obvious. I should also mention, not all three are confirmed to be antagonists, as Moros mentioned they are more like unwitting pawns to the Blood Witch (who herself is still a very mysterious being and probably not entirely evil incarnate). The deceiver probably is kinda bad though, which Moros all but confirmed by calling her the darkest of the three. In any way, this is something that will remain a mystery for longer, but I could see some of you eventually narrowing it down to three correct guesses. All it takes is one particular line of thoughts following one correct guess and you'll probably figure out whom they are and I wouldn't be too surprised if someone gets it right even before I reveal it in the story proper. Of course, there are further mysteries surrounding these three characters. For example, it can be perfectly possible to figure out whom the deceiver is without uncovering the deceivers full identity, if that makes any sense. Kind of what a good deceiver should do, I guess
Anyway, I am very interested to see where all this goes!
Very glad to hear it, I think it should be a very enjoyable storyline. May I also add at this point, something I am very excited to reveal, namely you actually deserve some credit for this storyline existing in this particular state. I can say it now, Irae was not my first choice. The original Qarth PoV was Naela, the girl mentioned in this part, with Irae being a major non-PoV in her storyline. However, you might already guess where I'm going at, the early narrative in this storyline could have been narrowed down to a noble girl being lured away from her home by a shady sorceress in the name of some greater goal, to battle some enigmatic enemy. Irae is a slightly creepy woman associated with dark magic, seemingly cold and definitely shady, especially if seen from the eyes of another character. I think you see it now, the parallels to Gwendis' storyline in Nymeria's War would have been too notable for my liking. I also realized a while ago, my rather fierce dislike of Aisha in that storyline is probably at least partially a matter of perspective. Of course me being super protective of Gwen plays a part in it, but also the fact that we see things from her perspective has obviously shaped my view on the characters she interacts with. I guess if we would have seen the storyline from Trentan's perspective, my opinion on them would have been a bit different and that made me think, the general role Aisha and Irae have in their respective storyline sound so similar on paper (even if Irae is fundamentally a far more likable person than Aisha, whom, I would kindly like to remind you, is the worst), so I felt the best way to make it not appear similar in the slightest is to move the PoV from Naela (who has some similarities to Gwen herself, but also to FoT's very own Alys Boleyn) to Irae herself. I definitely wanted to show from the very beginning that this woman is her own character and not an Aisha clone. Not sure if I myself could have ever liked her if the similarities would have kept lingering in my mind XD Probably a bit of a daring choice to pick her over the more traditionally PoV-like Naela, but it felt absolutely natural while writing. So, you definitely deserve some credit for making me so invested into Gwen's storyline that the thought of copying it felt like a sacrilege. In a very ironic way, it means at least one good thing has come out of my Aisha hatred, namely Irae's PoV
Ah, so it was Qarth, I kind of expected that, though I could've seen you going all the way to Yi Ti or Asshai as well Nonetheless, this was… more a very interesting part, and while it certainly feels very different from anything else going on in FoT right now, that didn't really bother me. I'm pretty sure wraiths are an entirely new concept to this world, but I think it fits well with the mythology. And this Blood Witch certainly seems powerful, can't wait to learn more about her, and Khal Rhavarro as well. And what comes to these "allies" that Moros mentions... well, I have some ideas whom they could be. I could see the conqueror being Nain Anturion, though obviously I don't know enough about him yet to truly know. The deceiver could perhaps be Noelle, though I'm not sure if the description really fits... I don't really see her as a liar. As for the prophet, well, I have on candidate, but I won't mention him for reasons
[Suggest revealing eve… [view original content]
Ah, so it was Qarth, I kind of expected that, though I could've seen you going all the way to Yi Ti or Asshai as well
Not going to … morelie, this would have been tempting, Asshai in particular. The problem is, the farther away this storyline is, the more difficult it will be to reasonably tie it into the other storylines. Irae will have ties to the larger story arc through the Blood Witch and her Westerosi allies, but a character from Yi Ti would have had it even harder.
Nonetheless, this was a very interesting part, and while it certainly feels very different from anything else going on in FoT right now, that didn't really bother me. I'm pretty sure wraiths are an entirely new concept to this world, but I think it fits well with the mythology. And this Blood Witch certainly seems powerful, can't wait to learn more about her, and Khal Rhavarro as well.
Ah, I am very glad to hear you enjoyed it! I liked the chance to show som… [view original content]
Not going to lie, this would have been tempting, Asshai in particular. The problem is, the farther away this storyline is, the more difficult it will be to reasonably tie it into the other storylines. Irae will have ties to the larger story arc through the Blood Witch and her Westerosi allies, but a character from Yi Ti would have had it even harder.
Yeah, I won't lie, Asshai would've been pretty neat I'm not complaining though, Qarth is a very fascinating place on its own right, and one that could still reasonably have some links to what is going on in Westeros.
Hm, nice guesses, I like them I must say, I feel like the prophet is the most enigmatic description of these three, mostly because the character is probably not anyone's first choice when it comes to naming a prophet, but as the storyline will progress, it should become more obvious. I should also mention, not all three are confirmed to be antagonists, as Moros mentioned they are more like unwitting pawns to the Blood Witch (who herself is still a very mysterious being and probably not entirely evil incarnate). The deceiver probably is kinda bad though, which Moros all but confirmed by calling her the darkest of the three. In any way, this is something that will remain a mystery for longer, but I could see some of you eventually narrowing it down to three correct guesses. All it takes is one particular line of thoughts following one correct guess and you'll probably figure out whom they are and I wouldn't be too surprised if someone gets it right even before I reveal it in the story proper. Of course, there are further mysteries surrounding these three characters. For example, it can be perfectly possible to figure out whom the deceiver is without uncovering the deceivers full identity, if that makes any sense. Kind of what a good deceiver should do, I guess
I've done some more thinking, and actually came to a whole new conclusion Well, my guess on the conqueror stays the same, I still think it could well be Nain Anturion. However, I think the prophet is actually his brother, Edward Anturion. Now, I'm not entirely sure yet what exactly makes him a "prophet", but he certainly is cunning and ambitious, and he kneeled to Aeron Blacksails, someone who "claims to be king". That leaves the deceiver, and while I think she might well be someone we don't know yet, I think she could also be Hishi. Hishi seems to fit this image of someone working in the shadows, and there was specifically a mention of thorns, an imagery already linked to her. Is she really that dark though? We don't really know her yet, so she well could be. Oh well, I might be so very wrong with these guesses, but I'll keep an eye out for these three nonetheless for any further hints
Very glad to hear it, I think it should be a very enjoyable storyline. May I also add at this point, something I am very excited to reveal, namely you actually deserve some credit for this storyline existing in this particular state. I can say it now, Irae was not my first choice. The original Qarth PoV was Naela, the girl mentioned in this part, with Irae being a major non-PoV in her storyline. However, you might already guess where I'm going at, the early narrative in this storyline could have been narrowed down to a noble girl being lured away from her home by a shady sorceress in the name of some greater goal, to battle some enigmatic enemy. Irae is a slightly creepy woman associated with dark magic, seemingly cold and definitely shady, especially if seen from the eyes of another character. I think you see it now, the parallels to Gwendis' storyline in Nymeria's War would have been too notable for my liking. I also realized a while ago, my rather fierce dislike of Aisha in that storyline is probably at least partially a matter of perspective. Of course me being super protective of Gwen plays a part in it, but also the fact that we see things from her perspective has obviously shaped my view on the characters she interacts with. I guess if we would have seen the storyline from Trentan's perspective, my opinion on them would have been a bit different and that made me think, the general role Aisha and Irae have in their respective storyline sound so similar on paper (even if Irae is fundamentally a far more likable person than Aisha, whom, I would kindly like to remind you, is the worst), so I felt the best way to make it not appear similar in the slightest is to move the PoV from Naela (who has some similarities to Gwen herself, but also to FoT's very own Alys Boleyn) to Irae herself. I definitely wanted to show from the very beginning that this woman is her own character and not an Aisha clone. Not sure if I myself could have ever liked her if the similarities would have kept lingering in my mind XD Probably a bit of a daring choice to pick her over the more traditionally PoV-like Naela, but it felt absolutely natural while writing. So, you definitely deserve some credit for making me so invested into Gwen's storyline that the thought of copying it felt like a sacrilege. In a very ironic way, it means at least one good thing has come out of my Aisha hatred, namely Irae's PoV
Hah, I actually thought after reading the part that this feels kinda like reading the beginning of Gwen's storyline from Aisha's perspective Obviously with the difference that Irea seems like a decent person. Well, then again, we do have the option here to force Naele into submission, so maybe she has the potential to become even more like Aisha
Ah, so it was Qarth, I kind of expected that, though I could've seen you going all the way to Yi Ti or Asshai as well
Not going to … morelie, this would have been tempting, Asshai in particular. The problem is, the farther away this storyline is, the more difficult it will be to reasonably tie it into the other storylines. Irae will have ties to the larger story arc through the Blood Witch and her Westerosi allies, but a character from Yi Ti would have had it even harder.
Nonetheless, this was a very interesting part, and while it certainly feels very different from anything else going on in FoT right now, that didn't really bother me. I'm pretty sure wraiths are an entirely new concept to this world, but I think it fits well with the mythology. And this Blood Witch certainly seems powerful, can't wait to learn more about her, and Khal Rhavarro as well.
Ah, I am very glad to hear you enjoyed it! I liked the chance to show som… [view original content]
Irae
Moros narrowed his eyes, his blue lips curled to a stressed smile long before she noticed anything herself. “It is working”, he gasp… moreed, his gaze fixed on her. “More, child! Tell me, what do you see?” His wrinkled hands grabbed Irae's, clenching them heavily with elongated fingers, as the young woman stared into the bowl of water between them.
It wasn't normal water, yet in this place, it came hardly as a surprise. The House of the Undying in the great city of Qarth, home to the order of warlocks. Irae Caleris' home, from the moment her father had placed her here just hours after her birth. For the first two decades of her life, she had trained under them, studied their arts. She had drunken their shade of the evening, had participated in their ancient rituals and yet, her curiousity about the nature of their powers and about the darkest pieces of their knowledge had brought her not just friends.
It came as a surprise that Moros … [view original content]
Irae
Moros narrowed his eyes, his blue lips curled to a stressed smile long before she noticed anything herself. “It is working”, he gasp… moreed, his gaze fixed on her. “More, child! Tell me, what do you see?” His wrinkled hands grabbed Irae's, clenching them heavily with elongated fingers, as the young woman stared into the bowl of water between them.
It wasn't normal water, yet in this place, it came hardly as a surprise. The House of the Undying in the great city of Qarth, home to the order of warlocks. Irae Caleris' home, from the moment her father had placed her here just hours after her birth. For the first two decades of her life, she had trained under them, studied their arts. She had drunken their shade of the evening, had participated in their ancient rituals and yet, her curiousity about the nature of their powers and about the darkest pieces of their knowledge had brought her not just friends.
It came as a surprise that Moros … [view original content]
That was actually on my mind as well See, my thoughts were somewhere along the lines of "Man, I really don't feel comfortable with hating one of Mathea's characters so much, but what else can I do now that Aisha is legitimately that awful?" and then remembering that there is this other shady sorceress you have submitted a while ago and which is supposed to appear in early Book 2. We're talking October/November 2016 here, around Mid-Chapter 2 of NW, that was the time I began having this idea of making her the PoV instead of kinda having a Gwen/Alys hybrid in Naela. I realized how similar the two are on a surface level and how similar they'd probably be seen by their respective PoV's (albeit Naela's opinion on Irae would have been more ambiguous than the likely irrevocable hatred Gwen has for Aisha) and I kinda feared they'd cause similar reactions. A couple brainstorming sessions later, Naela was relieved of her PoV duties and the Irae PoV was born to have an effective way of showing that there's more to her than what meets the eye. You know, unlike Aisha, in whose case I'm still kinda shocked about the fact that she's exactly as she seemed to be at first XD So, I at least strongly hope there'll never be Irae hatred, at least nothing significant.
In a very ironic way, it means at least one good thing has come out of my Aisha hatred, namely Irae's PoV
And very ironic thing is both are my characters xD
Yeah, I won't lie, Asshai would've been pretty neat I'm not complaining though, Qarth is a very fascinating place on its own right, and one that could still reasonably have some links to what is going on in Westeros.
While I can't say that Asshai is on my list right now, I can reveal here that there are parts of Irae's storyline that are not yet planned for. Whole chapters worth of content in which I am actually not sure what to do with her yet and which I will fill as the current chapter progresses. So, as much as it isn't likely currently, I'd say never say never, it might just happen
I've done some more thinking, and actually came to a whole new conclusion Well, my guess on the conqueror stays the same, I still think it could well be Nain Anturion. However, I think the prophet is actually his brother, Edward Anturion. Now, I'm not entirely sure yet what exactly makes him a "prophet", but he certainly is cunning and ambitious, and he kneeled to Aeron Blacksails, someone who "claims to be king". That leaves the deceiver, and while I think she might well be someone we don't know yet, I think she could also be Hishi. Hishi seems to fit this image of someone working in the shadows, and there was specifically a mention of thorns, an imagery already linked to her. Is she really that dark though? We don't really know her yet, so she well could be. Oh well, I might be so very wrong with these guesses, but I'll keep an eye out for these three nonetheless for any further hints
That is another couple of interesting guesses. You probably understand it very well that I can't confirm or deny any of these, but they are definitely possibilities. Hishi could fit to be a bit of a deceiver and there is the thorn imagery in it being literally the name of the Thousand Shades of Flowers enforcers. Might be a coincidence, or you might be on to something there. I can guarantee you, the deceiver should be absolutely obvious by the end of Book 2 and with her, the identities of the other two of the Blood Witch's allies in Westeros (or west of Qarth) will be revealed as well.
Hah, I actually thought after reading the part that this feels kinda like reading the beginning of Gwen's storyline from Aisha's perspective Obviously with the difference that Irea seems like a decent person. Well, then again, we do have the option here to force Naele into submission, so maybe she has the potential to become even more like Aisha
Hehe, I'm pretty sure Aisha's perspective would have been, you know, worse, because that's what she is Probably including a lengthy paragraph in which she thinks about eating a baby or whatever it is she does in her spare time. Irae is probably not the most decent person around, she's somewhere in what counts as a morally grey area in the setting, but when compared to Aisha, I'm still pretty much convinced even Wolfius would appear decent. Takes a serious amount of effort to not be the better person in direct comparison. However, it isn't just a matter of being a more decent person, but also appearing as such. In Aisha's case, nothing short of a miracle can save her now, but with Irae, I wanted to find a way to show her positive traits right away. No matter how she would have approached her, with Naela it would have taken a long while until she could have potentially learned to legitimately trust Irae and see her for the troubled but ultimately well-intentioned woman she is. Until then, Irae would have appeared like an Aisha clone and one Aisha on her own is already borderline unbearable Add to that the issue I realized with Naela's storyline in return: In terms of personality she is a mixture of Gwendis and Alys, if you remove some of Gwen's most benevolent traits and a tiny bit of Alys' naivety. But FoT already has Alys who will be a major character in the events to come, whereas I have far too much of a bond to NW's Gwen to ever copy her into FoT. I also doubt I could do something with a Naela PoV that you and me have done or will do with Gwen and Alys respectively. She just wouldn't be a unique PoV character. So, to avoid any chance of this storyline feeling like Alys' or Gwendis', I decided to flip the tables here and give the shady sorceress the PoV spot for once. Don't get me wrong here though, Gwen's PoV is pretty much my favourite thing in NW I must say though, while it ultimately is up to me to decide of course, I hope Irae won't become closer to Aisha. I partially made this PoV change because I wanted to like Irae and I saw this as a very hard task if my extreme dislike towards Aisha would always creep into my mind
Not going to lie, this would have been tempting, Asshai in particular. The problem is, the farther away this storyline is, the more difficul… moret it will be to reasonably tie it into the other storylines. Irae will have ties to the larger story arc through the Blood Witch and her Westerosi allies, but a character from Yi Ti would have had it even harder.
