Avoiding him won't work in this circumstances, really. And to be honest I don't see the reason to do so - I feel confrontation is unavoidable here, and I'm pretty interested in seeing this two meeting ^^
Kris
"It is a hard decision, I understand, but it is one you must make yourself, Kris," Dalia said with an earnest tone on her calm voice… more. "I can't ask you to abandon your family and duty as a lord, but neither can I tell you to abandon the Lord of Light."
"I understand," Kris replied with a sigh, keeping his gaze down. Dalia put her hand on his shoulder. "You'll find the answer, just... don't be too hard on yourself," she spoke quietly, and Kris flashed her a forced smirk. "I'll keep that in mind," he replied with a joyless chuckle, and Dalia smiled. The Wild Sun didn't smile often, but Kris had to admit that it was a beautiful sight whenever it happened.
"Anyway, I should get my armor on," Kris said, which made Dalia furrow her eyebrows. "For the ceremony," Kris explained, and she nodded. "I'll see you there," Dalia said, giving him one more seductive gaze before she walked away. With a sigh Kris made his way to the armory.
-
… [view original content]
And Kris will approach Jamison. It may not be the most pleasant meeting ever, but I can already reveal that Jamison respects Kris much more for doing this, rather than just avoiding him.
Next up, we will finally begin Nymeria's storyline for this chapter! She spent most of Chapter 2 in Sandship, sending Tomas to Ghost Hill, hiring the Fallen Dragons and commanding them to take Salt Shore, as well as making peace with the Valyrian lady Eraehra Galnaris. She also marched to Redclif to confront Lord Ormond Bloodspill, who was allegedly connected to the conspiracy against Nym. The situation was resolved with diplomacy, Ormond came to Sandship and revealed what he knew of the conspiracy. His main point seemed to be that it was actually the Rhoynar who were the main conspirators, and that their mysterious leader was known as Father Greenblood. In the end of the chapter Nymeria begun to prepare for a march to Godsgrace, after receiving a message from Esperence Allyrion, delivered by Ser Benjamin Told. We will continue with the Martell army almost having reached Godsgrace.
I've made some good progress, but this will be a fairly lengthy part, so I might not get it done today.
Voting is closed!
And Kris will approach Jamison. It may not be the most pleasant meeting ever, but I can already reveal that Jamison res… morepects Kris much more for doing this, rather than just avoiding him.
Next up, we will finally begin Nymeria's storyline for this chapter! She spent most of Chapter 2 in Sandship, sending Tomas to Ghost Hill, hiring the Fallen Dragons and commanding them to take Salt Shore, as well as making peace with the Valyrian lady Eraehra Galnaris. She also marched to Redclif to confront Lord Ormond Bloodspill, who was allegedly connected to the conspiracy against Nym. The situation was resolved with diplomacy, Ormond came to Sandship and revealed what he knew of the conspiracy. His main point seemed to be that it was actually the Rhoynar who were the main conspirators, and that their mysterious leader was known as Father Greenblood. In the end of the chapter Nymeria begun to prepare for a march to Godsgrace, after… [view original content]
It was almost noon, and they stood silently on a hill next to the Greenblood, mere miles away from where the river would split to the Vaith and the Scourge. The river still flowed generously, despite the summer getting hotter every day. Mors had convinced Nymeria that Greenblood never fully dried, not even during the fiercest and longest summers. It was a small river compared to the Rhoyne, but the Princess was inclined to believe her husband's words.
Beside the ruling couple stood General Varyn, sweating in his armor, a determined and stern expression on his long face. Next to Mors stood his new squire, the young Cason Bloodspill, a nervous expression on his face. Then there were the five Royal Guards who had rode with them – Ser Arnol, Ser Boran, Anaba, Jadisha and Nesea. Commander Farrah and Ser Landar had been left to hold the Sandship.
Behind them was an army of almost three-thousand troops, which had marched up the Greenblood for almost a week now. Most of the troops carried the orange sun-and-spear banners of House Martell, but there were also some leopards of Santagar, bathing maidens of Ladybright, and bloodied sabre's of Bloodspill. It could be bigger, Nymeria though as she eyed her army. The Dalt's were still solving their own problems, and the situation with the Toland's remained unclear. Nymeria hoped those situations would be resolved quickly, and she also hoped she would soon have the full force of House Allyrion behind her as well. Then there were the Fallen Dragons, whom were hopefully sailing towards Salt Shore. Nymeria didn't put much trust on the Valyrian though, it was better to prepare for the worst.
Turning her gaze back towards west, Nymeria saw their new allies approaching. There were around a hundred of them, as had been promised, but they didn't look very well-organized. In the front rode a few warriors flying the Allyrion banners, but the men that came behind them were armored very lightly, if at all, and armed with anything ranging from finely crafted swords to stone spears. Few of them were mounted on sand steeds, but most were on foot.
"This desert tribe is like a relic from days long past," Mors stated with some amusement, which made Nymeria raise her eyebrow. "How so? You refer to their primitive weaponry?" Mors shook his head to her question.
"I mean the whole idea of a desert tribe... they are rare these days," he explained calmly. "Once they were more common on these lands, and truly competed for the lands with the petty lords and kings. However, many of them were defeated, and even more made pacts with the lords, bent their knee. And as they settled for a while by the fruitful riverbanks or green valleys by the mountains, tasted the civilized life, not many wanted to go back to nomadic life."
"Well, clearly there are still some," Nymeria remarked dryly, and Mors nodded. "Indeed, though they are not a genuine threat to anyone these days," he replied with a small sigh.
"Hopefully they aren't completely useless," Varyn said grimly. Before anyone could say anything more, the five riders leading this force arrived to them. One of them was a slightly plump young woman, definitely under her twenties. She had a sandy blonde hair she had tied to a bun, and in her blue eyes was a charming and confident look. She must be Esperence Allyrion, Nymeria deduced. The young Allyrion lady wasn't dressed in fine dresses, but rather in leather pants and a simple cotton tunic. She's been on the run for a while, hasn't she.
Next to Esperence was a young man with curly black hair and muscular body, clad in a leather armor and a dark grey cape. He had a cocky smirk on his face, as he followed in the coattails of Esperence like a loyal dog. Behind him came another guard, this one even younger. He was a bit chubby, and his face had bloated features, with small blue eyes that had a fearful gaze in them. His hair was similar sandy blonde as Esprence's, just scruffy and cut short. Her brother perhaps, Nymeria thought, turning her eyes on the warriors on the other side of Esperence.
Firstly, there was a middle-aged man, clad in simple and worn-out leather clothes, and a necklace made of bones and a leather string was around his neck. In his right hand the man was holding a curved sabre, and judging by how scuffed up it was, he had had it for a long time. He was heavily tanned, and under his deep-set blue eyes were lines of red face paint. His face looked to be stuck in a constant frown, and his messy hair and wild beard were as dark as night. Quite an intimidating sight, Nymeria observed, guessing this man was the chieftain of the tribe.
Right next to the chieftain was a younger man dressed in a similar style of clothing. This one's skin was of slightly darker tone, but his facial features noticeably resembled those of the older man. In his blue eyes was a calm and aloof gaze, and his long black hair was tied to a ponytail. Nymeria spotted two long daggers tied to his belt, and no other weapons.
Esperence Allyrion fell on her knee, and her four companions soon followed her example, though the chieftain seemed to do it only begrudgingly. "Princess Nymeria and Prince Mors, it is an honor to meet you," the young lady spoke with honeyed words. "I am Esperence Allyrion, the eldest child and only daughter of Lord Morgan Allyrion." Nymeria gave her a subtle nod, gesturing for them all to stand up, and so they did.
"With me are my younger brother Emmett Allyrion, and Devin, one of my most trusted warriors," Esperence introduced the two young men on her right, then turning to the ones on her left. "And here we have Ibraim D'un, chieftain of the desert tribe called the Hyenas, and his son Nasim D'un."
"I'm glad to finally meet you," Nymeria said calmly. "The messenger you sent to Sandstone promised us your support, and it seems you are a woman of your word." Esperence bowed deeply, a proud smile on her face.
"I have heard a lot about you, Princess Nymeria, and the stories I've heard have made me admire you from afar," she praised smoothly. "I could think of no better ruler to unify Dorne."
"I hope I will be worthy of your admiration, Lady Esperence. And I must say, I am quite impressed myself by what you've done here," Nymeria replied with a subdued smirk on her face. It wasn't just an empty compliment, she was truly impressed by how such a young woman had taken control of the situation and managed to gather a considerable force to support Nymeria's cause. She had no illusions that Esperence was a cunning and possibly even dangerous woman, but she still had respect for her. "But enough with the pleasantries, we have work to do. Come, we shall talk more by the table with some wine and olives." So, they made their way down to the military camp of the Martell army, and walked into the council pavilion. Ser Benjamin Told and Ser Martyn Santagar were already waiting for them there, as well as Ser Albar Ladybright. Ser Albar was the younger brother of Jasper Ladybright, the Lord of Dawnspire, and was leading the small forces of House Ladybright. He was a tall and slender man on his early fifties, his brown beard unkempt and covering the lower half of his gaunt face, and his head shaved completely bald. Right now, Ser Albar's green eyes were fixed on Esprence and the other newcomers.
They all took their seats around the table, and a moment of tense silence followed. The servants brought in the wine and olives, as well as some cheese, and finally Prince Mors opened the conversation. "What exactly is the situation in Godsgrace at the moment, Lady Esperence?" He asked politely.
"The situation is under control, my prince," Esperence answered smoothly. "I have men positioned both in the city and in the castle. About half of the city watch is either directly or indirectly under my control, and my spies inside the castle tell that Lord Morgan has practically given up. He will yield if you march to his gates before the Dryland's do."
"And if he does indeed yield, can he be trusted after that?" Nymeria asked sternly, and Esperence shook her head. "No," she said strictly. "He may not be loyal to King Lucifer, but he will not be loyal to you either. My advice is that you sent him to the Wall after you have taken Godsgrace." Nymeria raised her eyebrows for this. She had heard precious little about the Wall and the Night's Watch that mans it, but from what she had heard it was a kind of prison on the other end of the continent.
"The Wall is a punishment for traitors and criminals," Ser Martyn suddenly spoke up. "What crime has Lord Morgan committed?"
"He has chosen the wrong side, and cannot be trusted," Esprence answered coldly. Before Ser Martyn could respond, Nymeria raised her hand to halt the conversation. "Enough, we are getting ahead of ourselves," she snapped, giving a glare to both Esperence and Martyn. "I will decide Lord Morgan's fate once I have met him myself, but first we must take Godsgrace."
"If the situation is as simple as Lady Allyrion here claims, all we have to do is march to the gates and the city is ours," Ser Albar stated with a small chuckle.
"I would advise against that," General Varyn said dryly, and Nymeria shifted her attention to him. "We should surround the city from all directions and scout the area nearby, to make sure this is not a trap. Then, send Lady Esperence and these tribesmen to the city, along with perhaps a similar amount of your own troops. When they have cleared the city, you move in with full force."
Nymeria turned her gaze to Esperence, to see what was her opinion on this. "That works," she simply said, and the Princess turned back to Varyn. "That is what we will do then," she decided. "Ser Albar, you will lead half of the forces to the western side of the city with Ser Arnol and Nesea. Ser Benjamin, you will scout the surroundings with Ser Boran and Jadisha. General Varyn, you will lead a force of two-hundred troops into the city alongside Esperence and the Hyenas. Meanwhile, I will wait east of the city with Prince Mors and rest of the army. Does everyone understand their role?"
Everyone around the table nodded or mumbled in agreement, and Nymeria stood up. "Good. Let's get to work then."
-
The sun would set in an hour, and Princess Nymeria still waited outside of the city. Occasional screams and clashing of swords had been heard from inside the walls after the forces entered the city a couple hours ago, but not really enough to be considered a battle.
"This is the moment our conquest truly begins," Mors spoke up quietly, and Nymeria turned to look at him. "Are you ready?" He asked softly. Nymeria stayed quiet for a moment, just looking his husband to the eyes. "We are ready," she finally answered, seeing a warm smile forming on Mors' face.