Yeah, I won't lie, Asshai would've been pretty neat I'm not complaining though, Qarth is a very fascinating place on its own right, and one that could still reasonably have some links to what is going on in Westeros.
Hm, nice guesses, I like them I must say, I feel like the prophet is the most enigmatic description of these three, mostly because the character is probably not anyone's first choice when it comes to naming a prophet, but as the storyline will progress, it should become more obvious. I should also mention, not all three are confirmed to be antagonists, as Moros mentio… [view original content]
Hehe, the important thing is you made it in time for this part. With plenty of time left actually, I currently think the voting will remain open until Sunday even, so it's all good And yeah, I noticed that as well. Kind of an odd feature to include in the newest update, but it seems to be perfectly possible. Not that I'd ever go back and like all of my old comments to increase my like counter, I mean, who'd do that, certainly not me
[Suggest winning Naela's trust] Let's try the nice approach
RT: 1) And the first new PoV of the chapter is Irae,have as PoV an apprentice of the Dark Arts is for sure an interesting choice! 2) Obviously I don't forget that the new location is Qarth! I don't know how much we will see of the city during the story but I will for sure look forward to read the future events that will happen inside the city 3) Now that I think about it this is the first real time that we read a Essos PoV not at an island or at sea but in the continent! 4) The other new character that you introduce in this part is Moros and he seems a really powerful warlock! 5) About the warlocks I'm curious if we will read of other members of The House of the Undying in the future 6) Another character that instead is only mentioned inside this part is the daughter of a merchant (I'm almost sure that the Blood Witch want the girl for something about her blood) 7) About Irae's vision we see that exist a powerful khal that has as a source of his power his own ancestor (maybe without even his own knowledge) 8) While The Blood Witch main objective seems to be revenge It doesn't seem to be her only objective since she mentioned other enemies 9) I'm curious to read who this Rhavarro is,a mere puppet of the wraith or a man with his own goals? 10) About the allies (or at least the three mentioned in this part) I believe that maybe they all are the Anturion siblings (because even if this theory is incorrect Nain is clearly the conqueror,Edward is a captain of a man that proclaim himself the King of the Pirates while the sister...for what we know seems a really bad person)! 11) I'm curious to learn in the future what is the connection between The Blood Witch and her "pawns"
BQD:
The Blood Witch “This is the Khal of Khals,blood of my blood, the beginning and the end, the instrument of my vengeance”
Irae
Moros narrowed his eyes, his blue lips curled to a stressed smile long before she noticed anything herself. “It is working”, he gasp… moreed, his gaze fixed on her. “More, child! Tell me, what do you see?” His wrinkled hands grabbed Irae's, clenching them heavily with elongated fingers, as the young woman stared into the bowl of water between them.
It wasn't normal water, yet in this place, it came hardly as a surprise. The House of the Undying in the great city of Qarth, home to the order of warlocks. Irae Caleris' home, from the moment her father had placed her here just hours after her birth. For the first two decades of her life, she had trained under them, studied their arts. She had drunken their shade of the evening, had participated in their ancient rituals and yet, her curiousity about the nature of their powers and about the darkest pieces of their knowledge had brought her not just friends.
It came as a surprise that Moros … [view original content]
Well, certainly she is more interesting character and point of view that the others as she is kinda darker than the rest. As for Aisha from NW, perhaps if story would be written from her PoV, you would not hate her so much, you never know... after all I created her and Wildling simply follows her personality, believes and such (in very good way, Wildling! ).
But as it is FoT not NW topic, after voting will be closed, you may expect me posting first public artwork of Irae.
That was actually on my mind as well See, my thoughts were somewhere along the lines of "Man, I really don't feel comfortable with hating o… morene of Mathea's characters so much, but what else can I do now that Aisha is legitimately that awful?" and then remembering that there is this other shady sorceress you have submitted a while ago and which is supposed to appear in early Book 2. We're talking October/November 2016 here, around Mid-Chapter 2 of NW, that was the time I began having this idea of making her the PoV instead of kinda having a Gwen/Alys hybrid in Naela. I realized how similar the two are on a surface level and how similar they'd probably be seen by their respective PoV's (albeit Naela's opinion on Irae would have been more ambiguous than the likely irrevocable hatred Gwen has for Aisha) and I kinda feared they'd cause similar reactions. A couple brainstorming sessions later, Naela was relieved of her PoV duties and the Irae PoV wa… [view original content]
1) And the first new PoV of the chapter is Irae,have as PoV an apprentice of the Dark Arts is for sure an interesting choice!
Well, technically I wouldn't even count her magic as being all that dark. Warlock magic definitely isn't what would count as white magic, but in the setting, the truly dark magic seems to be a lot darker than usual. There's blood magic, that's what I'd consider the truly dark arts and Irae has no knowledge on that topic. She is, however, one of the darker PoV's, especially as the warlocks as a whole are definitely not a heroic group. She should make for a really interesting viewpoint though, I hope you'll enjoy her storyline as it moves forward
2) Obviously I don't forget that the new location is Qarth! I don't know how much we will see of the city during the story but I will for sure look forward to read the future events that will happen inside the city
I can promise, we'll see a bit of Qarth. After all, I got this interesting location right there, it'd be a waste not to utilize it in some capacity. Qarth itself won't be a lasting super major story location, but you should get some insight into its culture and political system at the time.
3) Now that I think about it this is the first real time that we read a Essos PoV not at an island or at sea but in the continent!
I'd say you are correct with this. Jaron and John will definitely not leave Lys anytime soon, though Janae is soon going to join the ranks of the PoV's on mainland Essos. Irae however is going to be the PoV with the strongest roots to Essos and it is unlikely she'll leave it.
4) The other new character that you introduce in this part is Moros and he seems a really powerful warlock!
Oh yes, he is a very powerful warlock for sure. However, this is a question of how powerful warlocks are in general. The Blood Witch described their powers as being nothing but smoke and mirrors and while that is an exaggeration, they are definitely no longer in their prime. They cut the Undying from the show, but in the books they were ultimately pushovers, more parasites than anything else, all dying to a single infant dragon. I'd say they were once very powerful, but the Doom of Valyria has shattered magic everywhere, causing it to all but vanish in the west. By the time of the War of the Five Kings, it is still present in Essos but seriously weakened, so I'd say here, 300 years earlier, there are still powerful mages, but their art as a whole is already declining. The warlocks have lost their prime when the Doom came and they are already weakened, but people such as Moros might still command fearful powers.
5) About the warlocks I'm curious if we will read of other members of The House of the Undying in the future
Possibly yes. Technically, Irae is the only submitted warlock I received (and the reason why the story is set in Qarth. With Naela I probably would have found a way to feature her elsewhere), but I might find room to feature others if it fits. We'll see how her storyline will develop.
6) Another character that instead is only mentioned inside this part is the daughter of a merchant (I'm almost sure that the Blood Witch want the girl for something about her blood)
Technically a possibility. The Blood Witch has, as her name kinda implies, a connection to blood. She is also interested in Naela, so it is not unthinkable that her blood is what the witch is after. This will receive more of an explanation when the witch appears more frequently.
7) About Irae's vision we see that exist a powerful khal that has as a source of his power his own ancestor (maybe without even his own knowledge)
Rhavarro is definitely unique for a Dothraki. I mean, he kinda defies any traditional view on them by not only accepting magic, but also embracing it and still somehow managing to control a Khalasar as huge as Drogo's. The Blood Witch is the source of his powers in the way that her blood running through his veins allows him to have these talents. His father had the same potential, but being more traditional, he had the typical Dothraki fear of magic. His grandmother however was well-versed in these arts, having learned from her mother and the Blood Witch herself has definitely taught him how to use his magic for his advantage.
8) While The Blood Witch main objective seems to be revenge It doesn't seem to be her only objective since she mentioned other enemies
This one is for certain. During her lifetime, the Blood Witch has made numerous enemies and getting revenge on them is at least part of her goal. However, there is a reason she even has to take revenge on them. A being as powerful as she used to be in her prime is not an enemy one would pick lightly, so she gave the warlocks and others a good reason to make a move against her. There are plans she had left unfinished and it can only be assumed that she does not intend to give up on them because something as trivial as her death got in the way.
9) I'm curious to read who this Rhavarro is,a mere puppet of the wraith or a man with his own goals?
That is very much an imporant question. It's definitely going to be one of these two, with Rhavarro being either a puppet or in a position of power himself. Irae will also ask herself the same question, though I believe it should become apparent once he appears in the story proper.
10) About the allies (or at least the three mentioned in this part) I believe that maybe they all are the Anturion siblings (because even if this theory is incorrect Nain is clearly the conqueror,Edward is a captain of a man that proclaim himself the King of the Pirates while the sister...for what we know seems a really bad person)!
This is another interesting theory. Nain seems to be high up on everyone's list as the conqueror, whereas Edward and the Anturion sister are pretty interesting assumptions. I'm playing the long game here, this is a question that will remain unanswered for a long time, but I like the different theories floating around. Your reasoning at least makes sense, I can also confirm that the Anturion sister is far from a good person.
11) I'm curious to learn in the future what is the connection between The Blood Witch and her "pawns"
According to Moros, they are unwitting, having no idea of the power that is using them to her advantage. However, Moros is not omniscient and not flawless, so take everything he says with a grain of salt. You will get a very clear answer later on though, once the identity of the pawns becomes apparent.
BQD:
The Blood Witch
“This is the Khal of Khals,blood of my blood, the beginning and the end, the instrument of my vengeance”
She definitely knows how to make an introduction, eh? This is probably the most complete description she can give of Rhavarro, because he is all this, as you'll see once he finally makes an appearance.
[Suggest winning Naela's trust] Let's try the nice approach
RT:
1) And the first new PoV of the chapter is Irae,have as PoV an apprentic… moree of the Dark Arts is for sure an interesting choice!
2) Obviously I don't forget that the new location is Qarth! I don't know how much we will see of the city during the story but I will for sure look forward to read the future events that will happen inside the city
3) Now that I think about it this is the first real time that we read a Essos PoV not at an island or at sea but in the continent!
4) The other new character that you introduce in this part is Moros and he seems a really powerful warlock!
5) About the warlocks I'm curious if we will read of other members of The House of the Undying in the future
6) Another character that instead is only mentioned inside this part is the daughter of a merchant (I'm almost sure that the Blood Witch want the girl for something about her blood)
7) About I… [view original content]
I was pretty torn between two options for the past day, but I think I’ve got it worked out for myself.
[Suggest winning Naela’s trust]
This might take some time and it’s probably going to be a messy confrontation, like Moros said, but I’ve got a hard time believing she would cooperate of her own free will regardless of what’s at stake.
People do have a reason to keep her around and either way, I don’t trust that she’ll be able to be discreet if she’s told everything. That’s also why I don’t think it’s a good idea to force her, regardless of how you go about it, it’ll probably turn out to be a disaster.
There’s definitely more to this choice going on in my head, but I know for certain that I’m cutting it close this time, so to be safe, I cut it here.
Also, I have to say, I’m a little (that’s an understatement) excited for the magic that seems to be coming soon.
Irae
Moros narrowed his eyes, his blue lips curled to a stressed smile long before she noticed anything herself. “It is working”, he gasp… moreed, his gaze fixed on her. “More, child! Tell me, what do you see?” His wrinkled hands grabbed Irae's, clenching them heavily with elongated fingers, as the young woman stared into the bowl of water between them.
It wasn't normal water, yet in this place, it came hardly as a surprise. The House of the Undying in the great city of Qarth, home to the order of warlocks. Irae Caleris' home, from the moment her father had placed her here just hours after her birth. For the first two decades of her life, she had trained under them, studied their arts. She had drunken their shade of the evening, had participated in their ancient rituals and yet, her curiousity about the nature of their powers and about the darkest pieces of their knowledge had brought her not just friends.
It came as a surprise that Moros … [view original content]
This might take some time and it’s probably going to be a messy confrontation, like Moros said, but I’ve got a hard time believing she would cooperate of her own free will regardless of what’s at stake.
You are entirely right here, this has the potential to turn into a very messy confrontation, given there's an ancient, vengeful spirit involved. The Blood Witch isn't exactly the reasonable type. Moros believes Naela might cooperate out of her own free will, but to be completely honest, Moros is a creepy old warlock and not exactly the type to correctly estimate what a 19 year old girl might end up deciding. Going with Irae comes at the high chance of sacrificing herself for Qarth and Naela might not be the type to do that.
People do have a reason to keep her around and either way, I don’t trust that she’ll be able to be discreet if she’s told everything. That’s also why I don’t think it’s a good idea to force her, regardless of how you go about it, it’ll probably turn out to be a disaster.
Well, forcing her would cause a couple big problems immediately, whereas winning her trust means basically tricking her, therefore causing these problems later on, with the difference that neither will be in Qarth anymore by then and Naela might have no choice but to continue trusting in Irae. Irae herself isn't happy with either of these choices, because all potentially include a chance for some serious disaster.
Also, I have to say, I’m a little (that’s an understatement) excited for the magic that seems to be coming soon.
And it will be a lot of magic! Irae's storyline is already so heavily tied to magical elements that I can safely include some of the characters I received that would end up out of place (or ridiculously overpowered) in other storylines. We're talking genuine magic here, beyond the tricks at the disposal of a warlock.
I was pretty torn between two options for the past day, but I think I’ve got it worked out for myself.
[Suggest winning Naela’s trust]
… more This might take some time and it’s probably going to be a messy confrontation, like Moros said, but I’ve got a hard time believing she would cooperate of her own free will regardless of what’s at stake.
People do have a reason to keep her around and either way, I don’t trust that she’ll be able to be discreet if she’s told everything. That’s also why I don’t think it’s a good idea to force her, regardless of how you go about it, it’ll probably turn out to be a disaster.
There’s definitely more to this choice going on in my head, but I know for certain that I’m cutting it close this time, so to be safe, I cut it here.
Also, I have to say, I’m a little (that’s an understatement) excited for the magic that seems to be coming soon.
This was a very important choice for how the storyline will continue, how Naela will see Irae and how she will react as the story progresses. This way, Irae is going to do a bit of trickery, winning Naela's trust without telling her the full truth, but it's a truth she can hardly hide forever the closer they get to the Blood Witch. One thing I can tell you is that you just got some very interesting interactions. In Irae's next part, we are going to meet Naela herself, giving you a general idea if this approach is the better one or not.
The next part should hopefully be out today. I am currently writing a Drent part, but should have room for a second PoV, which I have not yet decided upon. The ones I keep thinking about are Kersea, Alys or, at last, Ilish, so it is probably going to be one of these three, with Ilish actually being the most likely one, unless I get inspiration for one of the other PoV's that have yet to return in Chapter 2. Anyways, last time we saw Drent, he learned about a tournament that shall take place in Storm's End pretty soon. This tournament is to honour Argella's return, though the princess herself believes it to be a way for her three unwanted suitors, Bernard Buckler, Jonathan Errol and Warrick Fell, to win glory and to impress her. As such, she came up with a plan to have them defeated in this tourney by people she trusts. Edonia for the archery contest, Emphryus for the jousting, whereas Argella managed to convince Drent to fight for her in the melee, where Warrick Fell is also supposed to fight. His job there will be to ensure that Warrick won't get very far into this, something Drent agreed to. After a little timeskip of two weeks, his next part will start at the day of the tournament.