Mors was right, this was the moment their conquest would truly begin, and Nymeria was immensely grateful to have him with her here. At that moment, a horn sounded from the city, and the gates of Godsgrace were opened again. General Varyn rode to his Prince and Princess, flying the banner of House Martell.
"The city is yours, Your Grace," he announced as he arrived to them, bowing deeply. And so, the full Martell army marched triumphantly into Godsgrace, with no resistance. Nymeria strolled through the dusty streets with Mors by her side, and they rode through the town square, past the sept and the barracks of the city guard, finally arriving to the gates of the castle. Those gates were opened for them as well, and in the courtyard Esperence was waiting for them, surrounded by the tribesmen and soldiers of House Allyrion.
"Welcome to Godsgrace, Princess Nymeria!" Esperence yelled ceremonially, and the people on the courtyard cheered and applauded. Nymeria dismounted her horse, and walked to Esperence, who bowed deeply to her. "Where is Lord Morgan?" The Princess asked sternly. The young Lady Allyrion raised an eyebrow, hesitating a moment before giving her answer.
"He is being held in his chambers," she finally said, and Nymeria nodded. "Take me to him," she commanded strictly, and begrudgingly Esperence followed her order, leading Nymeria, Mors and Varyn through the castle. Soon they arrived to the door of the lord's chambers. Nymeria grabbed the knob of the door, and turned to Esperence. "Is he alone in there?" She asked, and the young lady nodded. "Then I'll go alone as well, you wait outside."
"But my princess..." Varyn begun with a tone equally concerned and irritated, but Nymeria raised her hand to stop him. "I will be quite safe, general" she assured calmly, tapping lightly on the hilt of her sword. After exchanging one more look with Mors, she opened the door, and walked in.
A balding middle-aged man sat alone on a chair next to an open window, a half-empty bottle of wine in his hands. Slowly he turned his blue eyes to Nymeria, a defeated and jaded look on them. "Lord Morgan," Nymeria greeted coldly, which made the man let out a sad little chuckle, devoid of any joy. "Am I still?" He asked quietly, his voice slightly slurring. "I'm guessing you are the Rhoynish princess I have heard so much about."
"Are you drunk?" Nymeria asked, glaring at Morgan. As a response, the Lord of Godsgrace took another deep gulp from his bottle. "Yes, I am, your highness," he replied with an unpleasant and spiteful tone. "Can you blame me?"
"Your daughter suggested that I should send you to the Wall, to serve as brother of the Night's Watch," Nymeria changed the topic, and for a moment she could see pure rage surfacing in Morgan's eyes. "Tell me, Princess Nymeria, where you come from, is it considered decent to betray your own family?" He asked bitterly, and Nymeria shook her head.
"You feel you have been betrayed?" She asked, and Morgan grinned. It was a spiteful smile, and his eyes remained cold and cynical. "My own children have turned against me," he said, every word oozing of bitter anger.
"You must not have been a good father," Nymeria stated nonchalantly, and now Morgan stood up from his chair. Nymeria moved her hand to the hilt of the sword, but didn't unsheathe it yet. "You know nothing about me," Morgan spat sternly, downing the rest of the wine and dropping the bottle to the floor. "My daughter tells you to send me to the Wall... Fuck it! I say kill me, here and now," Morgan stared Nymeria to the eyes as he spoke. "Esperence already denied me the chance to fight with honor for the future of this house. At least you could let me die like a warrior, by the sword of my enemy."
Even though I would love to grant his wish, I feel like Nymeria should just [Send Morgan to the Wall]. He is a piece of shit and a horrible father, but he didn't do anything to Nymeria herself that would make her kill him on the spot.
Nymeria
It was almost noon, and they stood silently on a hill next to the Greenblood, mere miles away from where the river would split to… more the Vaith and the Scourge. The river still flowed generously, despite the summer getting hotter every day. Mors had convinced Nymeria that Greenblood never fully dried, not even during the fiercest and longest summers. It was a small river compared to the Rhoyne, but the Princess was inclined to believe her husband's words.
Beside the ruling couple stood General Varyn, sweating in his armor, a determined and stern expression on his long face. Next to Mors stood his new squire, the young Cason Bloodspill, a nervous expression on his face. Then there were the five Royal Guards who had rode with them – Ser Arnol, Ser Boran, Anaba, Jadisha and Nesea. Commander Farrah and Ser Landar had been left to hold the Sandship.
Behind them was an army of almost three-thousand troops, which had marched up the Gree… [view original content]
Well, well, I certainly did not expect the conquest of Godsgrace to be over this soon and to go this smoothly. Surely, Esperence's plan has been brilliant, even if she herself sank only lower in my own opinion. That being said, I am definitely not sad about the end of Morgan, that jerk got exactly what he deserved. Up until the very end, he has been truly despicable and the fact that he is so unapologetic about his own shortcomings makes him only worse. And well, this part also introduced one particularly interesting set of characters, these desert tribes. I'm curious how you are going to use them from here on. I would not count on their continuous loyalty, to be honest. Meanwhile, speaking of things I am curious about, there has been mention of House Ladybright. I presume Jamison's mentor Laroy belongs to this house, but how did he end up at Starfall, whereas his house seems to serve Nymeria now?
[Send Morgan to the Wall]
There's two reasons for that. From my own perspective, I want to deny Morgan a clean death. He can wither away at the wall for all I case, I certainly will not show him this kindness. The other reason is that Nymeria has indeed precious little reason to kill him. After all, he commited no crimes against her. And to make it even better, this could be a nice way to establish the usual way Nymeria seems to eventually deal with her enemies. I'd like to see this and think it is the most fitting end for Morgan.
Nymeria
It was almost noon, and they stood silently on a hill next to the Greenblood, mere miles away from where the river would split to… more the Vaith and the Scourge. The river still flowed generously, despite the summer getting hotter every day. Mors had convinced Nymeria that Greenblood never fully dried, not even during the fiercest and longest summers. It was a small river compared to the Rhoyne, but the Princess was inclined to believe her husband's words.
Beside the ruling couple stood General Varyn, sweating in his armor, a determined and stern expression on his long face. Next to Mors stood his new squire, the young Cason Bloodspill, a nervous expression on his face. Then there were the five Royal Guards who had rode with them – Ser Arnol, Ser Boran, Anaba, Jadisha and Nesea. Commander Farrah and Ser Landar had been left to hold the Sandship.
Behind them was an army of almost three-thousand troops, which had marched up the Gree… [view original content]
Well, well, I certainly did not expect the conquest of Godsgrace to be over this soon and to go this smoothly. Surely, Esperence's plan has been brilliant, even if she herself sank only lower in my own opinion. That being said, I am definitely not sad about the end of Morgan, that jerk got exactly what he deserved. Up until the very end, he has been truly despicable and the fact that he is so unapologetic about his own shortcomings makes him only worse. And well, this part also introduced one particularly interesting set of characters, these desert tribes. I'm curious how you are going to use them from here on. I would not count on their continuous loyalty, to be honest.
Indeed, I'd say the conquest of Godsgrace is sort of comparable to Dany's conquest of Yunkai during her liberation of Slaver's Bay - pretty easy and certainly not the most exciting part of the campaign Here of course Nymeria has Esperence to thank for making it so easy for her, which is also why she sort of has to get rid of Morgan one way or the other. Not that Morgan expects to remain the Lord after this defeat anyway. And what comes to these tribesmen, yeah, they might be helpful in this war against the Dryland's, but definitely not the most trustworthy allies out there.
Meanwhile, speaking of things I am curious about, there has been mention of House Ladybright. I presume Jamison's mentor Laroy belongs to this house, but how did he end up at Starfall, whereas his house seems to serve Nymeria now?
Yeah, I actually namedropped the Ladybright's of Dawnspire in the earlier Tomas part as well In all honesty, back when I made Laroy I had no further plans for House Ladybright, but obviously the house has to be located somewhere, so I eventually decided their seat will be in Eastern Dorne. What comes to Laroy, he is a cousin to the current Lord Ladybright. However, he has spent most of his life in Starfall, ever since being a ward to a now long dead Dayne King, and by now he has much more loyalty for the Dayne's, a family he chose, rather than the family he was born to.
Well, well, I certainly did not expect the conquest of Godsgrace to be over this soon and to go this smoothly. Surely, Esperence's plan has … morebeen brilliant, even if she herself sank only lower in my own opinion. That being said, I am definitely not sad about the end of Morgan, that jerk got exactly what he deserved. Up until the very end, he has been truly despicable and the fact that he is so unapologetic about his own shortcomings makes him only worse. And well, this part also introduced one particularly interesting set of characters, these desert tribes. I'm curious how you are going to use them from here on. I would not count on their continuous loyalty, to be honest. Meanwhile, speaking of things I am curious about, there has been mention of House Ladybright. I presume Jamison's mentor Laroy belongs to this house, but how did he end up at Starfall, whereas his house seems to serve Nymeria now?
[Send Morgan to the Wall]
There's two r… [view original content]
Nymeria
It was almost noon, and they stood silently on a hill next to the Greenblood, mere miles away from where the river would split to… more the Vaith and the Scourge. The river still flowed generously, despite the summer getting hotter every day. Mors had convinced Nymeria that Greenblood never fully dried, not even during the fiercest and longest summers. It was a small river compared to the Rhoyne, but the Princess was inclined to believe her husband's words.
Beside the ruling couple stood General Varyn, sweating in his armor, a determined and stern expression on his long face. Next to Mors stood his new squire, the young Cason Bloodspill, a nervous expression on his face. Then there were the five Royal Guards who had rode with them – Ser Arnol, Ser Boran, Anaba, Jadisha and Nesea. Commander Farrah and Ser Landar had been left to hold the Sandship.
Behind them was an army of almost three-thousand troops, which had marched up the Gree… [view original content]
Nymeria
It was almost noon, and they stood silently on a hill next to the Greenblood, mere miles away from where the river would split to… more the Vaith and the Scourge. The river still flowed generously, despite the summer getting hotter every day. Mors had convinced Nymeria that Greenblood never fully dried, not even during the fiercest and longest summers. It was a small river compared to the Rhoyne, but the Princess was inclined to believe her husband's words.
Beside the ruling couple stood General Varyn, sweating in his armor, a determined and stern expression on his long face. Next to Mors stood his new squire, the young Cason Bloodspill, a nervous expression on his face. Then there were the five Royal Guards who had rode with them – Ser Arnol, Ser Boran, Anaba, Jadisha and Nesea. Commander Farrah and Ser Landar had been left to hold the Sandship.
Behind them was an army of almost three-thousand troops, which had marched up the Gree… [view original content]
Nymeria
It was almost noon, and they stood silently on a hill next to the Greenblood, mere miles away from where the river would split to… more the Vaith and the Scourge. The river still flowed generously, despite the summer getting hotter every day. Mors had convinced Nymeria that Greenblood never fully dried, not even during the fiercest and longest summers. It was a small river compared to the Rhoyne, but the Princess was inclined to believe her husband's words.
Beside the ruling couple stood General Varyn, sweating in his armor, a determined and stern expression on his long face. Next to Mors stood his new squire, the young Cason Bloodspill, a nervous expression on his face. Then there were the five Royal Guards who had rode with them – Ser Arnol, Ser Boran, Anaba, Jadisha and Nesea. Commander Farrah and Ser Landar had been left to hold the Sandship.
Behind them was an army of almost three-thousand troops, which had marched up the Gree… [view original content]
Nymeria
It was almost noon, and they stood silently on a hill next to the Greenblood, mere miles away from where the river would split to… more the Vaith and the Scourge. The river still flowed generously, despite the summer getting hotter every day. Mors had convinced Nymeria that Greenblood never fully dried, not even during the fiercest and longest summers. It was a small river compared to the Rhoyne, but the Princess was inclined to believe her husband's words.
Beside the ruling couple stood General Varyn, sweating in his armor, a determined and stern expression on his long face. Next to Mors stood his new squire, the young Cason Bloodspill, a nervous expression on his face. Then there were the five Royal Guards who had rode with them – Ser Arnol, Ser Boran, Anaba, Jadisha and Nesea. Commander Farrah and Ser Landar had been left to hold the Sandship.
Behind them was an army of almost three-thousand troops, which had marched up the Gree… [view original content]
I despise Esperence as sh ebetrayed her father and I already didn't like the Martells so I despise them too now. Emerson isn't event there to defend Malcom as he's on his side. Since I don't like the Martells nor any of the choices(lol). I guess I'm not voting....
I can certainly understand this point of view, and it is true that Esperence betrayed her own father. It might be telling of Morgan as a father that his own daughter ends up undermining him, but still, Esperence certainly isn't a saint herself. That said, there is really not a good reason for Nymeria to do anything outside of these two choices here. If she pardons Morgan, she risks losing her most important ally, that being Esprence, and Nymeria is smart enough not to do that. By sending Morgan to the Wall or killing him, Nymeria can make Esperence the Lady of Godsgrace, and that way have a firm foundation for their alliance.
What comes to Emerson, he was sent away by Morgan himself, partly in a faint hope that he'd manage to bring the Jordayne army in early enough to prevent what happened here. More realistically though, he just hoped that by sending Emerson away, he would give him a chance to win Godsgrace back from the Martell's at a later point.
What comes to the Martell's, the story is truly only beginning to concentrate on them now, so I hope I'll manage to show off more of their likable traits in the future. That is assuming that you mean you dislike the Martell's in this story, rather than just having a general hate for the house
I despise Esperence as sh ebetrayed her father and I already didn't like the Martells so I despise them too now. Emerson isn't event there t… moreo defend Malcom as he's on his side. Since I don't like the Martells nor any of the choices(lol). I guess I'm not voting....
Yeah I dislike them in this story. They seem arrogant since they want to rule Dorne and even declaired that by naming themselves Prince and Princess of Dorne, what they're doing here is certainly not a good deed.
I can certainly understand this point of view, and it is true that Esperence betrayed her own father. It might be telling of Morgan as a fat… moreher that his own daughter ends up undermining him, but still, Esperence certainly isn't a saint herself. That said, there is really not a good reason for Nymeria to do anything outside of these two choices here. If she pardons Morgan, she risks losing her most important ally, that being Esprence, and Nymeria is smart enough not to do that. By sending Morgan to the Wall or killing him, Nymeria can make Esperence the Lady of Godsgrace, and that way have a firm foundation for their alliance.
What comes to Emerson, he was sent away by Morgan himself, partly in a faint hope that he'd manage to bring the Jordayne army in early enough to prevent what happened here. More realistically though, he just hoped that by sending Emerson away, he would give him a chance to win Godsgrace back from the Martell's at a la… [view original content]
Mm, it is true that Nymeria is a conqueror, and conquering is never a clean or pure deed, no way around that. However, she does actually have some respectable motives for what she is doing. Firstly, she wants to make a home for the Rhoynar refugees, and the small lands of House Martell aren't quite enough for that. The other one is that unifying Dorne under one ruler is likely to lessen the petty wars and infighting, and make Dorne as a whole stronger, and that will actually be important if one day the Storm King or the Gardener King try to expand their kingdoms to Dorne.
Yeah I dislike them in this story. They seem arrogant since they want to rule Dorne and even declaired that by naming themselves Prince and Princess of Dorne, what they're doing here is certainly not a good deed.
I won't close the voting quite yet, because I expect a couple more votes to come, and this could still go either way. HOWEVER, I do have the next part ready, and I don't see a reason to hold it back. Instead, I will post it now (after posting this), and close the two votings at the same time. Anyway, this part will actually be a brand new PoV, and it will take us to a place we have only briefly seen in the story so far... Well, you'll see what I'm talking about by just scrolling down, so enough with the teasing
Valor Veltaris stood at the bow of his flagship. Mele Jelmazma it was called, or the Red Storm in Common Tongue. Standing there, he could feel the soft sea breeze on his skin, which made it slightly easier to bear the heat of the blazing Dornish sun. Said sun felt particularly fierce now that Valor was clad in his plated armor. He had to wear it though, as they would reach their destination today. After a long wait the Fallen Dragons would finally get a taste of battle again.
For now, all Valor could see as he gazed at the shore were steep cliffs and treacherous shoals, but the navigators had assured him they would arrive to Salt Shore before sundown. Valor hoped they were right, but he had enough experience to know everything didn't always go to plan – least of all on the sea.
"What do you see, commander?" Valor heard the voice of his friend ask behind him, and he turned to face Olyvar Forrester. The Northman had a subtle smirk on his face, as he leaned on the railing of the deck in a carefree manner. "I see rocks, and sand," Valor replied dryly, which made his friend chuckle.
"Aye, pretty much sums up Dorne for you," Olyvar quipped lightheartedly, turning his gaze to the shore. "Red sands, white sands... red mountains."
"Hopefully a certain princess to rule over said sands and mountains," Valor said with a sigh. "I would hate to have sailed all the way here for nothing."
"Oh, it won't be for nothing," Olyvar assured confidently, which made Valor narrow his eyes. "I met her myself, as you know. Princess Nymeria, she is... quite something, I'll say." Valor nodded quietly to the words of his Westerosi friend. It was true, Nymeria was not someone to be taken lightly. After all, she had managed to find a new home for the surviving Rhoynar, something that had seemed an impossible task just a few short years ago. And now she is building herself a new empire, from dirt and dust. Still, Valor would have to meet Nymeria personally to truly get the measure of her, as a person, and as a ruler.
"Have you seen Maran recently?" Valor asked, breaking the silence after a drawn-out quiet moment. He hadn't seen his young Rhoynar squire in a couple hours now. "Last I saw him, he was chatting with Firanisa under the deck," Olyvar answered casually.
"He certainly seems to enjoy the company of Nymeria's captain," Valor noted calmly. After they had begun their voyage from the Orange Shore towards Dorne, everyday Maran seemed to be spending more and more time just talking with Firanisa. "Well, it only makes sense," Olyvar remarked. "Maran wants to know what happened to his people, to those that were fortunate enough to find a new life away from the Rhoyne."
"I have given Maran a new life," Valor claimed with a stubborn tone, and Olyvar nodded. "You have," he confirmed quickly. "But it has been a life away from most of his own kind. Those who followed Nymeria, their journey has been very different from the few Rhoynar that joined the Fallen Dragons."
"I understand that," Valor responded with a sigh, walking down to the lower deck now, Olyvar following after him. "I'm sure Maran is still grateful for all that you've given him," he said softly, and Valor shook his head with a small chuckle. "I don't need him to be grateful to me," he replied quietly. "I just want him to be happy."
"Perhaps he'll be the happiest with his own people," Olyvar suggested calmly. Valor closed his eyes, feeling slightly frustrated. As polite and gentle as his friend's words were, they felt harsh. He had learnt to truly care about Maran, seeing him almost as a son now. Yet Olyvar spoke truly – most likely one day the boy would want to reunite with the rest of the Rhoynar, and Valor would have to let him go.
"Inform me when we're closer to our destination," he said sternly, and Olyvar nodded obediently. "Yes, commander."
Valor made his way into the captain's cabin, and sank down to the chair behind his desk. In front of him was the map of Dorne, which he had often studied during their voyage. Salt Shore was one of the few ports on the southern coast, and as far as Valor knew House Gargalen had one of the strongest fleets on the region, having at least a dozen warships. It was nothing compared to something like the great armada of the Valyrian army, but for the fifteen ships of the Fallen Dragons it would be a worthy opponent.
Valor shifted his gaze upwards from the Salt Shore, to Godsgrace and Vaith. According to Firanisa taking those two cities would be just as important as taking Salt Shore, if not more so. Valor knew very little about these towns, or about the roads and terrain of Dorne, which was why he planned to wait for further instructions from Nymeria after taking Salt Shore. But first we must take it, he reminded himself. With a sigh Valor put the map away, and grabbed one of the few books he had on his bookshelf. It was a book written by a Valyrian scholar and adventurer named Visegon Baeliar, who had visited and studied every region in Westeros. The Kingdoms of Sunset, the book was titled, and though it had been written almost a century ago, Valor assumed the information to still be more or less valid.
Valor had browsed through the section about Dorne several times after being hired by Princess Nymeria, but now he opened it again. Visegon had written three pages about the southern coast of Dorne, almost a full page concentrating on just Salt Shore. He described it as a small but busy port, being one of the few safe landings along the rocky southern coast. Merchants from all over the world stopped there on their way to the western coast of Westeros, whether their final destination was Oldtown or Lannisport. And from Salt Shore all the goods from around the world were transported and sold to other towns and castles of Dorne. Meaning they have to have decent roads for the inland trade.
As Valor turned the page, the door of the cabin was knocked. "Come in," Valor said loud enough to be heard on the other side of the door, and closed the book. The wooden door opened with a quiet creak, and Maran stepped inside. The thirteen-year-old Rhoynish boy looked nervous, his skin unusually pale, and a hint of fear in his brown eyes. "Commander, the city is on the horizon... but there are also warships on the bay." Maran kept his tone professional as he spoke, even if Valor could sense that he was afraid.
"So, they are expecting us," Valor stated with calm and unsurprised tone. He hadn't expected them to make it all the way to Salt Shore without being noticed. "How many ships?"
"We counted at least ten sails, could be more," Maran answered quickly. Valor stayed quiet for a moment. "Ten... that means we outnumber them," he said with a pondering tone. "But they know these waters better than we do, so we have to be careful." Valor stood up from his chair, and walked to Maran. He put his right hand on the young boy's shoulder, and looked him in the eyes. "Are you ready, Maran?" He asked softly, and the boy nodded with a gulp. "Good, just stay close to me." With these words he opened the door, and walked back to the deck, Maran following after him.
On the lower deck, the troops were getting their armors on, while the sailors were going under the deck for the oars. Same looked to be happening aboard the other ships. Looking ahead, Valor could see the yellow-and-red sails of the enemy in the distance, behind them the harbor of Salt Shore, and the sandstone castle watching over it. It'll be another hour before the battle begins, Valor estimated from the distance. Calmly he walked to Olyvar and Haronos, who were standing by the mast. Haronos was a Norvoshi warrior on his late thirties, a tall and muscular man with crude facial features and bright blue eyes. His light brown hair was cut short, but he sported a twirled mustache that was dyed sea green.
"How are you feeling?" Valor asked calmly, and the two immediately shifted their attention to him. "I'm feeling great, commander," Haronos answered, flashing him a wide grin, which revealed the several missing teeth in his mouth. "I can't wait to bloody my sword again."
"No need to wait much longer," Valor quipped, patting the man on his arm as he walked past him and continued towards the upper deck on the bow of the ship. There he saw Firanisa, who smiled kindly as she saw Valor and Maran approaching.
"Captain Firanisa," Valor greeted the warrior woman with a small nod. "Commander Valor," the Rhoynar captain replied softly as Valor stood next to her, looking towards the small port city ahead of them. "Have you been to Salt Shore before?" He asked calmly, and Firanisa shook her head.
"I haven't, mylord," she answered, and Valor shook his head with a small chuckle. "I am no lord, captain," he corrected calmly, receiving only a small nod as a response from Firanisa. "Just a fallen dragon," Valor continued with a sigh, which made Firanisa turn her eyes to him again.
"I suppose a fallen dragon is a bit more tolerable than a flying one," she quipped teasingly, and a subtle smirk formed on Valor's face. "I may be fallen, but my fires still burn bright," he replied with quiet confidence in his words. Firanisa gave him a lingering gaze, before turning her eyes towards Salt Shore again. There they stood in silence, slowly approaching the enemy, the battle. As they started to get closer, the fifteen ships of the Fallen Dragons aligned into three lines of five ships. The Red Storm was in the middle of the first line, and would in just a few minutes be in the thick of the battle.
Finally, Valor turned to Maran. "Fetch your helmet boy, you're going to need it," he commanded quietly, and with a dutiful nod Maran spurted away. Valor turned to Firanisa again, seeing fierce determination in her eyes. Eyes of a warrior.