Ah, Irae! That is great, I especially like these magic effects and the eery atmosphere of the picture. Perfect for Irae and I am all the more hyped about her upcoming storyline. All in all, wonderful work, thank you for sharing it
At last, the day of the tournament had arrived. Over the past two weeks, the preparations had been going on, the servants working for days with barely any rest to assure a celebration worthy of the Durrandon name. With a little help from Ser Emphruys, Drent had been accepted to the melee and eventually, even Torrence had given in to the temptation of glory. To be honest though, neither had particular hopes to get very far into it, not with men such as Landry Swann and Argilac himself participating. But Drent knew, he wouldn't go down before Warrick Fell. To this, he had given his word.
The past fourteen days had been uneventful for him. As one of the participants of the tournament, he was treated with more care than the other grunts, still doing guard duty, but on a reduced level. He could only assume that Ser Emphryus had a hand in this. After all, they both had a duty to their princess.
Argella herself however had been absent from his daily routine once more. With the multitude of important bannermen from all over the kingdom arriving, common soldiers had been banned from the Great Hall, the seats reserved for knights. Nearly a thousand of them were present at the castle right now, most of them dreaming of glory. Drent had a dream that was both, simpler and so far out of reach at the same time.
Right now, he was walking across the courtyard, allowing himself a moment to admire the multitude of banners that had arrived. In honour of the tournament, plenty of Argilac's bannermen had sent their champions, members of their family or trusted knights. The variety of colours on the courtyard was slightly overwhelming and Drent had been told that these weren't even all of the Durrandon bannermen.
Walking past a banner full of nightingales on yellow standing next to one depicting a purple lighting bolt, Drent spotted Torrence in the distance and he raised his hand to greet him. The other soldier, probably one of the few close enough to be called friends on better days, saw him and nodded, as he came closer.
“You nervous?”, he asked with a grin and Drent, glancing around the massive courtyard, showed him his shaking hands. Both chuckled at the sight and Torrence gave him a pat onto the back. “Well, Golton, turns I'm not”, he revealed, to which Drent raised an eyebrow. “You're getting yourself into the same shit as me”, he remarked.
Torrence shook his head. “I have different expectations”, he told him. “I go in there, try not to be the first one knocked out and I consider that a victory” He pointed at Drent. “You however, you want to be up on top when this is over, don't you?”
Drent raised an eyebrow, before he shook his head. “Definitely not”, he said, though Torrence gave him a long look. “Really?”, he said. “You mean to tell me that Drent Golton hasn't even thought about winning this?” He gave him a sly wink. “You know, she'd never look at you the same way if you pull that one off”
“This is really not what I'm after”, Drent assured him with a sigh, though he rolled his eyes as he noticed Torrence's chuckling. “You're getting way too defensive over that one”, he replied, before he pointed at a nearby tent. It was open, allowing Drent to see the dozens of people inside.
“You wanna know how I really manage to stay calm when I'm in for the beating of a lifetime?”, Torrence asked, as he began to walk towards the tent, with Drent following. “The refreshment tent., You up for some fancy wine before this starts?” Drent smirked, though he also tilted his head. “Are we allowed to do that?”, he asked, to which Torrence shrugged. “I had four cups already and nobody stopped me”, he explained. “At least it means nobody cares”
As they entered the tent, Drent had a look around and quickly, a frown formed on his face, as he spotted Bernard Buckler among the crowd of chatting knights. The heir to Bronzegate was sitting on a small table, talking to a dark-haired man clad in grey, with sharp features, a stubble beard and thick eyebrows. The man in grey was smiling thinly, as Bernard was telling him something. In his lap, Drent spotted a sword, hidden in a sheath of white and grey.
“Wonderful...”, Drent mumbled and Torrence glanced at him. “Ah, come on, it won't be that bad”, he spoke. “Just imagine how Emphryus is going to kick his ass in the joust” Drent smirked at that. “If they get to meet each other, that is”, he argued. “Emphryus is still not back at his prime after Raylansfair. If he has to face Swann or Grandison first, they might not even meet”
“Oh, they will”, Torrence said with a grin, glancing at Bernard. “I got to take a look at the list. First round, it's Emphryus against Bernard” He winked at the other soldier. “It seems our princess pulled some strings to make it happen”
Drent chuckled. “I almost feel pity for that guy”, he whispered, as they stopped in front of a table, on which several cups and carafes of wine were placed. Torrence was just about to reach for one of them, as a voice called out from him from behind. “Bernile, there you are!”, Ser Emphryus roared and Torrence froze in place.
“Ser”, he greeted his commanding officer, as both, he and Drent saluted in front of the knight. Emphryus glanced around the large tent, none of the other knights even looking at them as all were too busy with their own talks. “Trying to take a break, huh?”, he asked.
“Just a small one”, Torrence tried to defend himself and Emphryus gave him a nod. “Yeah, a very small one”, he confirmed. “You have guard duty by the stables. The entourage of Gerald Grandison arrived and Connington's men are still waiting to get a place for their horses”
“Can't, uh... Edonia take care of that?”, Torrence asked and Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “Your sister is training”, he replied. “I gave her the day off, we want her at her peak this afternoon” Torrence rolled his eyes, though he nonetheless put the cup down and approached the knight. “Alright, Ser, I'll do it”, he gave in, to which Emphryus flashed him a grin. “As if you have any choice”, he replied, though he patted him onto the back. “Come on, boy, back to work” After giving Drent a nod, he followed after Torrence, leaving him alone in the tent.
Drent, still holding a full cup of wine, let out a sigh, as he put the cup back down again. Drinking alone would do little to ease the nervousness he felt about facing so many renowned warriors, each and every one of them better than him. Even Warrick Fell was probably a better fighter. After all, the man had likely been trained by Felwood's master-at-arms from an early age, so what little advantage had in experience, Warrick would undo with his superior training.
As he slightly wandered around the tent, unsure what to do and where to go now, a voice called out for him. “Hey, you!”, a man said behind him. “Servant!” He glanced over his shoulder, noticing Bernard Buckler looking at him and he frowned. The man in grey next to Bernard raised an eyebrow. “Uh, Bernard...”, he began, though Buckler cut him off. “Yeah, I'm talking to you. Malcolm here requires another drink”
“Excuse me?”, Drent growled, to which a confused look appeared on Bernard's face. “Is anything the matter? You've been given an order” Drent nodded. “An order for a servant, aye”, he replied with a harsh tone. “I am not a servant though. The name's Drent Golton, I'll fight in the tourney. Find yourself a servant or get your own drinks”
To Drent's surprise, the smug look on Bernard's face faded immediately. “Whoa, easy there, friend”, he replied with an honest tone in his voice. “I was mistaken right there, I'm sorry. Kinda thought everyone around here would be either a knight or a servant and you don't look like the former”
The man next to him, Malcolm, smirked. “I could have told you that much”, he replied and Bernard rolled his eyes. “Yeah, why didn't you do it?”, he complained, though he reciprocated the smirk. As he looked back at Drent, who still felt anger rising at the presence of this man, his smirk faded again. “Wait, I think I remember you now...”, he mumbled. “You've been that soldier! The one who spoke out in favour of the princess!”
“What if I am?”, Drent replied and Bernard gave him a genuine smile. “That was brave!”, he complimented him. “It's not often that we see such dedication from a common soldier” Drent did not answer immediately, feeling confused at Bernard's flattery. “Ah, please, accept my apology. I see I insulted you, but it was an honest mistake. Don't want any bad blood between us”
“So?”, Drent stated and Bernard sighed. “I really can't let it end that way”, he said. “Look, why don't you sit down? I'd love to have a talk with you and I'm sure there's some stuff I could learn from you. You know the princess better than me, that much is for sure” With these words, his smirk returned. “By the way, my name is Bernard Buckler, heir to Bronzegate”, he introduced himself. “This fine man by my side is Malcolm Mertyns, the heir to Mistwood”
Malcolm raised both eyebrows and gave Drent a thin smile, as he nodded to greet him. Drent's frown softened slightly, as he saw a genuinely apologetic look on the man's face. Had he been too quick to judge him? Though at the same time, could he let his grudge rest for long enough to have a conversation with him? Should he even?
Drent sighed, as Bernard gave him a reassuring smile. “Come on, don't make me beg”, the young man said. “I made a mistake, now let me make up for it” He pointed at the empty chair between him and Malcolm, to which the Mertyns knight simply shrugged, before leaning back in his own chair, his silence an expression of acceptance. Both men were looking at Drent and he knew, he had to make a choice.
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm][Decline the invitation]
Ilish
“Two more for table four”, Ilish said as she put the empty mugs onto the counter, in front of Megur. The other barmaid frowned, as she grabbed the mugs, a sour expression on her face. “Haven't they had enough?”, she snarled and Ilish shrugged. “Yeah, but they think differently”, she replied. “And they are paying customers, so get your ass to the task”
“If this is about someone's ass, why don't you ask Daisy to flaunt her oh-so-perfect one?”, Megur hissed, glaring at her cousin, who was surrounded by customers, as always and Ilish knew, not one of them came to admire the ale they served. Yet she sent Megur a glare. “You know she's not doing that”, she replied and Megur smirked callously. “Yeah, but that'd earn us a pretty sum”, she stated.
“What would?”, a hoarsy voice asked from behind and Megur's face lit up. “Mother!”, she exclaimed as Audrey limped into the taproom from the door behind the counter. Still needing crutches to walk, her vibrant red hair had gotten a few notable grey streaks over the last few months, but her face had regained colour, just as she had regained weight. Her recovery would take months, but she was on a good way.
“Ah, nothing”, Ilish was quick to say. “Megur and I were just talking” Audrey raised an eyebrow. “Table four is out of ale”, she remarked, having spotted the situation in an instant. “And table seven had enough for today. Means we suffered him enough”
Ilish nodded quickly. “I'm on it”, she assured her, as she quickly grabbed the mugs Megur had prepared. “You should get some rest” Audrey frowned. “Wonderful”, she mumbled. “I'd love to be out here with you girls again” This time, Megur put a hand onto her back. “We got it”, she assured her. “We won't let you down”
As she said this, Ilish turned around, approaching table four with her two mugs of ale. The men that sat there saw her coming and smiled, though she knew it was a sorrowful occasion. “Axell Snow and Philip Loren”, she greeted them, as she put the ale down. “How long do you plan on keeping this up?”
Axell instantly reached for the ale, as Philip put two coins onto the table, which Ilish was quick to grab. “As long as possible”, he replied, as he raised his mug. “To Richard!” Axell joined in on the gesture, as Ilish put the coin into her purse. “To Richard”, he replied.
Philip sighed, as he smiled at Ilish. “It just isn't the same anymore, without him and Urid”, he replied, his tone more grim than his expression. She nodded quickly. Oh yes, she had mourned Richard. They all had and whenever she thought about him, she thought about his daughter. Richard's fight was over, but she could only imagine how hard this must be for Jenna.
“Say, I gotta wonder...”, Axell brought up and there was something belligerent in his tone. “Why do you allow him to remain here?” He pointed at table seven and Ilish sighed. “He hasn't committed a crime”, she replied and both men narrowed their eyes. “He sold out his brother”, Axell objected.
“Yeah”, Ilish admitted. “To the authorities” She sighed, as she sat down on the free chair between them. “Listen, boys, I don't like him more than either of you, but I talked about this with Audrey. She's afraid we could attract some unwanted attention if we kick him out. Rumour has it he has some favours with the big shots in the castle”
“Probably”, Axell admitted and Philip clenched his fists. “So, you're telling us to accept him around?”, he snarled. “I should have bashed his head in the moment I first saw him” Ilish shook her head. “Then you'd be dead as well. Nathamer was commander back then and he never fucked around when it came to the law”
“Again, are you just going to ignore him?”, Axell said and Ilish shook her head. “No”, she confirmed. “I'm going to kick him out. Don't want him to pass out on our floor, he's probably more dirty than any spot in this entire building”
“He's a swine”, Philip growled and Ilish was quick to nod. “You won't find me to object to this”, she assured him. “But remember, don't try anything in here. Keep in mind, you might be ready to face the consequences, but we have to suffer through the same. Whatever you do, it'll harm us as well”
Philip gulped and his expression softened. “No...”, he mumbled. “I don't want that either” He put a hand onto hers and the burn scars from where the warehouse fire had scorched his flesh were still visible, even if they had mostly faded by now. The skin that grew over the marks was rough and unsightly and he should probably wear gloves for the rest of his life. “We won't harm him, not in here”, he assured her. “You have my word”
Ilish smiled. “Thank you”, she said. “If you need more ale, let me know. I'm going to deal with our little problem, but I'll be back in a minute” She turned around and towards table seven, her smile fading and replaced by a disgusted frown as she approached the man. “Alan”, she called out.
Alan Harking looked out, his stare hollow. “Huh?”, he asked as if he had just noticed her, or his entire surroundings. Barely able to focus, he was clearly way past his limit. And she was past any patience for him. “What is it?”
“You're drunken?”, Ilish replied and Alan gave her a nod. “Isn't that the place to be?”, he asked and she noticed that he had changed. There was no smile, not on his face and not in his eyes. He looked tired and a decade older than last time she had seen him. Not that she cared, after what he had done, she wasn't feeling particularly caring anymore.
“You're too drunken”, she clarified and he raised an eyebrow. “I don't think that's a thing”, he protested, but she put a hand onto his back. “Alan, it's time to go home”, she told him and he frowned. “Home...”, he mumbled. “How long has it been? Two days? Three days?”
Ilish rolled her eyes. “And why do you think I care?”, she asked. “I'm here to bring you ale and take your coin, not to listen to your sob story” Alan sighed, though he put both hands onto the table, in the attempt to push himself up. To make it faster, Ilish helped him and soon, he stood on his own, shaky legs.
“They don't want me in here, right?”, he mumbled, as Ilish accompanied him to the front door. She shook her head. “Can you blame them?”, she asked and he nonchalantly gave her a nod. “I... only did what was right... did I not?”, he stuttered and Ilish narrowed her eyes. If he wouldn't be a paying customer, she would have punched him straight in the face right there.
“You sold out your own brother”, she replied sharply and for a moment, she saw something on Alan's face. Was it shame? Regret? Did it matter? She immediately decided the answer to that last question was definitely a firm 'no'. “I tried to save him”, he clarified.
Ilish would have laughed at his delusion, if not for the tragic, heartbreaking subject of their talk. “I did!”, he continued. “He had to know, sooner or later these... people he harboured at the farm would have been found. The knight was a piece of shit and that woman... a sight for sore eyes, aye, but dangerous to have around”
By now they had left the building and the cold air and the darkness on the street were a severe contrast to the hot and bright taproom. “I'd say you've been the greater danger in the end”, she stated without even hesitating. Alan gave her a glare, yet only for a second. “No, that was all Richard”, he clarified. “I knew they'd be found eventually and if that'd happen, either Richard and Jenna and probably me would be killed for being complicit, or I'd be the one to turn these criminals in and request that my family will be spared in return”
“You did that?”, Ilish asked, her voice oozing disbelief. Alan gave her a quick nod, which caused him to stagger. “Of course!”, he stated. “It was planned that Richard and Jenna will be spared. Hells, with Jenna it even worked!” He sighed. “I wanted what I deserved, the farm. You can call me greedy, maybe you're even correct with it, but I'm not a monster that plots to murder his family”
Ilish rolled her eyes. “A tragic accident, huh?”, she hissed and Alan shook his head. “Richard's stubbornness”, he clarified. “And Mullendore. We had a deal and he broke it. Do you think I'm happy how the situation turned out?” Ilish looked at him, the man who had just become one of the richest farmers in Raylansfair. “I don't know”, she replied. “Are you?”