"Are you ready to fight for your princess?" He asked quietly, and Firanisa nodded. "Always," she answered with calm determination. With a smile Valor turned away from her, and walked in front of the crew. They all looked at him, waiting for him to speak. He begun by unsheathing his sword, and pointing it towards the enemy. It was a beautiful sword, forged in Valyria, and glowing a magical blue light. Kasta Perzys was the name of the sword, which in Common Tongue meant Blue Flame.
"We have finally reached our destination, brothers!" He began his speech, and a small cheer went through the crowd. "Ahead is our enemy, ready to defend their city to the death, and that’s exactly what we are going to give them! Blood will be spilled, many will fall, but in the end the Fallen Dragons will triumph! COME WITH ME AND TAKE THIS CITY!"
A loud cheer erupted from the crew, and as Valor turned around, he saw they were getting in range of the enemy ships. Crossbowmen from both sides started shooting their bolts. Keeping his shield up, Valor walked to Maran, who was at the other end of the deck. "Brace yourself, boy!" He yelled to him with an encouraging tone.
Soon they rammed into the first enemy ship, and the boarding bridge was lowered down. Valor saw Haronos and Firanisa leading the first men into the enemy ship with fierce battlecries and clashing of steel echoing in the evening sky. "Let's go," he finally said to Maran, and they started to approach the boarding bridge. However, while getting over to the deck of the Gargalen ship, Valor noticed something strange. The crew on this ship was strangely small, with approximately one Gargalen soldier for every three or four Fallen Dragons. The size of the ship couldn't be the reason, Valor knew it could carry more, especially since it had sailed such a small distance for this battle.
Valor and Maran walked through the deck, and only once did Valor have to put down an enemy that charged against him. It didn't take long for them to overtake the ship, and though the sellswords cheered, it was an underwhelming victory at best.
Valor looked around, and the situation looked to be more or less the same on all the other ships as well. Two of the Gargalen ships managed to turn around and retreat back to the port, but the rest had been completely overtaken. Why even send the ships if you can't man them properly? Valor was honestly confused – this had been way too easy.
"Commander!" Valor heard the voice of Olyvar yelling, and he turned towards him. "We have a few captures here. Would you like to speak to them?" Valor nodded, and strolled quickly to the captured enemies, who were sitting down on the lower deck.
"Why are your ships undermanned?" He asked immediately, staring to the eyes of a young and skinny man, on his yellow tabard the red cockatrice of House Gargalen. However, it was the old man next to him, wearing a similar tabard, who answered to Valor's question. "Lord Jorvian marched to war with King Lucifer, taking the bulk of our forces with him. There weren't enough men left for full crews," the old man explained with a tired and cynical tone.
"Then why even try this?" Valor asked with a frown on his face. "Why not just concentrate all the men on defending the walls and the gates?" The old man let out a joyless chuckle. "Because this is the tactic that the fat cow chose, and unfortunately for us she is the one in charge now," he muttered, staring at the wet boards of the deck.
"The fat cow?" Valor asked with confusion, and the old man nodded. "Gabby Gargalen, the eldest daughter of Lord Jorvian Gargalen," he explained, and Valor turned back to his men.
"Well, this certainly changes the situation," he grumbled, sheathing his sword. Olyvar just nodded quietly, and for a moment no one said anything.
"So, I guess the city is ripe for taking," Haronos finally spoke up, without an ounce of the earlier enthusiasm in his words. "That it is," Valor confirmed, finding his composure again. "We should move quickly, let's not give them time to rest. We'll scale the walls and breach the gates, and the city will be ours before dawn."
"Who will lead the assault?" Olyvar asked calmly. Valor took in a deep breath, considering the options. He had earlier planned on leading the assault himself, which was why he had his flagship in the front row. Now though, he was unsure.
"Would you like to hear my suggestion?" Haronos asked, and Valor gave him an approving nod. "This battle seems like a clear victory, so perhaps there's no need to put yourself at risk. I can lead the assault, and you can follow in when the city is cleared."
Leading the battle from behind wasn't anything Valor hadn't done before. After all, he was known as a great commander, rather than a gret warrior. Still, he had to inspire loyalty, and to do that he had to sometimes be in the thick of the battle himself, leading the men personally. This battle in particular wouldn't even require any complicated tactics, just one firm push to break the withering defense, which made Valor question if there really was an excuse for him to not lead the assault personally.
[Lead the assault yourself][Let Haronos lead the assault]
He's drunk, may not think completely clearly. If he will be send to the Wall and really want to die, he will - and it surely will be a death by sword of enemy. If he doesn't agree, he will show that by attacking Nymeria I think, which will also end up with his death, rather linear choice here IMO.
Nymeria
It was almost noon, and they stood silently on a hill next to the Greenblood, mere miles away from where the river would split to… more the Vaith and the Scourge. The river still flowed generously, despite the summer getting hotter every day. Mors had convinced Nymeria that Greenblood never fully dried, not even during the fiercest and longest summers. It was a small river compared to the Rhoyne, but the Princess was inclined to believe her husband's words.
Beside the ruling couple stood General Varyn, sweating in his armor, a determined and stern expression on his long face. Next to Mors stood his new squire, the young Cason Bloodspill, a nervous expression on his face. Then there were the five Royal Guards who had rode with them – Ser Arnol, Ser Boran, Anaba, Jadisha and Nesea. Commander Farrah and Ser Landar had been left to hold the Sandship.
Behind them was an army of almost three-thousand troops, which had marched up the Gree… [view original content]
I can reveal that if the choice to send Morgan to the Wall wins, then he will indeed be sent to the Wall. Sure, not the most complex or interesting choice in the story, but these are really the only options that make sense for Nymeria in this moment, and I try to avoid giving choices that would be too much out of character for the character making the choice.
[Send Morgan to the Wall]
He's drunk, may not think completely clearly. If he will be send to the Wall and really want to die, he will - … moreand it surely will be a death by sword of enemy. If he doesn't agree, he will show that by attacking Nymeria I think, which will also end up with his death, rather linear choice here IMO.
Well it's not like they tried going for peace. House Dayne,Fowler and Blackmont aren't bad and are basically in an alliance along with the Drylands. Only Houses Toland,Manwoody and Yronwood are 'villians'.
Mm, it is true that Nymeria is a conqueror, and conquering is never a clean or pure deed, no way around that. However, she does actually hav… moree some respectable motives for what she is doing. Firstly, she wants to make a home for the Rhoynar refugees, and the small lands of House Martell aren't quite enough for that. The other one is that unifying Dorne under one ruler is likely to lessen the petty wars and infighting, and make Dorne as a whole stronger, and that will actually be important if one day the Storm King or the Gardener King try to expand their kingdoms to Dorne.
Well, there really isn't a peaceful way to achieve what Nymeria is trying - uniting all of Dorne under her rule. And you're right, not even nearly all of the lords and kings of Dorne that oppose Nymeria are villains, and they are not supposed to be either. Nymeria is not fighting this war to defeat "the bad guys", she is fighting to create a stronger and more centralized Dorne. It's okay to disagree with that goal, and obviously many good people in-story do, but there are actually solid reasons for supporting that goal as well.
Well it's not like they tried going for peace. House Dayne,Fowler and Blackmont aren't bad and are basically in an alliance along with the Drylands. Only Houses Toland,Manwoody and Yronwood are 'villians'.
He is the Valyrian commander of the sellsword company Fallen Dragons, whom Nymeria hired in Chapter 2 by Forovos Norvoshi's recommendation. This is his first PoV part though, and actually even first appearance onscreen.
He is the Valyrian commander of the sellsword company Fallen Dragons, whom Nymeria hired in Chapter 2 by Forovos Norvoshi's recommendation. This is his first PoV part though, and actually even first appearance onscreen.
Valor
Valor Veltaris stood at the bow of his flagship. Mele Jelmazma it was called, or the Red Storm in Common Tongue. Standing there, he… more could feel the soft sea breeze on his skin, which made it slightly easier to bear the heat of the blazing Dornish sun. Said sun felt particularly fierce now that Valor was clad in his plated armor. He had to wear it though, as they would reach their destination today. After a long wait the Fallen Dragons would finally get a taste of battle again.
For now, all Valor could see as he gazed at the shore were steep cliffs and treacherous shoals, but the navigators had assured him they would arrive to Salt Shore before sundown. Valor hoped they were right, but he had enough experience to know everything didn't always go to plan – least of all on the sea.
"What do you see, commander?" Valor heard the voice of his friend ask behind him, and he turned to face Olyvar Forrester. The Northman had a subtle smir… [view original content]
That's the problem. She wants it under HER rule and her rule only. No peace, no allies. Just she and her house on top of everyone. Good or bad. If anything peace in this situation and an alliance with the houses I mentioned would make a stronger Dorne but this isn't a fairytale where the good guys win every time.
Well, there really isn't a peaceful way to achieve what Nymeria is trying - uniting all of Dorne under her rule. And you're right, not even … morenearly all of the lords and kings of Dorne that oppose Nymeria are villains, and they are not supposed to be either. Nymeria is not fighting this war to defeat "the bad guys", she is fighting to create a stronger and more centralized Dorne. It's okay to disagree with that goal, and obviously many good people in-story do, but there are actually solid reasons for supporting that goal as well.
That is true, she does have a hunger for power, as all conquerors do (very much comparable to Aegon the Conqueror, I'd say). It is a central part of her character, and something that will be explored deeper as the story goes. This is not indeed a fairytale, and Nymeria is far from being the perfect hero, which is why I don't want her to be the only perspective to this war. We will see things from the perspectives of Dayne's and Yronwood's and so on, and there will surely be times when the reader will feel like rooting for them instead of Nymeria.
And yeah, an alliance between all the kingdoms of Dorne is a peaceful solution, but it is also very utopian, and unlikely to ever happen, much less hold over time. The only alliances we have seen so far (Dayne/Dryland & Blackmont/Fowler) are temporary arrangements at best, and only made because of a common enemy. Even without Nymeria's influence several of these kingdoms are at war with each other right now, and if these kingdoms aren't united under one ruler, there will always come new wars between them. This is Nymeria's justification for her conquest, just like Aegon justified conquering the Seven Kingdoms for the very same reason.
That's the problem. She wants it under HER rule and her rule only. No peace, no allies. Just she and her house on top of everyone. Good or b… moread. If anything peace in this situation and an alliance with the houses I mentioned would make a stronger Dorne but this isn't a fairytale where the good guys win every time.
To be honest I'm divided here. I doubt that you will kill or seriously harm a new PoV in the beginning of his story (which is supposed to be somewhat big given that Fallen Dragons are now closely connected with Nymeria), so I'm going to go with [Lead the assault yourself] what can result in boosting company morale and ardour and possibly even impressing Nymeria herself, but the question is that wouldn't the cool head and choicing more safe option ergo showing prudency and cautiousness do that better (althought it may not be case here given that the battle is quite simple, so he can't really show off here). The other factor here is the person of Haronos - we don't really know how much is he gonna matter in the story of this company, and by giving him this responsibility we can show our trust and appreciation to him - I guess he's quite trustworthy, so not gonna discuss that.
I have no idea what will be consequences of any of these choices, so I wanted to wait a little bit with my decision, but maybe someone does have it the same, so I'm gonna share my thoughts. Maybe I'm overthinking it and it's really minor choice to start off with this new point of view in war, but who knows - it have potential to be more than that in my opinion.
Valor
Valor Veltaris stood at the bow of his flagship. Mele Jelmazma it was called, or the Red Storm in Common Tongue. Standing there, he… more could feel the soft sea breeze on his skin, which made it slightly easier to bear the heat of the blazing Dornish sun. Said sun felt particularly fierce now that Valor was clad in his plated armor. He had to wear it though, as they would reach their destination today. After a long wait the Fallen Dragons would finally get a taste of battle again.
For now, all Valor could see as he gazed at the shore were steep cliffs and treacherous shoals, but the navigators had assured him they would arrive to Salt Shore before sundown. Valor hoped they were right, but he had enough experience to know everything didn't always go to plan – least of all on the sea.
"What do you see, commander?" Valor heard the voice of his friend ask behind him, and he turned to face Olyvar Forrester. The Northman had a subtle smir… [view original content]
Hmm, that brings some more light to this choice, still gonna stick to mine decision though - it's not that important choice here, as Nymeria's intentions to Lucifer are pretty clear - so it's not gonna matter if we killed his bannerman or sent him to the Wall. I still believe that this Wall option has more potential - You said that "he's gonna be sent to Wall", not that "he's going to arrive there" (not sure if it's intended or not) so I will still believe that he can be intercepted during his travel by King Dryland's forces, because Nymeria's sentence isn't even really rightful - probably not gonna happen, as he lost his seat, army and even his heirs so he would be pretty worthless to Lucifer, although it's still an option.
I can reveal that if the choice to send Morgan to the Wall wins, then he will indeed be sent to the Wall. Sure, not the most complex or inte… moreresting choice in the story, but these are really the only options that make sense for Nymeria in this moment, and I try to avoid giving choices that would be too much out of character for the character making the choice.
Well safe to say I am surprised that Godsgrace was conquered so easily! I figured Morgan wouldn't give up without a fight but it is safe to say Esperence's plan worked perfectly and now she will seemingly get what she wants at least for the time being. As for the choice, I believe this is the better choice since it establishes Nymeria has a somewhat fair conqueror rather than just killing everyone in her way and it would also leave an opening for Morgan to maybe weasel out of the situation rather than being killed off right here. On a side note, it is clear that there's no turning back for Emerson I wouldn't think so I may as well ask if Esperence's plan for Emerson would have went just like this or would it have been a setup? If Esperence was telling the truth than it will be even more interesting to see Emerson's role moving forward!
Nymeria
It was almost noon, and they stood silently on a hill next to the Greenblood, mere miles away from where the river would split to… more the Vaith and the Scourge. The river still flowed generously, despite the summer getting hotter every day. Mors had convinced Nymeria that Greenblood never fully dried, not even during the fiercest and longest summers. It was a small river compared to the Rhoyne, but the Princess was inclined to believe her husband's words.
Beside the ruling couple stood General Varyn, sweating in his armor, a determined and stern expression on his long face. Next to Mors stood his new squire, the young Cason Bloodspill, a nervous expression on his face. Then there were the five Royal Guards who had rode with them – Ser Arnol, Ser Boran, Anaba, Jadisha and Nesea. Commander Farrah and Ser Landar had been left to hold the Sandship.
Behind them was an army of almost three-thousand troops, which had marched up the Gree… [view original content]
What!?!?! Valor as a PoV!?! That's very unexpected! I remember when we last talked about it, you leaned toward having someone else as the Fallen Dragon PoV so it is definitely a pleasant surprise to see that it turned out to be Valor himself! Of course you have also wrote Valor perfectly here with his calm and quiet demeanor along with his bluntness and charisma that he can turn on whenever he needs to as shown by his speech which got me hyped! Great job! I also have to mention that it is cool to see Maran appear as well and I look forward to seeing his role moving forward too!
[Lead the assault yourself]
While Valor is more of a commander and strategist, this is a relatively safe situation plus Valor isn't a slouch as a warrior either. Like he said, leading from the front from time to time would inspire loyalty from his men and this seems like a good time to do that given that he is not really in a situation where he needs to observe the situation from afar. Of course, there could be some kind of trap with more men inside but it has seemed to be established that the majority of Lord Gargalen's forces are on the way to Vaith with King Lucifer so I will most likely stick with my choice here.
Valor
Valor Veltaris stood at the bow of his flagship. Mele Jelmazma it was called, or the Red Storm in Common Tongue. Standing there, he… more could feel the soft sea breeze on his skin, which made it slightly easier to bear the heat of the blazing Dornish sun. Said sun felt particularly fierce now that Valor was clad in his plated armor. He had to wear it though, as they would reach their destination today. After a long wait the Fallen Dragons would finally get a taste of battle again.
For now, all Valor could see as he gazed at the shore were steep cliffs and treacherous shoals, but the navigators had assured him they would arrive to Salt Shore before sundown. Valor hoped they were right, but he had enough experience to know everything didn't always go to plan – least of all on the sea.
"What do you see, commander?" Valor heard the voice of his friend ask behind him, and he turned to face Olyvar Forrester. The Northman had a subtle smir… [view original content]
Valor
Valor Veltaris stood at the bow of his flagship. Mele Jelmazma it was called, or the Red Storm in Common Tongue. Standing there, he… more could feel the soft sea breeze on his skin, which made it slightly easier to bear the heat of the blazing Dornish sun. Said sun felt particularly fierce now that Valor was clad in his plated armor. He had to wear it though, as they would reach their destination today. After a long wait the Fallen Dragons would finally get a taste of battle again.
For now, all Valor could see as he gazed at the shore were steep cliffs and treacherous shoals, but the navigators had assured him they would arrive to Salt Shore before sundown. Valor hoped they were right, but he had enough experience to know everything didn't always go to plan – least of all on the sea.
"What do you see, commander?" Valor heard the voice of his friend ask behind him, and he turned to face Olyvar Forrester. The Northman had a subtle smir… [view original content]
Valor
Valor Veltaris stood at the bow of his flagship. Mele Jelmazma it was called, or the Red Storm in Common Tongue. Standing there, he… more could feel the soft sea breeze on his skin, which made it slightly easier to bear the heat of the blazing Dornish sun. Said sun felt particularly fierce now that Valor was clad in his plated armor. He had to wear it though, as they would reach their destination today. After a long wait the Fallen Dragons would finally get a taste of battle again.
For now, all Valor could see as he gazed at the shore were steep cliffs and treacherous shoals, but the navigators had assured him they would arrive to Salt Shore before sundown. Valor hoped they were right, but he had enough experience to know everything didn't always go to plan – least of all on the sea.
"What do you see, commander?" Valor heard the voice of his friend ask behind him, and he turned to face Olyvar Forrester. The Northman had a subtle smir… [view original content]
Valor
Valor Veltaris stood at the bow of his flagship. Mele Jelmazma it was called, or the Red Storm in Common Tongue. Standing there, he… more could feel the soft sea breeze on his skin, which made it slightly easier to bear the heat of the blazing Dornish sun. Said sun felt particularly fierce now that Valor was clad in his plated armor. He had to wear it though, as they would reach their destination today. After a long wait the Fallen Dragons would finally get a taste of battle again.
For now, all Valor could see as he gazed at the shore were steep cliffs and treacherous shoals, but the navigators had assured him they would arrive to Salt Shore before sundown. Valor hoped they were right, but he had enough experience to know everything didn't always go to plan – least of all on the sea.
"What do you see, commander?" Valor heard the voice of his friend ask behind him, and he turned to face Olyvar Forrester. The Northman had a subtle smir… [view original content]
What!?!?! Valor as a PoV!?! That's very unexpected! I remember when we last talked about it, you leaned toward having someone else as the Fallen Dragon PoV so it is definitely a pleasant surprise to see that it turned out to be Valor himself! Of course you have also wrote Valor perfectly here with his calm and quiet demeanor along with his bluntness and charisma that he can turn on whenever he needs to as shown by his speech which got me hyped! Great job! I also have to mention that it is cool to see Maran appear as well and I look forward to seeing his role moving forward too!
Hehe, yeah, I changed my mind about making Valor the PoV of Fallen Dragons a while ago, but wanted to keep it a surprise Anyway, I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it so far, Valor certainly is an interesting character to write. And thank you for introducing Maran in Valor's H&L! The boy should give an interesting flavor to the Fallen Dragons' storyline with his presence, and show us sides of Valor that might otherwise not be as apparent
What!?!?! Valor as a PoV!?! That's very unexpected! I remember when we last talked about it, you leaned toward having someone else as the F… moreallen Dragon PoV so it is definitely a pleasant surprise to see that it turned out to be Valor himself! Of course you have also wrote Valor perfectly here with his calm and quiet demeanor along with his bluntness and charisma that he can turn on whenever he needs to as shown by his speech which got me hyped! Great job! I also have to mention that it is cool to see Maran appear as well and I look forward to seeing his role moving forward too!
[Lead the assault yourself]
While Valor is more of a commander and strategist, this is a relatively safe situation plus Valor isn't a slouch as a warrior either. Like he said, leading from the front from time to time would inspire loyalty from his men and this seems like a good time to do that given that he is not really in a situation where he needs to observe… [view original content]
Well, Morgan didn't give up completely without a fight, but in the end he just didn't have enough loyal followers to prevent Esperence's takeover. Even most of those who weren't necessarily in on Esperence's schemes jumped ship as soon as they realized how badly outnumbered they were, especially with Nymeria's army by the gates.
Had Emerson sided with Esperence, everything here would've went more or less the same way. After Morgan would've been dealt with, Emerson would've been made the Lord of Godsgrace, but Esperence would've been quick to remind him who truly holds the power there. So, in this chapter Emerson's storyline would've been trying to establish and solidify his role as a strong leader (and not just a puppet for his cousin), while simultaniously trying to keep Esperence on his side.
[Send Morgan to the Wall]
Well safe to say I am surprised that Godsgrace was conquered so easily! I figured Morgan wouldn't give up witho… moreut a fight but it is safe to say Esperence's plan worked perfectly and now she will seemingly get what she wants at least for the time being. As for the choice, I believe this is the better choice since it establishes Nymeria has a somewhat fair conqueror rather than just killing everyone in her way and it would also leave an opening for Morgan to maybe weasel out of the situation rather than being killed off right here. On a side note, it is clear that there's no turning back for Emerson I wouldn't think so I may as well ask if Esperence's plan for Emerson would have went just like this or would it have been a setup? If Esperence was telling the truth than it will be even more interesting to see Emerson's role moving forward!
[Lead the assault yourself]
This could be a good way to witness Valor's skills, and see if this sword is more than just fancy.
I always found curious the difference between male and female Norvoshi, while men are only allowed to have mustaches, while women and slaves must be shaved bald.
Gabby Gargalen doesn't seem as a particularly smart commander, since everyone knows a castle a far more defendable than attacking head on with ships.
Valor
Valor Veltaris stood at the bow of his flagship. Mele Jelmazma it was called, or the Red Storm in Common Tongue. Standing there, he… more could feel the soft sea breeze on his skin, which made it slightly easier to bear the heat of the blazing Dornish sun. Said sun felt particularly fierce now that Valor was clad in his plated armor. He had to wear it though, as they would reach their destination today. After a long wait the Fallen Dragons would finally get a taste of battle again.
For now, all Valor could see as he gazed at the shore were steep cliffs and treacherous shoals, but the navigators had assured him they would arrive to Salt Shore before sundown. Valor hoped they were right, but he had enough experience to know everything didn't always go to plan – least of all on the sea.
"What do you see, commander?" Valor heard the voice of his friend ask behind him, and he turned to face Olyvar Forrester. The Northman had a subtle smir… [view original content]
Ah, I remember Valor! The H&L we got from him a while ago has already made me very interested in the character. Doesn't happen often that we get an H&L of a character that's not even introduced, so I expected him to have an important role at some point in the future. Didn't expect it to be now though, nor did I expect him to be a PoV, both decisions I find very interesting
Now, the part itself has also been quite nice. I was already curious about the Fallen Dragons from the H&L, but it is safe to say that now I have quickly grown to enjoy them even more, seeing that they will definitely play an important role in the Martell-Dryland part of the war and certainly beyond as well. The battle for Salt Shore did went shockingly smoothly, it seems between Gabby Gargalen's failure at leading her troops (a general failure, if I may say so) and Esperence's scheming to overthrow Morgan, Nymeria is getting some good victories at this early stage of the war. Sure, Lucifer took Vaith and Efran took Lemonwood, but with Efran's man about to abandon him and Lucifer losing some prime allies with House Gargalen and Allyrion (as well as his own daughter hopefully leaving with Desi and maybe even the Lord of Vaith), it seems the Dryland's are quickly losing their initial advantage.