There should have been defiance in his gaze, but she was almost shocked at the lack of it. “I thought I would be”, Alan replied calmly. “Now... I think I should go home” Ilish clenched her teeth, as she took a step towards him. “You're a piece of shit”, she clarified and he did not protest. “But you're a paying customer and as such, I hope you'll return” Briefly, she put a hand around him, onto his belt, helping him to stand straight, before sending him on his way.
With her hands behind her back, she watched him stumbling down the alleyway, before he was gone behind a corner. A brief grin formed on her face as she glanced at his purse in her hand. He was not only a coward and a man who'd sell out family, but he also gave lousy tips. This time, she made sure he'd leave behind a lot more.
Her newly acquired purse safely hidden in a small pocket on the side of her dress, Ilish returned into the taproom. For a moment, the heat was overwhelming, though a second later, a new and unexpected situation arose. As she made her was back to the counter, sticking close to the wall of the building to avoid most of the crowd, someone reached for her forearm.
“Wha...”, she began, ready to pull herself free if necessary, though the face of the man in the corner was a familiar one. It took her a moment to recognize him, with a hood pulled into his face and the stubble having grown into the beginnings of a beard since she had last seen him, but she still remembered his blonde hair and these blue eyes. “Lawsen?”, she asked.
Lawsen, the boy who had saved her life, looked barely recognizable. He quickly pulled her down, onto the chair next to him, as he put a finger onto his lips. “Quiet”, he hissed, his eyes showing fear. “Ilish, remember when I saved your life?”
Ilish smiled at him. “I could never forget it”, she assured him, though concerned, she raised her eyebrows. “Is there a problem?” Lawsen was quick to nod. “Oh yes”, he hissed. “Listen, I've been staying here for too long. I like the city, I think I even found a couple friends here, but that has been a mistake” He gave her a pleading look. “Now I need your help”
“Of course”, Ilish said in an instant. “Though what is this about? I kinda need to know a bit more” Lawsen frowned. “Yeah, but... not a word about this to anyone”, he urged her. “I'll tell you, but only because you'll understand. You'll be quiet about this”
Ilish nodded. “I will”, she promised and he took a deep breath. “See the man on the other end of the taproom?” Ilish glanced over her shoulder and Lawsen briefly pointed at the man at table thirteen. Short, a bit on the stocky side, with broad shoulders, a haggard face, as well as short black hear and a long, thin black beard, so far so unremarkable. What really made him stand out was his attire, all in black, from the trousers, to the vest, to the cloak.
“The Night's Watchman?”, she asked and Lawsen put a hand onto hers, causing her to look away from the man. “Don't look at him for too long”, he urged her. “That is Wildor Goodbrook”, he hissed. “And he mustn't see me”
Ilish narrowed her eyes. “Why is he looking for you?”, she asked and she saw a look of pain and desperate fear on Lawsen's face. “No questions, please”, he begged her. “Listen, help me out here and maybe I'll tell you, but I must get out of here, my life depends on it”
After what he just said, Ilish wasn't too sure she wanted to hear his story, but she knew without a doubt, she had to help. “Can't you just leave?”, she asked and Lawsen visibly tensed up. “He is looking for me”, he claimed. “Why else would he be here? He knows I'm here. If I just leave without a distraction, he'll follow me and he'll... I'm so done for if he sees me”
“He's a recruiter as far as I know”, Ilish stated. “Maybe he just wants to take the local prisoners and bring them to the Wall” Lawsen shook his head. “He's here for me”, he said with certainty. “And you gotta help me. He's taking a closer look at everyone who leaves. If I remain for too long, he'll spot me. If I leave on my own, he'll spot me”
“So, how can I help?”, she asked and Lawsen gulped. “He wasn't looking at Alan Harking, because you were with him. Just another drunk who had to be thrown out. Maybe if you do the same with me, he won't look too closely”
“Maybe”, Ilish agreed. “Or I could go and talk to him” She saw the alarmed look in Lawsen's eyes and she was quick to calm him down. “To distract him”, she clarified and he sighed with relief. “Perhaps”, he replied. “I'm not an expert on this. Usually, I talk my way out, but with Goodbrook, there won't be any talking” He sighed. “You're the expert. I trust you, so do what you deem more likely to work”, he gave in, though the pleading look in his eyes remained. “But please, do something. For the sake of me saving your life. Now we can get even”
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm] C'mon, sit down. What's the worst that could happen?..............What's the least terrible thing that could happen?
[Distract Wildor Goodbrook] Distraction, distraction, the best course of action.
Drent
At last, the day of the tournament had arrived. Over the past two weeks, the preparations had been going on, the servants working f… moreor days with barely any rest to assure a celebration worthy of the Durrandon name. With a little help from Ser Emphruys, Drent had been accepted to the melee and eventually, even Torrence had given in to the temptation of glory. To be honest though, neither had particular hopes to get very far into it, not with men such as Landry Swann and Argilac himself participating. But Drent knew, he wouldn't go down before Warrick Fell. To this, he had given his word.
The past fourteen days had been uneventful for him. As one of the participants of the tournament, he was treated with more care than the other grunts, still doing guard duty, but on a reduced level. He could only assume that Ser Emphryus had a hand in this. After all, they both had a duty to their princess.
Argella herself however had been absent… [view original content]
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm] I don’t think it’ll kill us and that’s good enough for me.
Alright, I feel this is a bit of payback towards me because I’m not certain about the second choice. It’s a tough one for sure. It probably shouldn’t be a tough one, but it is for me. I leave this space blank, I’ll get back to it later, believe you me.
Drent
At last, the day of the tournament had arrived. Over the past two weeks, the preparations had been going on, the servants working f… moreor days with barely any rest to assure a celebration worthy of the Durrandon name. With a little help from Ser Emphruys, Drent had been accepted to the melee and eventually, even Torrence had given in to the temptation of glory. To be honest though, neither had particular hopes to get very far into it, not with men such as Landry Swann and Argilac himself participating. But Drent knew, he wouldn't go down before Warrick Fell. To this, he had given his word.
The past fourteen days had been uneventful for him. As one of the participants of the tournament, he was treated with more care than the other grunts, still doing guard duty, but on a reduced level. He could only assume that Ser Emphryus had a hand in this. After all, they both had a duty to their princess.
Argella herself however had been absent… [view original content]
Drent
At last, the day of the tournament had arrived. Over the past two weeks, the preparations had been going on, the servants working f… moreor days with barely any rest to assure a celebration worthy of the Durrandon name. With a little help from Ser Emphruys, Drent had been accepted to the melee and eventually, even Torrence had given in to the temptation of glory. To be honest though, neither had particular hopes to get very far into it, not with men such as Landry Swann and Argilac himself participating. But Drent knew, he wouldn't go down before Warrick Fell. To this, he had given his word.
The past fourteen days had been uneventful for him. As one of the participants of the tournament, he was treated with more care than the other grunts, still doing guard duty, but on a reduced level. He could only assume that Ser Emphryus had a hand in this. After all, they both had a duty to their princess.
Argella herself however had been absent… [view original content]
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm] They seem like good people, and making friends with nobility could be helpful to Drent if he ever wants to rise to a higher position. And at the very least it's better than being rude to them. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to this melee
[Distract Wildor Goodbrook] I think this would work best, and perhaps we'd hear why exactly has a Night's Watchman came all the way to Raylansfair. I mean, Lawsen seems to think it's because of him, but we can't be sure. And I guess this means that Lawsen is a deserter, huh? Or at least I can't see any other reason for the Night's Watch to be after him.
Drent
At last, the day of the tournament had arrived. Over the past two weeks, the preparations had been going on, the servants working f… moreor days with barely any rest to assure a celebration worthy of the Durrandon name. With a little help from Ser Emphruys, Drent had been accepted to the melee and eventually, even Torrence had given in to the temptation of glory. To be honest though, neither had particular hopes to get very far into it, not with men such as Landry Swann and Argilac himself participating. But Drent knew, he wouldn't go down before Warrick Fell. To this, he had given his word.
The past fourteen days had been uneventful for him. As one of the participants of the tournament, he was treated with more care than the other grunts, still doing guard duty, but on a reduced level. He could only assume that Ser Emphryus had a hand in this. After all, they both had a duty to their princess.
Argella herself however had been absent… [view original content]
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm] Since this isn't Warrick, I don't see any harm in sharing a drink or two with him.
[Distract Wildor Goodbrook] It's the Night's Watch baby! That means our locals better take care not to be imprisoned, or they may get a one way trip up North. I wonder why Hal and Ed weren't mourning with the rest of the farmers in this part. And I finally caught up to the parts! Liquid, I left you a message btw. Glad to make it in time to see the Bar Crew back at it.
Drent
At last, the day of the tournament had arrived. Over the past two weeks, the preparations had been going on, the servants working f… moreor days with barely any rest to assure a celebration worthy of the Durrandon name. With a little help from Ser Emphruys, Drent had been accepted to the melee and eventually, even Torrence had given in to the temptation of glory. To be honest though, neither had particular hopes to get very far into it, not with men such as Landry Swann and Argilac himself participating. But Drent knew, he wouldn't go down before Warrick Fell. To this, he had given his word.
The past fourteen days had been uneventful for him. As one of the participants of the tournament, he was treated with more care than the other grunts, still doing guard duty, but on a reduced level. He could only assume that Ser Emphryus had a hand in this. After all, they both had a duty to their princess.
Argella herself however had been absent… [view original content]
Drent
At last, the day of the tournament had arrived. Over the past two weeks, the preparations had been going on, the servants working f… moreor days with barely any rest to assure a celebration worthy of the Durrandon name. With a little help from Ser Emphruys, Drent had been accepted to the melee and eventually, even Torrence had given in to the temptation of glory. To be honest though, neither had particular hopes to get very far into it, not with men such as Landry Swann and Argilac himself participating. But Drent knew, he wouldn't go down before Warrick Fell. To this, he had given his word.
The past fourteen days had been uneventful for him. As one of the participants of the tournament, he was treated with more care than the other grunts, still doing guard duty, but on a reduced level. He could only assume that Ser Emphryus had a hand in this. After all, they both had a duty to their princess.
Argella herself however had been absent… [view original content]
Bernard gets up, reveals himself to be a serial killer and murders Drent on the spot, resulting in a very unexpected death for our soldier friend. Suddenly, a flash of light appears in the sky and a flaming meteor plummets to the Earth. The end.
What's the least terrible thing that could happen?
Argella storms in, declares her undying love for Drent, together they tame a dragon and ride into the sunset. Moved by this, Aegon gives up on his conquest, world peace is achieved and they all live happily ever after.
So much for the worst and least terrible outcomes respectively, quality solutions brought to you by LiquidChicagoTed. In all seriousness though, it is way more likely that nothing too extreme will happen by sitting down with Bernard and Malcolm. The worst thing that could reasonably happen is Bernard turning out to be a jerk who just wants to humiliate Drent a bit, but to be fair, that isn't even particularly likely either.
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm] C'mon, sit down. What's the worst that could happen?..............What's the least terrible thing that could happen?
[Distract Wildor Goodbrook] Distraction, distraction, the best course of action.
Alright, I feel this is a bit of payback towards me because I’m not certain about the second choice. It’s a tough one for sure. It probably shouldn’t be a tough one, but it is for me. I leave this space blank, I’ll get back to it later, believe you me.
Alrighty, of course, take your time. Though once you make up your mind, let me know, just because I might not end up seeing it otherwise
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm] I don’t think it’ll kill us and that’s good enough for me.
Alright, I feel this is a bit of payback t… moreowards me because I’m not certain about the second choice. It’s a tough one for sure. It probably shouldn’t be a tough one, but it is for me. I leave this space blank, I’ll get back to it later, believe you me.
Update: [Distract Wildor Goodbrook]
Could be a good way to get to know this members of nobility, and is good that Bernard isn't a bad person.
Yeah, I wouldn't call him a particularly bad person. He might be a bit arrogant and his very confident and standoffish nature can definitely give a bad impression, I'd say he can even be a bit of a jerk on his bad days, but judged by the Westerosi standards, Bernard is anything but a bad person. I wanted to show a bit of a different side of his in this part, given that he hasn't had much chance to show any true depth from him.
So a former member of House Goodbrook is a recruiter, interesting.
Yes indeed, Wildor is from the Riverlands nobility of House Goodbrook, whom I am constantly mixing up with the Ironborn House Goodbrother. Damn these similar names, I can only hope this'll change once I reveal more about Wildor's past in the story proper XD
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm] Could be a good way to get to know this members of nobility, and is good that Bernard isn't a bad person… more.
[Escort Lawsen outside] It possibly will be safe, not sure. So a former member of House Goodbrook is a recruiter, interesting.
Lawsen, my boy!! I can't even remember how long it's been since he last showed up, here's to hoping he doesn't die immediately after reappearing.
It has been... uh, two years I think. And I am very sorry for that. The slow nature of the story means that when I don't have room for a character in a chapter, they disappear for months and I imagine that can be a bit frustrating. In Lawsen's case, I even hoped I could feature him in some parts of Book 1, but the choices made this so hard for me that any involvement I could have given him would have felt unsatisfying. He is back for good now though, I promise he will have a much larger role in Book 2, even with his own little storyline involving his past right here.
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm]
Let's get to know some Stormlanders!! And also, it would be quite rude for a commoner to walk away fr… moreom a knight.
[Distract Wildor Goodbrook]
Lawsen, my boy!! I can't even remember how long it's been since he last showed up, here's to hoping he doesn't die immediately after reappearing.
Comments
Irae
Moros narrowed his eyes, his blue lips curled to a stressed smile long before she noticed anything herself. “It is working”, he gasped, his gaze fixed on her. “More, child! Tell me, what do you see?” His wrinkled hands grabbed Irae's, clenching them heavily with elongated fingers, as the young woman stared into the bowl of water between them.
It wasn't normal water, yet in this place, it came hardly as a surprise. The House of the Undying in the great city of Qarth, home to the order of warlocks. Irae Caleris' home, from the moment her father had placed her here just hours after her birth. For the first two decades of her life, she had trained under them, studied their arts. She had drunken their shade of the evening, had participated in their ancient rituals and yet, her curiousity about the nature of their powers and about the darkest pieces of their knowledge had brought her not just friends.
It came as a surprise that Moros Qo Malxis had asked for her help. A legend among warlocks, a sorcerer, a man who could bend shadow and flame to his will and the minds of his students, if the darkest of rumours could be believed. Taller than her, taller than most people actually, yet cadaverous, with a gaunt body and an even gaunter face, putting emphasis onto his high cheekbones and his sharp beak of a nose. His skin was ghastly pale, yet already taking a turn to the blue, as was the case with many warlocks of his age. A thin mouth, blue lips and long, brown teeth as well as ears that ended slightly pointy. Remnants of white hair grew long, but shockingly thin, way down to his shoulders. “What do you see?”, he asked again with his hoarsy voice.
At first, Irae saw only herself in the pitch black water. A sight some would consider no less unsettling than Moros. Pale skin, hair that was white despite her youth, with an even less natural colouring as some strands turned blue the further down they reached, the same blue her lips had from the warlock's wine. Yet the one feature even Irae considered unsettling were her eyes. The pupils were white, or perhaps a very light grey. The warlocks said she was born under a dark star, a bad omen according to some. The blood of Asshai flew through her veins and of the lands beyond, the shadow lands she longed to see for herself one day.
She took a deep breath, breathing in the mixture of strange herbs and shade of the evening Moros had heated before pouring it into the ice-cold water. The mist that it emitted was blue, sweet and dazing, though it made it easier for her to concentrate. Moros' voice, though he was seated only a few inches away from her, was nothing but a thin whisper in the back of her head and then, Irae saw.