[Lead the assault yourself]
I am willing to believe that at this very point, Valor won't be in much danger, considering we just got introduced to him. It feels a bit like cheating to pick this one, but as someone who is naturally not the most daring with his choices (and outright cautious in a couple particular ones), this seems like the best chance for me to feel fully confident with choosing a choice leading to a more aciton-packed next part for Valor. He seems to be a pretty capable warrior, but I would like to see just how capable he truly is, so that I can make future choices, where more is at stake, with a more easy conscience, having an idea what kind of dangers Valor is capable of overcoming. It seems like a relatively safe way of getting this idea of the true extent of Valor's skills. Later on, if such choices come up again for him, and I believe they will, I will have some sort of a reference with which I can come to a decision for him. That, and he seems like the kind of guy who will be very enjoyable to read in a fight
Valor
Valor Veltaris stood at the bow of his flagship. Mele Jelmazma it was called, or the Red Storm in Common Tongue. Standing there, he… more could feel the soft sea breeze on his skin, which made it slightly easier to bear the heat of the blazing Dornish sun. Said sun felt particularly fierce now that Valor was clad in his plated armor. He had to wear it though, as they would reach their destination today. After a long wait the Fallen Dragons would finally get a taste of battle again.
For now, all Valor could see as he gazed at the shore were steep cliffs and treacherous shoals, but the navigators had assured him they would arrive to Salt Shore before sundown. Valor hoped they were right, but he had enough experience to know everything didn't always go to plan – least of all on the sea.
"What do you see, commander?" Valor heard the voice of his friend ask behind him, and he turned to face Olyvar Forrester. The Northman had a subtle smir… [view original content]
Valor
Valor Veltaris stood at the bow of his flagship. Mele Jelmazma it was called, or the Red Storm in Common Tongue. Standing there, he… more could feel the soft sea breeze on his skin, which made it slightly easier to bear the heat of the blazing Dornish sun. Said sun felt particularly fierce now that Valor was clad in his plated armor. He had to wear it though, as they would reach their destination today. After a long wait the Fallen Dragons would finally get a taste of battle again.
For now, all Valor could see as he gazed at the shore were steep cliffs and treacherous shoals, but the navigators had assured him they would arrive to Salt Shore before sundown. Valor hoped they were right, but he had enough experience to know everything didn't always go to plan – least of all on the sea.
"What do you see, commander?" Valor heard the voice of his friend ask behind him, and he turned to face Olyvar Forrester. The Northman had a subtle smir… [view original content]
Comments
[Approach Jamison]
Avoiding him won't work in this circumstances, really. And to be honest I don't see the reason to do so - I feel confrontation is unavoidable here, and I'm pretty interested in seeing this two meeting ^^
Voting is closed!
And Kris will approach Jamison. It may not be the most pleasant meeting ever, but I can already reveal that Jamison respects Kris much more for doing this, rather than just avoiding him.
Next up, we will finally begin Nymeria's storyline for this chapter! She spent most of Chapter 2 in Sandship, sending Tomas to Ghost Hill, hiring the Fallen Dragons and commanding them to take Salt Shore, as well as making peace with the Valyrian lady Eraehra Galnaris. She also marched to Redclif to confront Lord Ormond Bloodspill, who was allegedly connected to the conspiracy against Nym. The situation was resolved with diplomacy, Ormond came to Sandship and revealed what he knew of the conspiracy. His main point seemed to be that it was actually the Rhoynar who were the main conspirators, and that their mysterious leader was known as Father Greenblood. In the end of the chapter Nymeria begun to prepare for a march to Godsgrace, after receiving a message from Esperence Allyrion, delivered by Ser Benjamin Told. We will continue with the Martell army almost having reached Godsgrace.
I've made some good progress, but this will be a fairly lengthy part, so I might not get it done today.
Cool.
Nymeria
It was almost noon, and they stood silently on a hill next to the Greenblood, mere miles away from where the river would split to the Vaith and the Scourge. The river still flowed generously, despite the summer getting hotter every day. Mors had convinced Nymeria that Greenblood never fully dried, not even during the fiercest and longest summers. It was a small river compared to the Rhoyne, but the Princess was inclined to believe her husband's words.
Beside the ruling couple stood General Varyn, sweating in his armor, a determined and stern expression on his long face. Next to Mors stood his new squire, the young Cason Bloodspill, a nervous expression on his face. Then there were the five Royal Guards who had rode with them – Ser Arnol, Ser Boran, Anaba, Jadisha and Nesea. Commander Farrah and Ser Landar had been left to hold the Sandship.
Behind them was an army of almost three-thousand troops, which had marched up the Greenblood for almost a week now. Most of the troops carried the orange sun-and-spear banners of House Martell, but there were also some leopards of Santagar, bathing maidens of Ladybright, and bloodied sabre's of Bloodspill. It could be bigger, Nymeria though as she eyed her army. The Dalt's were still solving their own problems, and the situation with the Toland's remained unclear. Nymeria hoped those situations would be resolved quickly, and she also hoped she would soon have the full force of House Allyrion behind her as well. Then there were the Fallen Dragons, whom were hopefully sailing towards Salt Shore. Nymeria didn't put much trust on the Valyrian though, it was better to prepare for the worst.
Turning her gaze back towards west, Nymeria saw their new allies approaching. There were around a hundred of them, as had been promised, but they didn't look very well-organized. In the front rode a few warriors flying the Allyrion banners, but the men that came behind them were armored very lightly, if at all, and armed with anything ranging from finely crafted swords to stone spears. Few of them were mounted on sand steeds, but most were on foot.
"This desert tribe is like a relic from days long past," Mors stated with some amusement, which made Nymeria raise her eyebrow. "How so? You refer to their primitive weaponry?" Mors shook his head to her question.
"I mean the whole idea of a desert tribe... they are rare these days," he explained calmly. "Once they were more common on these lands, and truly competed for the lands with the petty lords and kings. However, many of them were defeated, and even more made pacts with the lords, bent their knee. And as they settled for a while by the fruitful riverbanks or green valleys by the mountains, tasted the civilized life, not many wanted to go back to nomadic life."
"Well, clearly there are still some," Nymeria remarked dryly, and Mors nodded. "Indeed, though they are not a genuine threat to anyone these days," he replied with a small sigh.
"Hopefully they aren't completely useless," Varyn said grimly. Before anyone could say anything more, the five riders leading this force arrived to them. One of them was a slightly plump young woman, definitely under her twenties. She had a sandy blonde hair she had tied to a bun, and in her blue eyes was a charming and confident look. She must be Esperence Allyrion, Nymeria deduced. The young Allyrion lady wasn't dressed in fine dresses, but rather in leather pants and a simple cotton tunic. She's been on the run for a while, hasn't she.
Next to Esperence was a young man with curly black hair and muscular body, clad in a leather armor and a dark grey cape. He had a cocky smirk on his face, as he followed in the coattails of Esperence like a loyal dog. Behind him came another guard, this one even younger. He was a bit chubby, and his face had bloated features, with small blue eyes that had a fearful gaze in them. His hair was similar sandy blonde as Esprence's, just scruffy and cut short. Her brother perhaps, Nymeria thought, turning her eyes on the warriors on the other side of Esperence.
Firstly, there was a middle-aged man, clad in simple and worn-out leather clothes, and a necklace made of bones and a leather string was around his neck. In his right hand the man was holding a curved sabre, and judging by how scuffed up it was, he had had it for a long time. He was heavily tanned, and under his deep-set blue eyes were lines of red face paint. His face looked to be stuck in a constant frown, and his messy hair and wild beard were as dark as night. Quite an intimidating sight, Nymeria observed, guessing this man was the chieftain of the tribe.
Right next to the chieftain was a younger man dressed in a similar style of clothing. This one's skin was of slightly darker tone, but his facial features noticeably resembled those of the older man. In his blue eyes was a calm and aloof gaze, and his long black hair was tied to a ponytail. Nymeria spotted two long daggers tied to his belt, and no other weapons.
Esperence Allyrion fell on her knee, and her four companions soon followed her example, though the chieftain seemed to do it only begrudgingly. "Princess Nymeria and Prince Mors, it is an honor to meet you," the young lady spoke with honeyed words. "I am Esperence Allyrion, the eldest child and only daughter of Lord Morgan Allyrion." Nymeria gave her a subtle nod, gesturing for them all to stand up, and so they did.
"With me are my younger brother Emmett Allyrion, and Devin, one of my most trusted warriors," Esperence introduced the two young men on her right, then turning to the ones on her left. "And here we have Ibraim D'un, chieftain of the desert tribe called the Hyenas, and his son Nasim D'un."
"I'm glad to finally meet you," Nymeria said calmly. "The messenger you sent to Sandstone promised us your support, and it seems you are a woman of your word." Esperence bowed deeply, a proud smile on her face.
"I have heard a lot about you, Princess Nymeria, and the stories I've heard have made me admire you from afar," she praised smoothly. "I could think of no better ruler to unify Dorne."
"I hope I will be worthy of your admiration, Lady Esperence. And I must say, I am quite impressed myself by what you've done here," Nymeria replied with a subdued smirk on her face. It wasn't just an empty compliment, she was truly impressed by how such a young woman had taken control of the situation and managed to gather a considerable force to support Nymeria's cause. She had no illusions that Esperence was a cunning and possibly even dangerous woman, but she still had respect for her. "But enough with the pleasantries, we have work to do. Come, we shall talk more by the table with some wine and olives." So, they made their way down to the military camp of the Martell army, and walked into the council pavilion. Ser Benjamin Told and Ser Martyn Santagar were already waiting for them there, as well as Ser Albar Ladybright. Ser Albar was the younger brother of Jasper Ladybright, the Lord of Dawnspire, and was leading the small forces of House Ladybright. He was a tall and slender man on his early fifties, his brown beard unkempt and covering the lower half of his gaunt face, and his head shaved completely bald. Right now, Ser Albar's green eyes were fixed on Esprence and the other newcomers.
They all took their seats around the table, and a moment of tense silence followed. The servants brought in the wine and olives, as well as some cheese, and finally Prince Mors opened the conversation. "What exactly is the situation in Godsgrace at the moment, Lady Esperence?" He asked politely.
"The situation is under control, my prince," Esperence answered smoothly. "I have men positioned both in the city and in the castle. About half of the city watch is either directly or indirectly under my control, and my spies inside the castle tell that Lord Morgan has practically given up. He will yield if you march to his gates before the Dryland's do."
"And if he does indeed yield, can he be trusted after that?" Nymeria asked sternly, and Esperence shook her head. "No," she said strictly. "He may not be loyal to King Lucifer, but he will not be loyal to you either. My advice is that you sent him to the Wall after you have taken Godsgrace." Nymeria raised her eyebrows for this. She had heard precious little about the Wall and the Night's Watch that mans it, but from what she had heard it was a kind of prison on the other end of the continent.
"The Wall is a punishment for traitors and criminals," Ser Martyn suddenly spoke up. "What crime has Lord Morgan committed?"
"He has chosen the wrong side, and cannot be trusted," Esprence answered coldly. Before Ser Martyn could respond, Nymeria raised her hand to halt the conversation. "Enough, we are getting ahead of ourselves," she snapped, giving a glare to both Esperence and Martyn. "I will decide Lord Morgan's fate once I have met him myself, but first we must take Godsgrace."
"If the situation is as simple as Lady Allyrion here claims, all we have to do is march to the gates and the city is ours," Ser Albar stated with a small chuckle.
"I would advise against that," General Varyn said dryly, and Nymeria shifted her attention to him. "We should surround the city from all directions and scout the area nearby, to make sure this is not a trap. Then, send Lady Esperence and these tribesmen to the city, along with perhaps a similar amount of your own troops. When they have cleared the city, you move in with full force."
Nymeria turned her gaze to Esperence, to see what was her opinion on this. "That works," she simply said, and the Princess turned back to Varyn. "That is what we will do then," she decided. "Ser Albar, you will lead half of the forces to the western side of the city with Ser Arnol and Nesea. Ser Benjamin, you will scout the surroundings with Ser Boran and Jadisha. General Varyn, you will lead a force of two-hundred troops into the city alongside Esperence and the Hyenas. Meanwhile, I will wait east of the city with Prince Mors and rest of the army. Does everyone understand their role?"
Everyone around the table nodded or mumbled in agreement, and Nymeria stood up. "Good. Let's get to work then."
-
The sun would set in an hour, and Princess Nymeria still waited outside of the city. Occasional screams and clashing of swords had been heard from inside the walls after the forces entered the city a couple hours ago, but not really enough to be considered a battle.