“There is a field”, she mumbled and through a numbing veil, she felt Moros' claws digging into her hands. “Dead, brown grass, trampled by a hundred thousand hooves” Moros nodded frantically. “The Dothraki Sea”, he told her. “Do you see any of them?”
Still focussing onto the surface of the water, Irae nodded. “A man”, she told him. “With dark hair, but... blue eyes... there are bells in his braid, so many of them... a Dothraki Khal” She gulped, as Moros' fingernails began to cause her actual pain. “The Witch Khal!”, he hissed. “Do you see the Witch Khal?”
“I... don't know”, Irae replied, before she narrowed her eyes. “Wait, there's more...”, was all she managed to say, before the vision overwhelmed her. For a moment, she was no longer on Moros' chamber, but on that field, with that Khal. He stood still, frozen in time, on that endless grassy plain. That was where she saw the shadow behind him. And the shadow saw her.
It was a looming shade, just barely humanoid in shape, black, two long appendages wrapped around the Khal's shoulders. It glared at her from where its eyes should be and Irae tensed up. “You...”, it said and its voice was hoarsy, incredibly ancient, yet undoubtedly female. “Do you think I don't see you?”
As it crept closer, Irae stood her ground. She knew, if she'd move, if she'd just look away, the vision would break. It could not harm her, not in the House of the Undying. Just as she thought this, the shade chuckled, a high-pitched and terrifying sound. “Warlocks?”, it hissed, momentary anger flaring up in its voice. “Charlatans! Smoke and mirrors, that's the power they wield!” As it reached Irae, there was a momentary darkness surrounding her. “And murderers, that's what they are...”, the shade added, the lack of emotion making it all the more chilling.
It wasn't the first time Irae had to deal with a creature of darkness. In the House of the Undying, there were beings stranger and more dangerous... “None are more dangerous than me...”, the shade interjected, cutting right through her thoughts and deep down, Irae knew it was right.
“Who are you?”, she asked, forcing her voice to remain as steadfast as her body. “And who is this Khal?” The shade moved around her, putting its hands onto her shoulder. “This is the Khal of Khals”, it explained, surprisingly ready to give an answer. “Blood of my blood, the beginning and the end, the instrument of my vengeance”
As Irae glanced down, she noticed the shade's clawed wrapped around her shoulder, even if she felt no physical touch. Her own hand was shaking. “Vengeance?”, she asked and she could hear the shade right next to her ear, as she focussed onto the young Khal in front of her. Physically Dothraki beyond any doubt, there was one feature about him that almost fascinated her. These eyes, these blue eyes, so unlike anything common among his people.
“His grandmother's eyes”, the shade whispered. “My daughter, Thirri” All of a sudden, it filled out almost her entire field of view. “Hers is a life I mean to avenge, as is mine” Irae gulped. Moros had not said anything about this and by now, it was unusual even for her, even considering the place she lived in.
“Why are you telling this to me?”, she asked and the shade moved aside, allowing her to gaze upon the Khal again. “Because I mean to crush your precious warlocks, among others”, it revealed. “Those who betrayed me” Irae narrowed her eyes, forcing herself to look at the dreaded creature. “You cannot hope to stand against the might of the warlocks”
This time, the shade outright laughed. “The might of the warlocks?”, it hissed. “At the height of my power, I could have crushed them with a thought if only I would have cared for them at all” To this, Irae raised an eyebrow, meeting her own fear with defiance. “And yet you plan your revenge on them?”, she asked.
For a moment, the shade grew larger. “Don't twist my words!”, it shrieked. “What pathetic strength they had, they used against me when I expected it the least. Since then, they have only grown weaker, but I...” It paused and Irae could feel its smug satisfaction. “I am no longer on my own”
With this, Irae saw figures appearing behind the Khal, only a handful at first, but quickly growing in numbers, until they became more than anyone could ever hope to count. Dothraki, on horseback, their braids reaching down their backs, their arakhs raised high above their heads, their mouths opened in silent battlecries, all frozen in time, the most terrifying horde she could ever imagine.
“He is the Khal of Khals”, the shade explained. “And if I demand it, he will raze your city to the ground. Your warlocks cannot stop his horde and it would leave me free to focus on the enemies that truly matter”
Slowly, Irae managed to calm down, though the sight of the Dothraki horde was still unsettling. The shade was right with one thing, if this horde truly existed, then the walls of Qarth would not stop them. She wasn't sure if there were enough walls in the world for that. And yet, she realized something. “What do you want?”, she asked. “You wouldn't just warn me about your intentions”
The shadow tilted what she considered to be its head. “Smart”, it said and it came close to a genuine compliment. “And more powerful than those you serve. Yes, you ooze power” It moved closer once more. “You are not a warlock” Irae clenched her fists and the shade chuckled. “Oh, don't feel insulted, girl”, it told her. “You know it yourself. Don't limit yourself like they do”
“What do you want?”, she repeated, this time pressing the words through her teeth. The shade turned back to the Khal. “I don't want Qarth”, it revealed. “Though it is the warlocks I'm after, your city can stand. You may be spared, if you give me what I desire out of your rotten city”
Once more, the vision faded. Gone was the Khal, gone were his warriors. Instead, Irae saw a familiar sight, one of Qarth's numerous market places. Men and women from all over the world, buying and selling their goods, all frozen in time. They were a blur, it was clear they did not matter to the shade, they weren't what it wanted to show her.
Instead, it focussed onto a single girl amid the crowd, a woman perhaps only a bit younger than Irae. Her clothes were indicator of her high birth, as she was clad in purple silk, one of her breasts left bare, her neck adorned by a golden necklace. Clearly a beauty, she had pale skin, a slender build and dark brown hair, cascading down her shoulders in gentle locks. Numerous silver chains were woven into it, filigree work that must have cost a fortune.
More importantly though was that Irae knew this girl. “You do?”, the shade asked and Irae bit down onto her tongue as she heard the surprise in its voice. Cursing her wandering thoughts, she realized she had given this creature a piece of information it had not known about before.
“What do you want from her?”, she asked, watching the shade slowly moving around the girl. “She is the spark”, it revealed. “All the reason my Khal needs. I see her before me as clear as I see you and I know, she has to reach Rhavarro”
Irae, gathering her courage, approached the shade, something that seemed to surprise it. “And what then?”, she growled. “What is your goal? Just revenge?” The shade began to laugh, a cold, hollow sound. “I don't have to answer your questions, not-warlock”, it spat. “But you will see in time. Ask your warlock master, he might have an idea, but knowing their kind, you won't receive much of an answer from them either”
Letting go of the girl, it now moved closer to Irae again. “I demand this girl and for that, I shall spare your city”, it promised. “Bring her to me and I shall give you what you desire” Irae narrowed her eyes. “And what might that be?”, she asked, to which she shade moved a hand across her face. Where it touched her skin, she felt a tingling sensation. “It matters not”, it said. “Power, knowledge, riches, name it and it shall be yours” It raised a finger. “Once this girl is mine”
“Where can I find you?”, Irae asked, looking past the shade and onto that familiar face. The shade moved around her, obscuring her view and all she heard was its voice. “I am bound to my blood”, it spoke. “Find Rhavarro. Find the Khal of Khals and I shall wait for you”
It was the last word the creature spoke to her. From one moment to the other, the vision had stopped and Irae found herself back in Moros' chamber, the sudden change of scenery hitting her harder than a punch to the face and knocking her straight to the ground.
Lying on the cold ground, facing the dark ceiling far above her, Irae groaned in pain as she spotted the emaciated figure of Moros Qo Malxis looming above her. “Irae!”, he yelled. “You have been gone for a while" He knelt down next to her, his bony fingers, supporting her as she lifted herself into a sitting position. Up close, she noticed one of the most unsettling things about the man and it was his complete lack of smell. There was no sweat, no perfume, simply no odour at all on him, not even on his dusty robes.
Needing a moment to regain her breath, the old man grew visibly impatient. “Have you seen the Witch Khal?”, he barked and while panting, she gave him a nod. “Rhavarro”, she revealed and Moros' face lit up. “Then you have seen more than I thought you'd see”, he complimented her. “Certainly a more useful vision, compared to my own, albeit yours seemed to have been more... intense as well”
Irae gulped. “I know where he gets his powers from”, she told him and Moros raised a thin eyebrow. “Is that so?”, he asked. “Well, spit it out! Is it a relic? A trinket? Or maybe a foreign sorcerer who supports him?”
To this, she shook her head. “It is worse”, she replied. “There was... there was a creature behind him. A wraith, a being of darkness and hatred” The small smile on Moros' face vanished in an instant, though his eyes widened, which gave his already long face an even more cadaverous look.
“I spoke to it”, she added, regaining some of the confidence that had been shattered by the harrowing talk she had gone through as she noticed how Moros looked utterly shocked for a moment. He was a legend among the warlocks, one of the few in contact with the Undying Ones and there was no doubt he would join them once his body would wither. And yet, he seemed so weak in this moment, just like the old man he truly was.
“I believe this wraith is one of Rhavarro's ancestors”, she explained. “His great grandmother to be precise. It mentioned a woman named Thirri, the Khal's grandmother” Moros sighed regretfully. “Then it is worse than the Undying Ones feared”, he whispered. “Thirri is a name I am familiar with, for she is a daughter of the Blood Witch”
He said this name as if it was one to fear and if this Blood Witch was the creature Irae had spoken to, then he was probably right. “Who is the Blood Witch?”, she asked, to which Moros shook his head. “I don't know how much I am allowed to tell you”, he admitted. “This is not exactly a common topic. You should know, the Blood Witch was an enemy to our order, back in the years shortly before the Doom, when our magic had been at its peak. We killed her, with plenty of help, though through Thirri, her blood lived on”
Irae frowned. “It seems to did her spirit”, she said and Moros gave her a nod. “A Khal as powerful as Rhavarro would be enough of a concern to us as it is”, he explained. “A Khal using dark magic is something unheard of, a threat to more than just Qarth. But a Khal of Thirri's blood?” He sighed. “The situation is grim, though not hopeless”, he spoke. “What did she tell you?”
“She showed me a girl”, Irae spoke. “Naela Orlatis” Moros tilted his head. “Whom?”, he asked and coughed slightly, a gesture that shook his frail body. Irae sighed. “A girl from Qarth, the only child of Kareq Orlatis, the Prince of Furs”
Moros' confusion did not grow weaker. “The Blood Witch shows interest in a merchant's daughter?”, he spat. “What does she need the spoiled brat for?” He gave her a glare of slight distrust. “And how come one such as you knows Qarth's Fur Princess?”
Irae tried not to take offence on that last one. “She came to us days ago”, she explained. “Her father was wounded recently and she asked for medicine” She pressed her lips together. “She's not a bad person. A good heart, as far as I can see” Moros shrugged impatiently. “Irrelevant”, he growled. “The Blood Witch is after her and I can't even guess for what end. A visit from the Sorrowful Men is the kindest fate we could offer to her. At least a knife to the heart would be a quick end”
His lips curled into a gleeful grin as he noticed Irae's shock. “Relax, girl”, he calmed her. “I don't intend to do that. The brat's fate is of no concern to me. However, we might be able to use this to our advantage. Did the Blood Witch promise you a favour for delivering the girl?”
Irae nodded at this. “She told me she'd spare Qarth, she'd spare me”, she revealed and the old man raised an eyebrow. “But not the warlocks?”, he hissed, to which she shook her head. He hesitated only for a moment, before his bony shoulders shrugged again. “Doesn't matter”, he proclaimed. “It might buy us the time we need. We don't want a Dothraki horde in front of these gates before we know how to deal with the blasted witch once again”
His hands grabbed hers once more, uncomfortably strong, especially for his age. “We will play her game for a bit, it might buy us time”, he explained. “I shall converse with the Undying Ones, to find a way to bring the fight to the Blood Witch. Meanwhile, you shall do what she asks of you. Bring this Naela to her. Buy us as much time as possible”
It was not a suggestion, but an order and Irae knew, she could not resist. Yet one question formed in her mind and the moment she had thought of it, she had to bring it up. “You saw a vision as well”, she said. “One that had to be connected” She narrowed her eyes, mustering him with a white gaze. “What have you seen?”
Moros rolled his eyes. “I wanted to see the Witch Khal with my own eyes, but the Blood Witch hid him from me”, he revealed. “What she failed to do though, was to hide her allies to the west and a glimpse of her plans. With you confirming the identity of our foe, it even makes sense”
“Her allies?”, Irae asked and Moros gave her a nod. “They who ruin”, he explained. “The prophet, the conqueror and the deceiver” Irae looked at him with growing interest. “Threats?”, she asked, to which Moros nodded again. “But not to us”, he assured her. “We are out of their reach, just like they are out of ours”
“Who are they?”, Irae demanded to know and Moros' thin smile returned. “A dangerous question”, he admitted. “They are her unwitting pawns. Only the conqueror remains in Essos and I saw him gathering his troops, ready to follow the other two. He is ferocity and zeal and hunger” He paused, glancing into the dark water “The prophet is in Westeros, I saw him kneeling to a man that claims to be king. He is ambition, he is cunning”, he continued. “And the deceiver weaves her lies, ready to plunge her thorns into another poor victim. She is the darkest of them and the purest”
Irae gulped. “Her only allies?”, she asked. This time, Moros shrugged. “I doubt it”, he said. “And as I told you, they are pawns. At most, the prophet might find out the truth, but the other two are not clever enough. I saw them, but for the time being, we should focus on your vision. The Fur Princess, that merchant's brat”
“Naela”, Irae reminded him again and Moros gave her an impatient glance. “Naela”, he agreed. “She is important to the Blood Witch. If it buys us time, she shall have her. For the time being, we must do her bidding until we are ready to confront her”
One of his bony fingers jammed into her shoulder and Irae frowned. “You will take her”, he ordered coldly. “You will lead her out of Qarth and to the Dothraki Sea. You will deliver her to Khal Rhavarro and the Blood Witch and you will buy us the time we need”
“I will”, Irae agreed and Moros' cold smile grew a tiny bit warmer and more satisfied. “And I appreciate it”, he replied. “Which is why I trust you to choose how to approach her. I mean, you somehow have to get her out of this city and as the Prince of Fur's only daughter, I'd like to imagine many have reason to rather keep her here”
“What do you suggest?”, Irae asked and Moros sighed. “I have never been good with people”, he admitted. “Keep in mind, this is not about what you want, but about what you believe to be the best approach to assure success. You could, of course, always just force her. You are powerful, child”
Irae grimaced at the suggestion. “It would be cruel”, she stated and Moros raised an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”, he asked. She gulped. “I am not sure”, she told him. “I'd like to avoid being cruel to her. If there's a way to bring her through this alive, I would appreciate it”
“And I won't mind, as long as she plays her part in saving us from the Blood Witch”, Moros told her. “I leave this up to you. If you manage to save the girls life, she can have it for all I care. Befriend her if that's what you want. Surely a friend will have it easier to convince her of such a drastic step” A sly expression appeared in his eyes. “Or you could be honest with her. Tell her what you know right away”
Irae raised both eyebrows. “A risky approach, coming from you”, she told him and Moros flashed her a crooked grin. “Is it though?”, he asked. “Sometimes, honesty leads to the greatest results. You told me she's not a bad person. Dutiful, would you say?”