"This is the moment our conquest truly begins," Mors spoke up quietly, and Nymeria turned to look at him. "Are you ready?" He asked softly. Nymeria stayed quiet for a moment, just looking his husband to the eyes. "We are ready," she finally answered, seeing a warm smile forming on Mors' face.
Mors was right, this was the moment their conquest would truly begin, and Nymeria was immensely grateful to have him with her here. At that moment, a horn sounded from the city, and the gates of Godsgrace were opened again. General Varyn rode to his Prince and Princess, flying the banner of House Martell.
"The city is yours, Your Grace," he announced as he arrived to them, bowing deeply. And so, the full Martell army marched triumphantly into Godsgrace, with no resistance. Nymeria strolled through the dusty streets with Mors by her side, and they rode through the town square, past the sept and the barracks of the city guard, finally arriving to the gates of the castle. Those gates were opened for them as well, and in the courtyard Esperence was waiting for them, surrounded by the tribesmen and soldiers of House Allyrion.
"Welcome to Godsgrace, Princess Nymeria!" Esperence yelled ceremonially, and the people on the courtyard cheered and applauded. Nymeria dismounted her horse, and walked to Esperence, who bowed deeply to her. "Where is Lord Morgan?" The Princess asked sternly. The young Lady Allyrion raised an eyebrow, hesitating a moment before giving her answer.
"He is being held in his chambers," she finally said, and Nymeria nodded. "Take me to him," she commanded strictly, and begrudgingly Esperence followed her order, leading Nymeria, Mors and Varyn through the castle. Soon they arrived to the door of the lord's chambers. Nymeria grabbed the knob of the door, and turned to Esperence. "Is he alone in there?" She asked, and the young lady nodded. "Then I'll go alone as well, you wait outside."
"But my princess..." Varyn begun with a tone equally concerned and irritated, but Nymeria raised her hand to stop him. "I will be quite safe, general" she assured calmly, tapping lightly on the hilt of her sword. After exchanging one more look with Mors, she opened the door, and walked in.
A balding middle-aged man sat alone on a chair next to an open window, a half-empty bottle of wine in his hands. Slowly he turned his blue eyes to Nymeria, a defeated and jaded look on them. "Lord Morgan," Nymeria greeted coldly, which made the man let out a sad little chuckle, devoid of any joy. "Am I still?" He asked quietly, his voice slightly slurring. "I'm guessing you are the Rhoynish princess I have heard so much about."
"Are you drunk?" Nymeria asked, glaring at Morgan. As a response, the Lord of Godsgrace took another deep gulp from his bottle. "Yes, I am, your highness," he replied with an unpleasant and spiteful tone. "Can you blame me?"
"Your daughter suggested that I should send you to the Wall, to serve as brother of the Night's Watch," Nymeria changed the topic, and for a moment she could see pure rage surfacing in Morgan's eyes. "Tell me, Princess Nymeria, where you come from, is it considered decent to betray your own family?" He asked bitterly, and Nymeria shook her head.
"You feel you have been betrayed?" She asked, and Morgan grinned. It was a spiteful smile, and his eyes remained cold and cynical. "My own children have turned against me," he said, every word oozing of bitter anger.
"You must not have been a good father," Nymeria stated nonchalantly, and now Morgan stood up from his chair. Nymeria moved her hand to the hilt of the sword, but didn't unsheathe it yet. "You know nothing about me," Morgan spat sternly, downing the rest of the wine and dropping the bottle to the floor. "My daughter tells you to send me to the Wall... Fuck it! I say kill me, here and now," Morgan stared Nymeria to the eyes as he spoke. "Esperence already denied me the chance to fight with honor for the future of this house. At least you could let me die like a warrior, by the sword of my enemy."
[Send Morgan to the Wall] [Kill him]
Even though I would love to grant his wish, I feel like Nymeria should just [Send Morgan to the Wall]. He is a piece of shit and a horrible father, but he didn't do anything to Nymeria herself that would make her kill him on the spot.
Well, well, I certainly did not expect the conquest of Godsgrace to be over this soon and to go this smoothly. Surely, Esperence's plan has been brilliant, even if she herself sank only lower in my own opinion. That being said, I am definitely not sad about the end of Morgan, that jerk got exactly what he deserved. Up until the very end, he has been truly despicable and the fact that he is so unapologetic about his own shortcomings makes him only worse. And well, this part also introduced one particularly interesting set of characters, these desert tribes. I'm curious how you are going to use them from here on. I would not count on their continuous loyalty, to be honest. Meanwhile, speaking of things I am curious about, there has been mention of House Ladybright. I presume Jamison's mentor Laroy belongs to this house, but how did he end up at Starfall, whereas his house seems to serve Nymeria now?
[Send Morgan to the Wall]
There's two reasons for that. From my own perspective, I want to deny Morgan a clean death. He can wither away at the wall for all I case, I certainly will not show him this kindness. The other reason is that Nymeria has indeed precious little reason to kill him. After all, he commited no crimes against her. And to make it even better, this could be a nice way to establish the usual way Nymeria seems to eventually deal with her enemies. I'd like to see this and think it is the most fitting end for Morgan.
Indeed, I'd say the conquest of Godsgrace is sort of comparable to Dany's conquest of Yunkai during her liberation of Slaver's Bay - pretty easy and certainly not the most exciting part of the campaign
Here of course Nymeria has Esperence to thank for making it so easy for her, which is also why she sort of has to get rid of Morgan one way or the other. Not that Morgan expects to remain the Lord after this defeat anyway. And what comes to these tribesmen, yeah, they might be helpful in this war against the Dryland's, but definitely not the most trustworthy allies out there.
Yeah, I actually namedropped the Ladybright's of Dawnspire in the earlier Tomas part as well
In all honesty, back when I made Laroy I had no further plans for House Ladybright, but obviously the house has to be located somewhere, so I eventually decided their seat will be in Eastern Dorne. What comes to Laroy, he is a cousin to the current Lord Ladybright. However, he has spent most of his life in Starfall, ever since being a ward to a now long dead Dayne King, and by now he has much more loyalty for the Dayne's, a family he chose, rather than the family he was born to.
[Kill him]
[Kill him]
[Send Morgan to the Wall]
[Send Morgan to the Wall]
I despise Esperence as sh ebetrayed her father and I already didn't like the Martells so I despise them too now. Emerson isn't event there to defend Malcom as he's on his side. Since I don't like the Martells nor any of the choices(lol). I guess I'm not voting....
I can certainly understand this point of view, and it is true that Esperence betrayed her own father. It might be telling of Morgan as a father that his own daughter ends up undermining him, but still, Esperence certainly isn't a saint herself. That said, there is really not a good reason for Nymeria to do anything outside of these two choices here. If she pardons Morgan, she risks losing her most important ally, that being Esprence, and Nymeria is smart enough not to do that. By sending Morgan to the Wall or killing him, Nymeria can make Esperence the Lady of Godsgrace, and that way have a firm foundation for their alliance.
What comes to Emerson, he was sent away by Morgan himself, partly in a faint hope that he'd manage to bring the Jordayne army in early enough to prevent what happened here. More realistically though, he just hoped that by sending Emerson away, he would give him a chance to win Godsgrace back from the Martell's at a later point.
What comes to the Martell's, the story is truly only beginning to concentrate on them now, so I hope I'll manage to show off more of their likable traits in the future. That is assuming that you mean you dislike the Martell's in this story, rather than just having a general hate for the house
Yeah I dislike them in this story. They seem arrogant since they want to rule Dorne and even declaired that by naming themselves Prince and Princess of Dorne, what they're doing here is certainly not a good deed.
Mm, it is true that Nymeria is a conqueror, and conquering is never a clean or pure deed, no way around that. However, she does actually have some respectable motives for what she is doing. Firstly, she wants to make a home for the Rhoynar refugees, and the small lands of House Martell aren't quite enough for that. The other one is that unifying Dorne under one ruler is likely to lessen the petty wars and infighting, and make Dorne as a whole stronger, and that will actually be important if one day the Storm King or the Gardener King try to expand their kingdoms to Dorne.
I won't close the voting quite yet, because I expect a couple more votes to come, and this could still go either way. HOWEVER, I do have the next part ready, and I don't see a reason to hold it back. Instead, I will post it now (after posting this), and close the two votings at the same time. Anyway, this part will actually be a brand new PoV, and it will take us to a place we have only briefly seen in the story so far... Well, you'll see what I'm talking about by just scrolling down, so enough with the teasing
Valor
Valor Veltaris stood at the bow of his flagship. Mele Jelmazma it was called, or the Red Storm in Common Tongue. Standing there, he could feel the soft sea breeze on his skin, which made it slightly easier to bear the heat of the blazing Dornish sun. Said sun felt particularly fierce now that Valor was clad in his plated armor. He had to wear it though, as they would reach their destination today. After a long wait the Fallen Dragons would finally get a taste of battle again.
For now, all Valor could see as he gazed at the shore were steep cliffs and treacherous shoals, but the navigators had assured him they would arrive to Salt Shore before sundown. Valor hoped they were right, but he had enough experience to know everything didn't always go to plan – least of all on the sea.
"What do you see, commander?" Valor heard the voice of his friend ask behind him, and he turned to face Olyvar Forrester. The Northman had a subtle smirk on his face, as he leaned on the railing of the deck in a carefree manner. "I see rocks, and sand," Valor replied dryly, which made his friend chuckle.
"Aye, pretty much sums up Dorne for you," Olyvar quipped lightheartedly, turning his gaze to the shore. "Red sands, white sands... red mountains."
"Hopefully a certain princess to rule over said sands and mountains," Valor said with a sigh. "I would hate to have sailed all the way here for nothing."
"Oh, it won't be for nothing," Olyvar assured confidently, which made Valor narrow his eyes. "I met her myself, as you know. Princess Nymeria, she is... quite something, I'll say." Valor nodded quietly to the words of his Westerosi friend. It was true, Nymeria was not someone to be taken lightly. After all, she had managed to find a new home for the surviving Rhoynar, something that had seemed an impossible task just a few short years ago. And now she is building herself a new empire, from dirt and dust. Still, Valor would have to meet Nymeria personally to truly get the measure of her, as a person, and as a ruler.
"Have you seen Maran recently?" Valor asked, breaking the silence after a drawn-out quiet moment. He hadn't seen his young Rhoynar squire in a couple hours now. "Last I saw him, he was chatting with Firanisa under the deck," Olyvar answered casually.
"He certainly seems to enjoy the company of Nymeria's captain," Valor noted calmly. After they had begun their voyage from the Orange Shore towards Dorne, everyday Maran seemed to be spending more and more time just talking with Firanisa. "Well, it only makes sense," Olyvar remarked. "Maran wants to know what happened to his people, to those that were fortunate enough to find a new life away from the Rhoyne."
"I have given Maran a new life," Valor claimed with a stubborn tone, and Olyvar nodded. "You have," he confirmed quickly. "But it has been a life away from most of his own kind. Those who followed Nymeria, their journey has been very different from the few Rhoynar that joined the Fallen Dragons."
"I understand that," Valor responded with a sigh, walking down to the lower deck now, Olyvar following after him. "I'm sure Maran is still grateful for all that you've given him," he said softly, and Valor shook his head with a small chuckle. "I don't need him to be grateful to me," he replied quietly. "I just want him to be happy."
"Perhaps he'll be the happiest with his own people," Olyvar suggested calmly. Valor closed his eyes, feeling slightly frustrated. As polite and gentle as his friend's words were, they felt harsh. He had learnt to truly care about Maran, seeing him almost as a son now. Yet Olyvar spoke truly – most likely one day the boy would want to reunite with the rest of the Rhoynar, and Valor would have to let him go.
"Inform me when we're closer to our destination," he said sternly, and Olyvar nodded obediently. "Yes, commander."
Valor made his way into the captain's cabin, and sank down to the chair behind his desk. In front of him was the map of Dorne, which he had often studied during their voyage. Salt Shore was one of the few ports on the southern coast, and as far as Valor knew House Gargalen had one of the strongest fleets on the region, having at least a dozen warships. It was nothing compared to something like the great armada of the Valyrian army, but for the fifteen ships of the Fallen Dragons it would be a worthy opponent.