To this, Irae nodded. “Then maybe this could be enough to move her to help”, the old man explained. “Her duty to Qarth and to her family, to protect all she loves from the Dothraki horde. If she cooperates out of her own free will, knowing what is at stake and the consequences of staying and leaving, respectively, she could make a decision for herself. If she comes with you freely, knowing what awaits her, you'd avoid having to trick her and the messy confrontation that would come up once she figures it out”
“Not so bad with people after all”, she complimented the old man, though he did not react to it. “I don't want to be cruel to her” Moros nodded. “Sometimes you have to be”, he advised her. “But you are not supposed to do what you want, you are supposed to do what you see as the best approach for our order and the city of Qarth” He gave her a look of honest curiosity. “Tell me, Irae Caleris, how are you going to deal with Naela?”
[Suggest winning Naela's trust] [Suggest forcing Naela] [Suggest revealing everything to her]
[Suggest winning Naela's trust] Well, this was a completely unexpected POV, and it has given us a huge insight on the Warlocks of Qarth. I wonder if the Blood Witch is somehow related to the sackings of the Qathi cities that drove them to extinction everywhere but Qarth.
Hehe, I knew she'd come completely out of the left field for most, given that the story has been very low on magic until now. But I received quite a number of characters with an affinity for the supernatural and Irae as a viewpoint can help me with exploring these a bit better, given that magic is generally stronger in the east. When it comes to the Blood Witch, it is definitely in the realms of possible. Her life and the conflict with the warlocks fell around the same time the Qartheen civilization beyond Qarth itself collapsed. There were, of course, other factors as well, but the warlocks having to focus their attention onto the Blood Witch and being unable to face the other threats that came up after the Doom of Valyria. She has a history with the warlocks and Qarth itself and both will be explored as Irae's storyline continues
[Suggest forcing Naela] We must be mean. Irae will be mean. Qarth is mean.
You know, I really wish the Qartheen dress was in the show. Not for any story reasons though, of course.
Very interesting. I have a great suspicion on who this "prophet" is. Archmaester Wulvren. But ambition and cunning don't really seem to fix them, do they? But it would connect to Elena and Noelle, who could be the deceiver. The Great Other's servant, conspiracy, ship it all to China, Alex Jones, yada yada yada. The conqueror though, that's not Aegon since he's in Westeros.
[Suggest winning Naela's trust]
I believe the best would be winning Naela's trust, especially that Irae knows her already.
That's pretty interesting PoV, I must say
and such a surprise in same! You know what I mean by saying that, haha! Speaking of, it inspired me enough that perhaps soon I will share with everyone the new PoV artwork... for better imagination and feeling of the magic, which was introduced to us by this part.
[Suggest winning Naela's trust]
Qarth!! Can't say I ever expected to see Qarth in the story, but I'm so down for it. I have a feeling that Irae will become one of my favorite POVs in no time.
Ah, so it was Qarth, I kind of expected that, though I could've seen you going all the way to Yi Ti or Asshai as well
Nonetheless, this was a very interesting part, and while it certainly feels very different from anything else going on in FoT right now, that didn't really bother me. I'm pretty sure wraiths are an entirely new concept to this world, but I think it fits well with the mythology. And this Blood Witch certainly seems powerful, can't wait to learn more about her, and Khal Rhavarro as well. And what comes to these "allies" that Moros mentions... well, I have some ideas whom they could be. I could see the conqueror being Nain Anturion, though obviously I don't know enough about him yet to truly know. The deceiver could perhaps be Noelle, though I'm not sure if the description really fits... I don't really see her as a liar. As for the prophet, well, I have on candidate, but I won't mention him for reasons 
[Suggest revealing everything to her] I'd say it's best to go with honesty. Taking this girl all the way to the Dothraki Sea is quite a task, so it's not like we can just trick her to travel thousands of miles. And forcing, well, let's not go there yet.
Anyway, I am very interested to see where all this goes!
[Suggest forcing Naela]
I always found it odd they'd leave it out. I mean, that was Season 2, back when the fanservice in the show has arguably been at its strongest and it would have served well to show the strange, slightly debauched nature of the Qartheen society. My only guess is that it would have been way too distracting in the show to have Emilia Clarke and every female extra in her scenes go half-topless for the entirety of the Qarth storyline. That won't be the problem in written form, so the Qartheen dress is definitely canon in FoT.
Hm, definitely a couple good guesses. I can reveal, there is hard evidence for the nature of these three allies to the Blood Witch and Moros' explanation itself contains a hint for the true nature of another character who is not as they seem to be. It is a twist I am very proud of, because it's about what I like the best, hiding some small yet crucial clues to a big plot twist so painfully in plain sight that everyone is almost guaranteed to overlook them until it is too late. Remember Butterfly? This is going to be another one of these twists
Well, knowing her would be a bit too much. Irae has spoken to her for a bit, but she has first met her only a few days ago when Naela came to get medicine for her wounded father. So, Naela herself will probably recognize Irae (given that she is not someone to forget), but they are not even acquaintances and while Irae has a positive opinion on Naela, there is no guarantee this feeling is mutual.
Hehe, I am still so glad the surprise worked out! Kinda proud I managed to keep it a secret until now, when it comes to such stuff, I am so eager to reveal it, I often give in to the temptation and reveal it in advance. And well, you know I am always happy to see more artwork, so whenever you feel like sharing it, feel free to do so. With the new forum layout being a bit distracting, perhaps right after I close the voting on Saturday or Sunday would be the best opportunity for it to be seen without getting overshadowed by the part itself, but really, do it whenever you want to
Hehe, the idea to show Qarth came a while ago, after I received to Qartheen characters (Naela and Irae) and two characters with potential connections to Qarth (both to be introduced in this chapter) in the span of just a few weeks. By then, the idea had won me over, especially as I found a way to connect them to the larger storyline. Qarth will be the centre stage for a while, but eventually, I plan to show other exotic locations with Irae as well.
Not going to lie, this would have been tempting, Asshai in particular. The problem is, the farther away this storyline is, the more difficult it will be to reasonably tie it into the other storylines. Irae will have ties to the larger story arc through the Blood Witch and her Westerosi allies, but a character from Yi Ti would have had it even harder.
Ah, I am very glad to hear you enjoyed it! I liked the chance to show something different a bit more high fantasy for once. I am not sure if wraiths are entirely new though. I don't have the sources here, though I wouldn't be surprised if ghosts and worse are actually a thing in some of the darker places in the barely known regions in the east. If not, well, as you said, it probably fits, given that the existence of the supernatural is confirmed in the canon.
Hm, nice guesses, I like them
I must say, I feel like the prophet is the most enigmatic description of these three, mostly because the character is probably not anyone's first choice when it comes to naming a prophet, but as the storyline will progress, it should become more obvious. I should also mention, not all three are confirmed to be antagonists, as Moros mentioned they are more like unwitting pawns to the Blood Witch (who herself is still a very mysterious being and probably not entirely evil incarnate). The deceiver probably is kinda bad though, which Moros all but confirmed by calling her the darkest of the three. In any way, this is something that will remain a mystery for longer, but I could see some of you eventually narrowing it down to three correct guesses. All it takes is one particular line of thoughts following one correct guess and you'll probably figure out whom they are and I wouldn't be too surprised if someone gets it right even before I reveal it in the story proper. Of course, there are further mysteries surrounding these three characters. For example, it can be perfectly possible to figure out whom the deceiver is without uncovering the deceivers full identity, if that makes any sense. Kind of what a good deceiver should do, I guess 
Very glad to hear it, I think it should be a very enjoyable storyline. May I also add at this point, something I am very excited to reveal, namely you actually deserve some credit for this storyline existing in this particular state. I can say it now, Irae was not my first choice. The original Qarth PoV was Naela, the girl mentioned in this part, with Irae being a major non-PoV in her storyline. However, you might already guess where I'm going at, the early narrative in this storyline could have been narrowed down to a noble girl being lured away from her home by a shady sorceress in the name of some greater goal, to battle some enigmatic enemy. Irae is a slightly creepy woman associated with dark magic, seemingly cold and definitely shady, especially if seen from the eyes of another character. I think you see it now, the parallels to Gwendis' storyline in Nymeria's War would have been too notable for my liking. I also realized a while ago, my rather fierce dislike of Aisha in that storyline is probably at least partially a matter of perspective. Of course me being super protective of Gwen plays a part in it, but also the fact that we see things from her perspective has obviously shaped my view on the characters she interacts with. I guess if we would have seen the storyline from Trentan's perspective, my opinion on them would have been a bit different and that made me think, the general role Aisha and Irae have in their respective storyline sound so similar on paper (even if Irae is fundamentally a far more likable person than Aisha, whom, I would kindly like to remind you, is the worst), so I felt the best way to make it not appear similar in the slightest is to move the PoV from Naela (who has some similarities to Gwen herself, but also to FoT's very own Alys Boleyn) to Irae herself. I definitely wanted to show from the very beginning that this woman is her own character and not an Aisha clone. Not sure if I myself could have ever liked her if the similarities would have kept lingering in my mind XD Probably a bit of a daring choice to pick her over the more traditionally PoV-like Naela, but it felt absolutely natural while writing. So, you definitely deserve some credit for making me so invested into Gwen's storyline that the thought of copying it felt like a sacrilege. In a very ironic way, it means at least one good thing has come out of my Aisha hatred, namely Irae's PoV
And very ironic thing is both are my characters xD
Yeah, I won't lie, Asshai would've been pretty neat
I'm not complaining though, Qarth is a very fascinating place on its own right, and one that could still reasonably have some links to what is going on in Westeros.
I've done some more thinking, and actually came to a whole new conclusion
Well, my guess on the conqueror stays the same, I still think it could well be Nain Anturion. However, I think the prophet is actually his brother, Edward Anturion. Now, I'm not entirely sure yet what exactly makes him a "prophet", but he certainly is cunning and ambitious, and he kneeled to Aeron Blacksails, someone who "claims to be king". That leaves the deceiver, and while I think she might well be someone we don't know yet, I think she could also be Hishi. Hishi seems to fit this image of someone working in the shadows, and there was specifically a mention of thorns, an imagery already linked to her. Is she really that dark though? We don't really know her yet, so she well could be. Oh well, I might be so very wrong with these guesses, but I'll keep an eye out for these three nonetheless for any further hints 
Hah, I actually thought after reading the part that this feels kinda like reading the beginning of Gwen's storyline from Aisha's perspective
Obviously with the difference that Irea seems like a decent person. Well, then again, we do have the option here to force Naele into submission, so maybe she has the potential to become even more like Aisha 
[Suggest winning Naela's trust]
[Suggest winning Naela's trust]
Sorry,Late again.BTW I just found out that I can like my own comment
That was actually on my mind as well
See, my thoughts were somewhere along the lines of "Man, I really don't feel comfortable with hating one of Mathea's characters so much, but what else can I do now that Aisha is legitimately that awful?" and then remembering that there is this other shady sorceress you have submitted a while ago and which is supposed to appear in early Book 2. We're talking October/November 2016 here, around Mid-Chapter 2 of NW, that was the time I began having this idea of making her the PoV instead of kinda having a Gwen/Alys hybrid in Naela. I realized how similar the two are on a surface level and how similar they'd probably be seen by their respective PoV's (albeit Naela's opinion on Irae would have been more ambiguous than the likely irrevocable hatred Gwen has for Aisha) and I kinda feared they'd cause similar reactions. A couple brainstorming sessions later, Naela was relieved of her PoV duties and the Irae PoV was born to have an effective way of showing that there's more to her than what meets the eye. You know, unlike Aisha, in whose case I'm still kinda shocked about the fact that she's exactly as she seemed to be at first XD So, I at least strongly hope there'll never be Irae hatred, at least nothing significant.
While I can't say that Asshai is on my list right now, I can reveal here that there are parts of Irae's storyline that are not yet planned for. Whole chapters worth of content in which I am actually not sure what to do with her yet and which I will fill as the current chapter progresses. So, as much as it isn't likely currently, I'd say never say never, it might just happen
That is another couple of interesting guesses. You probably understand it very well that I can't confirm or deny any of these, but they are definitely possibilities. Hishi could fit to be a bit of a deceiver and there is the thorn imagery in it being literally the name of the Thousand Shades of Flowers enforcers. Might be a coincidence, or you might be on to something there. I can guarantee you, the deceiver should be absolutely obvious by the end of Book 2 and with her, the identities of the other two of the Blood Witch's allies in Westeros (or west of Qarth) will be revealed as well.
Hehe, I'm pretty sure Aisha's perspective would have been, you know, worse, because that's what she is
Probably including a lengthy paragraph in which she thinks about eating a baby or whatever it is she does in her spare time. Irae is probably not the most decent person around, she's somewhere in what counts as a morally grey area in the setting, but when compared to Aisha, I'm still pretty much convinced even Wolfius would appear decent. Takes a serious amount of effort to not be the better person in direct comparison. However, it isn't just a matter of being a more decent person, but also appearing as such. In Aisha's case, nothing short of a miracle can save her now, but with Irae, I wanted to find a way to show her positive traits right away. No matter how she would have approached her, with Naela it would have taken a long while until she could have potentially learned to legitimately trust Irae and see her for the troubled but ultimately well-intentioned woman she is. Until then, Irae would have appeared like an Aisha clone and one Aisha on her own is already borderline unbearable 
Add to that the issue I realized with Naela's storyline in return: In terms of personality she is a mixture of Gwendis and Alys, if you remove some of Gwen's most benevolent traits and a tiny bit of Alys' naivety. But FoT already has Alys who will be a major character in the events to come, whereas I have far too much of a bond to NW's Gwen to ever copy her into FoT. I also doubt I could do something with a Naela PoV that you and me have done or will do with Gwen and Alys respectively. She just wouldn't be a unique PoV character. So, to avoid any chance of this storyline feeling like Alys' or Gwendis', I decided to flip the tables here and give the shady sorceress the PoV spot for once. Don't get me wrong here though, Gwen's PoV is pretty much my favourite thing in NW 
I must say though, while it ultimately is up to me to decide of course, I hope Irae won't become closer to Aisha. I partially made this PoV change because I wanted to like Irae and I saw this as a very hard task if my extreme dislike towards Aisha would always creep into my mind 
Hehe, the important thing is you made it in time for this part. With plenty of time left actually, I currently think the voting will remain open until Sunday even, so it's all good
And yeah, I noticed that as well. Kind of an odd feature to include in the newest update, but it seems to be perfectly possible. Not that I'd ever go back and like all of my old comments to increase my like counter, I mean, who'd do that, certainly not me 
[Suggest winning Naela's trust] Let's try the nice approach
RT:
1) And the first new PoV of the chapter is Irae,have as PoV an apprentice of the Dark Arts is for sure an interesting choice!
2) Obviously I don't forget that the new location is Qarth! I don't know how much we will see of the city during the story but I will for sure look forward to read the future events that will happen inside the city
3) Now that I think about it this is the first real time that we read a Essos PoV not at an island or at sea but in the continent!
4) The other new character that you introduce in this part is Moros and he seems a really powerful warlock!
5) About the warlocks I'm curious if we will read of other members of The House of the Undying in the future
6) Another character that instead is only mentioned inside this part is the daughter of a merchant (I'm almost sure that the Blood Witch want the girl for something about her blood)
7) About Irae's vision we see that exist a powerful khal that has as a source of his power his own ancestor (maybe without even his own knowledge)
8) While The Blood Witch main objective seems to be revenge It doesn't seem to be her only objective since she mentioned other enemies
9) I'm curious to read who this Rhavarro is,a mere puppet of the wraith or a man with his own goals?
10) About the allies (or at least the three mentioned in this part) I believe that maybe they all are the Anturion siblings (because even if this theory is incorrect Nain is clearly the conqueror,Edward is a captain of a man that proclaim himself the King of the Pirates while the sister...for what we know seems a really bad person)!
11) I'm curious to learn in the future what is the connection between The Blood Witch and her "pawns"
BQD:
The Blood Witch
“This is the Khal of Khals,blood of my blood, the beginning and the end, the instrument of my vengeance”
Well, certainly she is more interesting character and point of view that the others as she is kinda darker than the rest. As for Aisha from NW, perhaps if story would be written from her PoV, you would not hate her so much, you never know... after all I created her and Wildling simply follows her personality, believes and such (in very good way, Wildling!
).
But as it is FoT not NW topic, after voting will be closed, you may expect me posting first public artwork of Irae.
Well, technically I wouldn't even count her magic as being all that dark. Warlock magic definitely isn't what would count as white magic, but in the setting, the truly dark magic seems to be a lot darker than usual. There's blood magic, that's what I'd consider the truly dark arts and Irae has no knowledge on that topic. She is, however, one of the darker PoV's, especially as the warlocks as a whole are definitely not a heroic group. She should make for a really interesting viewpoint though, I hope you'll enjoy her storyline as it moves forward
I can promise, we'll see a bit of Qarth. After all, I got this interesting location right there, it'd be a waste not to utilize it in some capacity. Qarth itself won't be a lasting super major story location, but you should get some insight into its culture and political system at the time.
I'd say you are correct with this. Jaron and John will definitely not leave Lys anytime soon, though Janae is soon going to join the ranks of the PoV's on mainland Essos. Irae however is going to be the PoV with the strongest roots to Essos and it is unlikely she'll leave it.
Oh yes, he is a very powerful warlock for sure. However, this is a question of how powerful warlocks are in general. The Blood Witch described their powers as being nothing but smoke and mirrors and while that is an exaggeration, they are definitely no longer in their prime. They cut the Undying from the show, but in the books they were ultimately pushovers, more parasites than anything else, all dying to a single infant dragon. I'd say they were once very powerful, but the Doom of Valyria has shattered magic everywhere, causing it to all but vanish in the west. By the time of the War of the Five Kings, it is still present in Essos but seriously weakened, so I'd say here, 300 years earlier, there are still powerful mages, but their art as a whole is already declining. The warlocks have lost their prime when the Doom came and they are already weakened, but people such as Moros might still command fearful powers.
Possibly yes. Technically, Irae is the only submitted warlock I received (and the reason why the story is set in Qarth. With Naela I probably would have found a way to feature her elsewhere), but I might find room to feature others if it fits. We'll see how her storyline will develop.
Technically a possibility. The Blood Witch has, as her name kinda implies, a connection to blood. She is also interested in Naela, so it is not unthinkable that her blood is what the witch is after. This will receive more of an explanation when the witch appears more frequently.
Rhavarro is definitely unique for a Dothraki. I mean, he kinda defies any traditional view on them by not only accepting magic, but also embracing it and still somehow managing to control a Khalasar as huge as Drogo's. The Blood Witch is the source of his powers in the way that her blood running through his veins allows him to have these talents. His father had the same potential, but being more traditional, he had the typical Dothraki fear of magic. His grandmother however was well-versed in these arts, having learned from her mother and the Blood Witch herself has definitely taught him how to use his magic for his advantage.
This one is for certain. During her lifetime, the Blood Witch has made numerous enemies and getting revenge on them is at least part of her goal. However, there is a reason she even has to take revenge on them. A being as powerful as she used to be in her prime is not an enemy one would pick lightly, so she gave the warlocks and others a good reason to make a move against her. There are plans she had left unfinished and it can only be assumed that she does not intend to give up on them because something as trivial as her death got in the way.
That is very much an imporant question. It's definitely going to be one of these two, with Rhavarro being either a puppet or in a position of power himself. Irae will also ask herself the same question, though I believe it should become apparent once he appears in the story proper.
This is another interesting theory. Nain seems to be high up on everyone's list as the conqueror, whereas Edward and the Anturion sister are pretty interesting assumptions. I'm playing the long game here, this is a question that will remain unanswered for a long time, but I like the different theories floating around. Your reasoning at least makes sense, I can also confirm that the Anturion sister is far from a good person.
According to Moros, they are unwitting, having no idea of the power that is using them to her advantage. However, Moros is not omniscient and not flawless, so take everything he says with a grain of salt. You will get a very clear answer later on though, once the identity of the pawns becomes apparent.
She definitely knows how to make an introduction, eh? This is probably the most complete description she can give of Rhavarro, because he is all this, as you'll see once he finally makes an appearance.
I was pretty torn between two options for the past day, but I think I’ve got it worked out for myself.
[Suggest winning Naela’s trust]
This might take some time and it’s probably going to be a messy confrontation, like Moros said, but I’ve got a hard time believing she would cooperate of her own free will regardless of what’s at stake.
People do have a reason to keep her around and either way, I don’t trust that she’ll be able to be discreet if she’s told everything. That’s also why I don’t think it’s a good idea to force her, regardless of how you go about it, it’ll probably turn out to be a disaster.
There’s definitely more to this choice going on in my head, but I know for certain that I’m cutting it close this time, so to be safe, I cut it here.
Also, I have to say, I’m a little (that’s an understatement) excited for the magic that seems to be coming soon.
You are entirely right here, this has the potential to turn into a very messy confrontation, given there's an ancient, vengeful spirit involved. The Blood Witch isn't exactly the reasonable type. Moros believes Naela might cooperate out of her own free will, but to be completely honest, Moros is a creepy old warlock and not exactly the type to correctly estimate what a 19 year old girl might end up deciding. Going with Irae comes at the high chance of sacrificing herself for Qarth and Naela might not be the type to do that.
Well, forcing her would cause a couple big problems immediately, whereas winning her trust means basically tricking her, therefore causing these problems later on, with the difference that neither will be in Qarth anymore by then and Naela might have no choice but to continue trusting in Irae. Irae herself isn't happy with either of these choices, because all potentially include a chance for some serious disaster.
And it will be a lot of magic! Irae's storyline is already so heavily tied to magical elements that I can safely include some of the characters I received that would end up out of place (or ridiculously overpowered) in other storylines. We're talking genuine magic here, beyond the tricks at the disposal of a warlock.
The Voting is closed!
Irae is going to suggest winning Naela's trust
This was a very important choice for how the storyline will continue, how Naela will see Irae and how she will react as the story progresses. This way, Irae is going to do a bit of trickery, winning Naela's trust without telling her the full truth, but it's a truth she can hardly hide forever the closer they get to the Blood Witch. One thing I can tell you is that you just got some very interesting interactions. In Irae's next part, we are going to meet Naela herself, giving you a general idea if this approach is the better one or not.
The next part should hopefully be out today. I am currently writing a Drent part, but should have room for a second PoV, which I have not yet decided upon. The ones I keep thinking about are Kersea, Alys or, at last, Ilish, so it is probably going to be one of these three, with Ilish actually being the most likely one, unless I get inspiration for one of the other PoV's that have yet to return in Chapter 2. Anyways, last time we saw Drent, he learned about a tournament that shall take place in Storm's End pretty soon. This tournament is to honour Argella's return, though the princess herself believes it to be a way for her three unwanted suitors, Bernard Buckler, Jonathan Errol and Warrick Fell, to win glory and to impress her. As such, she came up with a plan to have them defeated in this tourney by people she trusts. Edonia for the archery contest, Emphryus for the jousting, whereas Argella managed to convince Drent to fight for her in the melee, where Warrick Fell is also supposed to fight. His job there will be to ensure that Warrick won't get very far into this, something Drent agreed to. After a little timeskip of two weeks, his next part will start at the day of the tournament.
And here I present Irae, the latest addition to the story.
Beautiful. Great Job Mathea.
Ah, Irae! That is great, I especially like these magic effects and the eery atmosphere of the picture. Perfect for Irae and I am all the more hyped about her upcoming storyline. All in all, wonderful work, thank you for sharing it
Drent
At last, the day of the tournament had arrived. Over the past two weeks, the preparations had been going on, the servants working for days with barely any rest to assure a celebration worthy of the Durrandon name. With a little help from Ser Emphruys, Drent had been accepted to the melee and eventually, even Torrence had given in to the temptation of glory. To be honest though, neither had particular hopes to get very far into it, not with men such as Landry Swann and Argilac himself participating. But Drent knew, he wouldn't go down before Warrick Fell. To this, he had given his word.
The past fourteen days had been uneventful for him. As one of the participants of the tournament, he was treated with more care than the other grunts, still doing guard duty, but on a reduced level. He could only assume that Ser Emphryus had a hand in this. After all, they both had a duty to their princess.
Argella herself however had been absent from his daily routine once more. With the multitude of important bannermen from all over the kingdom arriving, common soldiers had been banned from the Great Hall, the seats reserved for knights. Nearly a thousand of them were present at the castle right now, most of them dreaming of glory. Drent had a dream that was both, simpler and so far out of reach at the same time.
Right now, he was walking across the courtyard, allowing himself a moment to admire the multitude of banners that had arrived. In honour of the tournament, plenty of Argilac's bannermen had sent their champions, members of their family or trusted knights. The variety of colours on the courtyard was slightly overwhelming and Drent had been told that these weren't even all of the Durrandon bannermen.
Walking past a banner full of nightingales on yellow standing next to one depicting a purple lighting bolt, Drent spotted Torrence in the distance and he raised his hand to greet him. The other soldier, probably one of the few close enough to be called friends on better days, saw him and nodded, as he came closer.
“You nervous?”, he asked with a grin and Drent, glancing around the massive courtyard, showed him his shaking hands. Both chuckled at the sight and Torrence gave him a pat onto the back. “Well, Golton, turns I'm not”, he revealed, to which Drent raised an eyebrow. “You're getting yourself into the same shit as me”, he remarked.
Torrence shook his head. “I have different expectations”, he told him. “I go in there, try not to be the first one knocked out and I consider that a victory” He pointed at Drent. “You however, you want to be up on top when this is over, don't you?”
Drent raised an eyebrow, before he shook his head. “Definitely not”, he said, though Torrence gave him a long look. “Really?”, he said. “You mean to tell me that Drent Golton hasn't even thought about winning this?” He gave him a sly wink. “You know, she'd never look at you the same way if you pull that one off”
“This is really not what I'm after”, Drent assured him with a sigh, though he rolled his eyes as he noticed Torrence's chuckling. “You're getting way too defensive over that one”, he replied, before he pointed at a nearby tent. It was open, allowing Drent to see the dozens of people inside.
“You wanna know how I really manage to stay calm when I'm in for the beating of a lifetime?”, Torrence asked, as he began to walk towards the tent, with Drent following. “The refreshment tent., You up for some fancy wine before this starts?” Drent smirked, though he also tilted his head. “Are we allowed to do that?”, he asked, to which Torrence shrugged. “I had four cups already and nobody stopped me”, he explained. “At least it means nobody cares”
As they entered the tent, Drent had a look around and quickly, a frown formed on his face, as he spotted Bernard Buckler among the crowd of chatting knights. The heir to Bronzegate was sitting on a small table, talking to a dark-haired man clad in grey, with sharp features, a stubble beard and thick eyebrows. The man in grey was smiling thinly, as Bernard was telling him something. In his lap, Drent spotted a sword, hidden in a sheath of white and grey.
“Wonderful...”, Drent mumbled and Torrence glanced at him. “Ah, come on, it won't be that bad”, he spoke. “Just imagine how Emphryus is going to kick his ass in the joust” Drent smirked at that. “If they get to meet each other, that is”, he argued. “Emphryus is still not back at his prime after Raylansfair. If he has to face Swann or Grandison first, they might not even meet”
“Oh, they will”, Torrence said with a grin, glancing at Bernard. “I got to take a look at the list. First round, it's Emphryus against Bernard” He winked at the other soldier. “It seems our princess pulled some strings to make it happen”
Drent chuckled. “I almost feel pity for that guy”, he whispered, as they stopped in front of a table, on which several cups and carafes of wine were placed. Torrence was just about to reach for one of them, as a voice called out from him from behind. “Bernile, there you are!”, Ser Emphryus roared and Torrence froze in place.
“Ser”, he greeted his commanding officer, as both, he and Drent saluted in front of the knight. Emphryus glanced around the large tent, none of the other knights even looking at them as all were too busy with their own talks. “Trying to take a break, huh?”, he asked.
“Just a small one”, Torrence tried to defend himself and Emphryus gave him a nod. “Yeah, a very small one”, he confirmed. “You have guard duty by the stables. The entourage of Gerald Grandison arrived and Connington's men are still waiting to get a place for their horses”
“Can't, uh... Edonia take care of that?”, Torrence asked and Emphryus narrowed his eyes. “Your sister is training”, he replied. “I gave her the day off, we want her at her peak this afternoon” Torrence rolled his eyes, though he nonetheless put the cup down and approached the knight. “Alright, Ser, I'll do it”, he gave in, to which Emphryus flashed him a grin. “As if you have any choice”, he replied, though he patted him onto the back. “Come on, boy, back to work” After giving Drent a nod, he followed after Torrence, leaving him alone in the tent.
Drent, still holding a full cup of wine, let out a sigh, as he put the cup back down again. Drinking alone would do little to ease the nervousness he felt about facing so many renowned warriors, each and every one of them better than him. Even Warrick Fell was probably a better fighter. After all, the man had likely been trained by Felwood's master-at-arms from an early age, so what little advantage had in experience, Warrick would undo with his superior training.
As he slightly wandered around the tent, unsure what to do and where to go now, a voice called out for him. “Hey, you!”, a man said behind him. “Servant!” He glanced over his shoulder, noticing Bernard Buckler looking at him and he frowned. The man in grey next to Bernard raised an eyebrow. “Uh, Bernard...”, he began, though Buckler cut him off. “Yeah, I'm talking to you. Malcolm here requires another drink”
“Excuse me?”, Drent growled, to which a confused look appeared on Bernard's face. “Is anything the matter? You've been given an order” Drent nodded. “An order for a servant, aye”, he replied with a harsh tone. “I am not a servant though. The name's Drent Golton, I'll fight in the tourney. Find yourself a servant or get your own drinks”
To Drent's surprise, the smug look on Bernard's face faded immediately. “Whoa, easy there, friend”, he replied with an honest tone in his voice. “I was mistaken right there, I'm sorry. Kinda thought everyone around here would be either a knight or a servant and you don't look like the former”
The man next to him, Malcolm, smirked. “I could have told you that much”, he replied and Bernard rolled his eyes. “Yeah, why didn't you do it?”, he complained, though he reciprocated the smirk. As he looked back at Drent, who still felt anger rising at the presence of this man, his smirk faded again. “Wait, I think I remember you now...”, he mumbled. “You've been that soldier! The one who spoke out in favour of the princess!”
“What if I am?”, Drent replied and Bernard gave him a genuine smile. “That was brave!”, he complimented him. “It's not often that we see such dedication from a common soldier” Drent did not answer immediately, feeling confused at Bernard's flattery. “Ah, please, accept my apology. I see I insulted you, but it was an honest mistake. Don't want any bad blood between us”
“So?”, Drent stated and Bernard sighed. “I really can't let it end that way”, he said. “Look, why don't you sit down? I'd love to have a talk with you and I'm sure there's some stuff I could learn from you. You know the princess better than me, that much is for sure” With these words, his smirk returned. “By the way, my name is Bernard Buckler, heir to Bronzegate”, he introduced himself. “This fine man by my side is Malcolm Mertyns, the heir to Mistwood”
Malcolm raised both eyebrows and gave Drent a thin smile, as he nodded to greet him. Drent's frown softened slightly, as he saw a genuinely apologetic look on the man's face. Had he been too quick to judge him? Though at the same time, could he let his grudge rest for long enough to have a conversation with him? Should he even?
Drent sighed, as Bernard gave him a reassuring smile. “Come on, don't make me beg”, the young man said. “I made a mistake, now let me make up for it” He pointed at the empty chair between him and Malcolm, to which the Mertyns knight simply shrugged, before leaning back in his own chair, his silence an expression of acceptance. Both men were looking at Drent and he knew, he had to make a choice.
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm] [Decline the invitation]
Ilish
“Two more for table four”, Ilish said as she put the empty mugs onto the counter, in front of Megur. The other barmaid frowned, as she grabbed the mugs, a sour expression on her face. “Haven't they had enough?”, she snarled and Ilish shrugged. “Yeah, but they think differently”, she replied. “And they are paying customers, so get your ass to the task”
“If this is about someone's ass, why don't you ask Daisy to flaunt her oh-so-perfect one?”, Megur hissed, glaring at her cousin, who was surrounded by customers, as always and Ilish knew, not one of them came to admire the ale they served. Yet she sent Megur a glare. “You know she's not doing that”, she replied and Megur smirked callously. “Yeah, but that'd earn us a pretty sum”, she stated.
“What would?”, a hoarsy voice asked from behind and Megur's face lit up. “Mother!”, she exclaimed as Audrey limped into the taproom from the door behind the counter. Still needing crutches to walk, her vibrant red hair had gotten a few notable grey streaks over the last few months, but her face had regained colour, just as she had regained weight. Her recovery would take months, but she was on a good way.
“Ah, nothing”, Ilish was quick to say. “Megur and I were just talking” Audrey raised an eyebrow. “Table four is out of ale”, she remarked, having spotted the situation in an instant. “And table seven had enough for today. Means we suffered him enough”
Ilish nodded quickly. “I'm on it”, she assured her, as she quickly grabbed the mugs Megur had prepared. “You should get some rest” Audrey frowned. “Wonderful”, she mumbled. “I'd love to be out here with you girls again” This time, Megur put a hand onto her back. “We got it”, she assured her. “We won't let you down”
As she said this, Ilish turned around, approaching table four with her two mugs of ale. The men that sat there saw her coming and smiled, though she knew it was a sorrowful occasion. “Axell Snow and Philip Loren”, she greeted them, as she put the ale down. “How long do you plan on keeping this up?”
Axell instantly reached for the ale, as Philip put two coins onto the table, which Ilish was quick to grab. “As long as possible”, he replied, as he raised his mug. “To Richard!” Axell joined in on the gesture, as Ilish put the coin into her purse. “To Richard”, he replied.
Philip sighed, as he smiled at Ilish. “It just isn't the same anymore, without him and Urid”, he replied, his tone more grim than his expression. She nodded quickly. Oh yes, she had mourned Richard. They all had and whenever she thought about him, she thought about his daughter. Richard's fight was over, but she could only imagine how hard this must be for Jenna.
“Say, I gotta wonder...”, Axell brought up and there was something belligerent in his tone. “Why do you allow him to remain here?” He pointed at table seven and Ilish sighed. “He hasn't committed a crime”, she replied and both men narrowed their eyes. “He sold out his brother”, Axell objected.
“Yeah”, Ilish admitted. “To the authorities” She sighed, as she sat down on the free chair between them. “Listen, boys, I don't like him more than either of you, but I talked about this with Audrey. She's afraid we could attract some unwanted attention if we kick him out. Rumour has it he has some favours with the big shots in the castle”
“Probably”, Axell admitted and Philip clenched his fists. “So, you're telling us to accept him around?”, he snarled. “I should have bashed his head in the moment I first saw him” Ilish shook her head. “Then you'd be dead as well. Nathamer was commander back then and he never fucked around when it came to the law”
“Again, are you just going to ignore him?”, Axell said and Ilish shook her head. “No”, she confirmed. “I'm going to kick him out. Don't want him to pass out on our floor, he's probably more dirty than any spot in this entire building”
“He's a swine”, Philip growled and Ilish was quick to nod. “You won't find me to object to this”, she assured him. “But remember, don't try anything in here. Keep in mind, you might be ready to face the consequences, but we have to suffer through the same. Whatever you do, it'll harm us as well”
Philip gulped and his expression softened. “No...”, he mumbled. “I don't want that either” He put a hand onto hers and the burn scars from where the warehouse fire had scorched his flesh were still visible, even if they had mostly faded by now. The skin that grew over the marks was rough and unsightly and he should probably wear gloves for the rest of his life. “We won't harm him, not in here”, he assured her. “You have my word”
Ilish smiled. “Thank you”, she said. “If you need more ale, let me know. I'm going to deal with our little problem, but I'll be back in a minute” She turned around and towards table seven, her smile fading and replaced by a disgusted frown as she approached the man. “Alan”, she called out.
Alan Harking looked out, his stare hollow. “Huh?”, he asked as if he had just noticed her, or his entire surroundings. Barely able to focus, he was clearly way past his limit. And she was past any patience for him. “What is it?”
“You're drunken?”, Ilish replied and Alan gave her a nod. “Isn't that the place to be?”, he asked and she noticed that he had changed. There was no smile, not on his face and not in his eyes. He looked tired and a decade older than last time she had seen him. Not that she cared, after what he had done, she wasn't feeling particularly caring anymore.
“You're too drunken”, she clarified and he raised an eyebrow. “I don't think that's a thing”, he protested, but she put a hand onto his back. “Alan, it's time to go home”, she told him and he frowned. “Home...”, he mumbled. “How long has it been? Two days? Three days?”
Ilish rolled her eyes. “And why do you think I care?”, she asked. “I'm here to bring you ale and take your coin, not to listen to your sob story” Alan sighed, though he put both hands onto the table, in the attempt to push himself up. To make it faster, Ilish helped him and soon, he stood on his own, shaky legs.
“They don't want me in here, right?”, he mumbled, as Ilish accompanied him to the front door. She shook her head. “Can you blame them?”, she asked and he nonchalantly gave her a nod. “I... only did what was right... did I not?”, he stuttered and Ilish narrowed her eyes. If he wouldn't be a paying customer, she would have punched him straight in the face right there.
“You sold out your own brother”, she replied sharply and for a moment, she saw something on Alan's face. Was it shame? Regret? Did it matter? She immediately decided the answer to that last question was definitely a firm 'no'. “I tried to save him”, he clarified.
Ilish would have laughed at his delusion, if not for the tragic, heartbreaking subject of their talk. “I did!”, he continued. “He had to know, sooner or later these... people he harboured at the farm would have been found. The knight was a piece of shit and that woman... a sight for sore eyes, aye, but dangerous to have around”
By now they had left the building and the cold air and the darkness on the street were a severe contrast to the hot and bright taproom. “I'd say you've been the greater danger in the end”, she stated without even hesitating. Alan gave her a glare, yet only for a second. “No, that was all Richard”, he clarified. “I knew they'd be found eventually and if that'd happen, either Richard and Jenna and probably me would be killed for being complicit, or I'd be the one to turn these criminals in and request that my family will be spared in return”
“You did that?”, Ilish asked, her voice oozing disbelief. Alan gave her a quick nod, which caused him to stagger. “Of course!”, he stated. “It was planned that Richard and Jenna will be spared. Hells, with Jenna it even worked!” He sighed. “I wanted what I deserved, the farm. You can call me greedy, maybe you're even correct with it, but I'm not a monster that plots to murder his family”
Ilish rolled her eyes. “A tragic accident, huh?”, she hissed and Alan shook his head. “Richard's stubbornness”, he clarified. “And Mullendore. We had a deal and he broke it. Do you think I'm happy how the situation turned out?” Ilish looked at him, the man who had just become one of the richest farmers in Raylansfair. “I don't know”, she replied. “Are you?”
There should have been defiance in his gaze, but she was almost shocked at the lack of it. “I thought I would be”, Alan replied calmly. “Now... I think I should go home” Ilish clenched her teeth, as she took a step towards him. “You're a piece of shit”, she clarified and he did not protest. “But you're a paying customer and as such, I hope you'll return” Briefly, she put a hand around him, onto his belt, helping him to stand straight, before sending him on his way.
With her hands behind her back, she watched him stumbling down the alleyway, before he was gone behind a corner. A brief grin formed on her face as she glanced at his purse in her hand. He was not only a coward and a man who'd sell out family, but he also gave lousy tips. This time, she made sure he'd leave behind a lot more.
Her newly acquired purse safely hidden in a small pocket on the side of her dress, Ilish returned into the taproom. For a moment, the heat was overwhelming, though a second later, a new and unexpected situation arose. As she made her was back to the counter, sticking close to the wall of the building to avoid most of the crowd, someone reached for her forearm.
“Wha...”, she began, ready to pull herself free if necessary, though the face of the man in the corner was a familiar one. It took her a moment to recognize him, with a hood pulled into his face and the stubble having grown into the beginnings of a beard since she had last seen him, but she still remembered his blonde hair and these blue eyes. “Lawsen?”, she asked.
Lawsen, the boy who had saved her life, looked barely recognizable. He quickly pulled her down, onto the chair next to him, as he put a finger onto his lips. “Quiet”, he hissed, his eyes showing fear. “Ilish, remember when I saved your life?”
Ilish smiled at him. “I could never forget it”, she assured him, though concerned, she raised her eyebrows. “Is there a problem?” Lawsen was quick to nod. “Oh yes”, he hissed. “Listen, I've been staying here for too long. I like the city, I think I even found a couple friends here, but that has been a mistake” He gave her a pleading look. “Now I need your help”
“Of course”, Ilish said in an instant. “Though what is this about? I kinda need to know a bit more” Lawsen frowned. “Yeah, but... not a word about this to anyone”, he urged her. “I'll tell you, but only because you'll understand. You'll be quiet about this”
Ilish nodded. “I will”, she promised and he took a deep breath. “See the man on the other end of the taproom?” Ilish glanced over her shoulder and Lawsen briefly pointed at the man at table thirteen. Short, a bit on the stocky side, with broad shoulders, a haggard face, as well as short black hear and a long, thin black beard, so far so unremarkable. What really made him stand out was his attire, all in black, from the trousers, to the vest, to the cloak.
“The Night's Watchman?”, she asked and Lawsen put a hand onto hers, causing her to look away from the man. “Don't look at him for too long”, he urged her. “That is Wildor Goodbrook”, he hissed. “And he mustn't see me”
Ilish narrowed her eyes. “Why is he looking for you?”, she asked and she saw a look of pain and desperate fear on Lawsen's face. “No questions, please”, he begged her. “Listen, help me out here and maybe I'll tell you, but I must get out of here, my life depends on it”
After what he just said, Ilish wasn't too sure she wanted to hear his story, but she knew without a doubt, she had to help. “Can't you just leave?”, she asked and Lawsen visibly tensed up. “He is looking for me”, he claimed. “Why else would he be here? He knows I'm here. If I just leave without a distraction, he'll follow me and he'll... I'm so done for if he sees me”
“He's a recruiter as far as I know”, Ilish stated. “Maybe he just wants to take the local prisoners and bring them to the Wall” Lawsen shook his head. “He's here for me”, he said with certainty. “And you gotta help me. He's taking a closer look at everyone who leaves. If I remain for too long, he'll spot me. If I leave on my own, he'll spot me”
“So, how can I help?”, she asked and Lawsen gulped. “He wasn't looking at Alan Harking, because you were with him. Just another drunk who had to be thrown out. Maybe if you do the same with me, he won't look too closely”
“Maybe”, Ilish agreed. “Or I could go and talk to him” She saw the alarmed look in Lawsen's eyes and she was quick to calm him down. “To distract him”, she clarified and he sighed with relief. “Perhaps”, he replied. “I'm not an expert on this. Usually, I talk my way out, but with Goodbrook, there won't be any talking” He sighed. “You're the expert. I trust you, so do what you deem more likely to work”, he gave in, though the pleading look in his eyes remained. “But please, do something. For the sake of me saving your life. Now we can get even”
[Escort Lawsen outside] [Distract Wildor Goodbrook]
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm] C'mon, sit down. What's the worst that could happen?..............What's the least terrible thing that could happen?
[Distract Wildor Goodbrook] Distraction, distraction, the best course of action.
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm] I don’t think it’ll kill us and that’s good enough for me.
Alright, I feel this is a bit of payback towards me because I’m not certain about the second choice. It’s a tough one for sure. It probably shouldn’t be a tough one, but it is for me. I leave this space blank, I’ll get back to it later, believe you me.
Update: [Distract Wildor Goodbrook]
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm] Could be a good way to get to know this members of nobility, and is good that Bernard isn't a bad person.
[Escort Lawsen outside] It possibly will be safe, not sure. So a former member of House Goodbrook is a recruiter, interesting.
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm]
Let's get to know some Stormlanders!! And also, it would be quite rude for a commoner to walk away from a knight.
[Distract Wildor Goodbrook]
Lawsen, my boy!! I can't even remember how long it's been since he last showed up, here's to hoping he doesn't die immediately after reappearing.
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm] They seem like good people, and making friends with nobility could be helpful to Drent if he ever wants to rise to a higher position. And at the very least it's better than being rude to them. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to this melee
[Distract Wildor Goodbrook] I think this would work best, and perhaps we'd hear why exactly has a Night's Watchman came all the way to Raylansfair. I mean, Lawsen seems to think it's because of him, but we can't be sure. And I guess this means that Lawsen is a deserter, huh? Or at least I can't see any other reason for the Night's Watch to be after him.
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm] Since this isn't Warrick, I don't see any harm in sharing a drink or two with him.
[Distract Wildor Goodbrook] It's the Night's Watch baby! That means our locals better take care not to be imprisoned, or they may get a one way trip up North. I wonder why Hal and Ed weren't mourning with the rest of the farmers in this part. And I finally caught up to the parts! Liquid, I left you a message btw. Glad to make it in time to see the Bar Crew back at it.
[Sit down with Bernard and Malcolm]
[Distract Wildor Goodbrook]
Bernard gets up, reveals himself to be a serial killer and murders Drent on the spot, resulting in a very unexpected death for our soldier friend. Suddenly, a flash of light appears in the sky and a flaming meteor plummets to the Earth. The end.
Argella storms in, declares her undying love for Drent, together they tame a dragon and ride into the sunset. Moved by this, Aegon gives up on his conquest, world peace is achieved and they all live happily ever after.
So much for the worst and least terrible outcomes respectively, quality solutions brought to you by LiquidChicagoTed. In all seriousness though, it is way more likely that nothing too extreme will happen by sitting down with Bernard and Malcolm. The worst thing that could reasonably happen is Bernard turning out to be a jerk who just wants to humiliate Drent a bit, but to be fair, that isn't even particularly likely either.
Alrighty, of course, take your time. Though once you make up your mind, let me know, just because I might not end up seeing it otherwise
Yeah, I wouldn't call him a particularly bad person. He might be a bit arrogant and his very confident and standoffish nature can definitely give a bad impression, I'd say he can even be a bit of a jerk on his bad days, but judged by the Westerosi standards, Bernard is anything but a bad person. I wanted to show a bit of a different side of his in this part, given that he hasn't had much chance to show any true depth from him.
Yes indeed, Wildor is from the Riverlands nobility of House Goodbrook, whom I am constantly mixing up with the Ironborn House Goodbrother. Damn these similar names, I can only hope this'll change once I reveal more about Wildor's past in the story proper XD
It has been... uh, two years I think. And I am very sorry for that. The slow nature of the story means that when I don't have room for a character in a chapter, they disappear for months and I imagine that can be a bit frustrating. In Lawsen's case, I even hoped I could feature him in some parts of Book 1, but the choices made this so hard for me that any involvement I could have given him would have felt unsatisfying. He is back for good now though, I promise he will have a much larger role in Book 2, even with his own little storyline involving his past right here.