Valor shifted his gaze upwards from the Salt Shore, to Godsgrace and Vaith. According to Firanisa taking those two cities would be just as important as taking Salt Shore, if not more so. Valor knew very little about these towns, or about the roads and terrain of Dorne, which was why he planned to wait for further instructions from Nymeria after taking Salt Shore. But first we must take it, he reminded himself. With a sigh Valor put the map away, and grabbed one of the few books he had on his bookshelf. It was a book written by a Valyrian scholar and adventurer named Visegon Baeliar, who had visited and studied every region in Westeros. The Kingdoms of Sunset, the book was titled, and though it had been written almost a century ago, Valor assumed the information to still be more or less valid.
Valor had browsed through the section about Dorne several times after being hired by Princess Nymeria, but now he opened it again. Visegon had written three pages about the southern coast of Dorne, almost a full page concentrating on just Salt Shore. He described it as a small but busy port, being one of the few safe landings along the rocky southern coast. Merchants from all over the world stopped there on their way to the western coast of Westeros, whether their final destination was Oldtown or Lannisport. And from Salt Shore all the goods from around the world were transported and sold to other towns and castles of Dorne. Meaning they have to have decent roads for the inland trade.
As Valor turned the page, the door of the cabin was knocked. "Come in," Valor said loud enough to be heard on the other side of the door, and closed the book. The wooden door opened with a quiet creak, and Maran stepped inside. The thirteen-year-old Rhoynish boy looked nervous, his skin unusually pale, and a hint of fear in his brown eyes. "Commander, the city is on the horizon... but there are also warships on the bay." Maran kept his tone professional as he spoke, even if Valor could sense that he was afraid.
"So, they are expecting us," Valor stated with calm and unsurprised tone. He hadn't expected them to make it all the way to Salt Shore without being noticed. "How many ships?"
"We counted at least ten sails, could be more," Maran answered quickly. Valor stayed quiet for a moment. "Ten... that means we outnumber them," he said with a pondering tone. "But they know these waters better than we do, so we have to be careful." Valor stood up from his chair, and walked to Maran. He put his right hand on the young boy's shoulder, and looked him in the eyes. "Are you ready, Maran?" He asked softly, and the boy nodded with a gulp. "Good, just stay close to me." With these words he opened the door, and walked back to the deck, Maran following after him.
On the lower deck, the troops were getting their armors on, while the sailors were going under the deck for the oars. Same looked to be happening aboard the other ships. Looking ahead, Valor could see the yellow-and-red sails of the enemy in the distance, behind them the harbor of Salt Shore, and the sandstone castle watching over it. It'll be another hour before the battle begins, Valor estimated from the distance. Calmly he walked to Olyvar and Haronos, who were standing by the mast. Haronos was a Norvoshi warrior on his late thirties, a tall and muscular man with crude facial features and bright blue eyes. His light brown hair was cut short, but he sported a twirled mustache that was dyed sea green.
"How are you feeling?" Valor asked calmly, and the two immediately shifted their attention to him. "I'm feeling great, commander," Haronos answered, flashing him a wide grin, which revealed the several missing teeth in his mouth. "I can't wait to bloody my sword again."
"No need to wait much longer," Valor quipped, patting the man on his arm as he walked past him and continued towards the upper deck on the bow of the ship. There he saw Firanisa, who smiled kindly as she saw Valor and Maran approaching.
"Captain Firanisa," Valor greeted the warrior woman with a small nod. "Commander Valor," the Rhoynar captain replied softly as Valor stood next to her, looking towards the small port city ahead of them. "Have you been to Salt Shore before?" He asked calmly, and Firanisa shook her head.
"I haven't, mylord," she answered, and Valor shook his head with a small chuckle. "I am no lord, captain," he corrected calmly, receiving only a small nod as a response from Firanisa. "Just a fallen dragon," Valor continued with a sigh, which made Firanisa turn her eyes to him again.
"I suppose a fallen dragon is a bit more tolerable than a flying one," she quipped teasingly, and a subtle smirk formed on Valor's face. "I may be fallen, but my fires still burn bright," he replied with quiet confidence in his words. Firanisa gave him a lingering gaze, before turning her eyes towards Salt Shore again. There they stood in silence, slowly approaching the enemy, the battle. As they started to get closer, the fifteen ships of the Fallen Dragons aligned into three lines of five ships. The Red Storm was in the middle of the first line, and would in just a few minutes be in the thick of the battle.
Finally, Valor turned to Maran. "Fetch your helmet boy, you're going to need it," he commanded quietly, and with a dutiful nod Maran spurted away. Valor turned to Firanisa again, seeing fierce determination in her eyes. Eyes of a warrior.
"Are you ready to fight for your princess?" He asked quietly, and Firanisa nodded. "Always," she answered with calm determination. With a smile Valor turned away from her, and walked in front of the crew. They all looked at him, waiting for him to speak. He begun by unsheathing his sword, and pointing it towards the enemy. It was a beautiful sword, forged in Valyria, and glowing a magical blue light. Kasta Perzys was the name of the sword, which in Common Tongue meant Blue Flame.
"We have finally reached our destination, brothers!" He began his speech, and a small cheer went through the crowd. "Ahead is our enemy, ready to defend their city to the death, and that’s exactly what we are going to give them! Blood will be spilled, many will fall, but in the end the Fallen Dragons will triumph! COME WITH ME AND TAKE THIS CITY!"
A loud cheer erupted from the crew, and as Valor turned around, he saw they were getting in range of the enemy ships. Crossbowmen from both sides started shooting their bolts. Keeping his shield up, Valor walked to Maran, who was at the other end of the deck. "Brace yourself, boy!" He yelled to him with an encouraging tone.
Soon they rammed into the first enemy ship, and the boarding bridge was lowered down. Valor saw Haronos and Firanisa leading the first men into the enemy ship with fierce battlecries and clashing of steel echoing in the evening sky. "Let's go," he finally said to Maran, and they started to approach the boarding bridge. However, while getting over to the deck of the Gargalen ship, Valor noticed something strange. The crew on this ship was strangely small, with approximately one Gargalen soldier for every three or four Fallen Dragons. The size of the ship couldn't be the reason, Valor knew it could carry more, especially since it had sailed such a small distance for this battle.
Valor and Maran walked through the deck, and only once did Valor have to put down an enemy that charged against him. It didn't take long for them to overtake the ship, and though the sellswords cheered, it was an underwhelming victory at best.
Valor looked around, and the situation looked to be more or less the same on all the other ships as well. Two of the Gargalen ships managed to turn around and retreat back to the port, but the rest had been completely overtaken. Why even send the ships if you can't man them properly? Valor was honestly confused – this had been way too easy.
"Commander!" Valor heard the voice of Olyvar yelling, and he turned towards him. "We have a few captures here. Would you like to speak to them?" Valor nodded, and strolled quickly to the captured enemies, who were sitting down on the lower deck.
"Why are your ships undermanned?" He asked immediately, staring to the eyes of a young and skinny man, on his yellow tabard the red cockatrice of House Gargalen. However, it was the old man next to him, wearing a similar tabard, who answered to Valor's question. "Lord Jorvian marched to war with King Lucifer, taking the bulk of our forces with him. There weren't enough men left for full crews," the old man explained with a tired and cynical tone.
"Then why even try this?" Valor asked with a frown on his face. "Why not just concentrate all the men on defending the walls and the gates?" The old man let out a joyless chuckle. "Because this is the tactic that the fat cow chose, and unfortunately for us she is the one in charge now," he muttered, staring at the wet boards of the deck.
"The fat cow?" Valor asked with confusion, and the old man nodded. "Gabby Gargalen, the eldest daughter of Lord Jorvian Gargalen," he explained, and Valor turned back to his men.
"Well, this certainly changes the situation," he grumbled, sheathing his sword. Olyvar just nodded quietly, and for a moment no one said anything.
"So, I guess the city is ripe for taking," Haronos finally spoke up, without an ounce of the earlier enthusiasm in his words. "That it is," Valor confirmed, finding his composure again. "We should move quickly, let's not give them time to rest. We'll scale the walls and breach the gates, and the city will be ours before dawn."
"Who will lead the assault?" Olyvar asked calmly. Valor took in a deep breath, considering the options. He had earlier planned on leading the assault himself, which was why he had his flagship in the front row. Now though, he was unsure.
"Would you like to hear my suggestion?" Haronos asked, and Valor gave him an approving nod. "This battle seems like a clear victory, so perhaps there's no need to put yourself at risk. I can lead the assault, and you can follow in when the city is cleared."
Leading the battle from behind wasn't anything Valor hadn't done before. After all, he was known as a great commander, rather than a gret warrior. Still, he had to inspire loyalty, and to do that he had to sometimes be in the thick of the battle himself, leading the men personally. This battle in particular wouldn't even require any complicated tactics, just one firm push to break the withering defense, which made Valor question if there really was an excuse for him to not lead the assault personally.
[Lead the assault yourself] [Let Haronos lead the assault]
[Send Morgan to the Wall]
He's drunk, may not think completely clearly. If he will be send to the Wall and really want to die, he will - and it surely will be a death by sword of enemy. If he doesn't agree, he will show that by attacking Nymeria I think, which will also end up with his death, rather linear choice here IMO.
I can reveal that if the choice to send Morgan to the Wall wins, then he will indeed be sent to the Wall. Sure, not the most complex or interesting choice in the story, but these are really the only options that make sense for Nymeria in this moment, and I try to avoid giving choices that would be too much out of character for the character making the choice.
Well it's not like they tried going for peace. House Dayne,Fowler and Blackmont aren't bad and are basically in an alliance along with the Drylands. Only Houses Toland,Manwoody and Yronwood are 'villians'.
Who's Valor I forgot.
Commander of the Fallen Dragons, a sellsword company that now works for House Martell.
Well, there really isn't a peaceful way to achieve what Nymeria is trying - uniting all of Dorne under her rule. And you're right, not even nearly all of the lords and kings of Dorne that oppose Nymeria are villains, and they are not supposed to be either. Nymeria is not fighting this war to defeat "the bad guys", she is fighting to create a stronger and more centralized Dorne. It's okay to disagree with that goal, and obviously many good people in-story do, but there are actually solid reasons for supporting that goal as well.
He is the Valyrian commander of the sellsword company Fallen Dragons, whom Nymeria hired in Chapter 2 by Forovos Norvoshi's recommendation. This is his first PoV part though, and actually even first appearance onscreen.
Ah I see. Thanks.
[Lead the assault yourself] Because why not.
That's the problem. She wants it under HER rule and her rule only. No peace, no allies. Just she and her house on top of everyone. Good or bad. If anything peace in this situation and an alliance with the houses I mentioned would make a stronger Dorne but this isn't a fairytale where the good guys win every time.
That is true, she does have a hunger for power, as all conquerors do (very much comparable to Aegon the Conqueror, I'd say). It is a central part of her character, and something that will be explored deeper as the story goes. This is not indeed a fairytale, and Nymeria is far from being the perfect hero, which is why I don't want her to be the only perspective to this war. We will see things from the perspectives of Dayne's and Yronwood's and so on, and there will surely be times when the reader will feel like rooting for them instead of Nymeria.
And yeah, an alliance between all the kingdoms of Dorne is a peaceful solution, but it is also very utopian, and unlikely to ever happen, much less hold over time. The only alliances we have seen so far (Dayne/Dryland & Blackmont/Fowler) are temporary arrangements at best, and only made because of a common enemy. Even without Nymeria's influence several of these kingdoms are at war with each other right now, and if these kingdoms aren't united under one ruler, there will always come new wars between them. This is Nymeria's justification for her conquest, just like Aegon justified conquering the Seven Kingdoms for the very same reason.
To be honest I'm divided here. I doubt that you will kill or seriously harm a new PoV in the beginning of his story (which is supposed to be somewhat big given that Fallen Dragons are now closely connected with Nymeria), so I'm going to go with [Lead the assault yourself] what can result in boosting company morale and ardour and possibly even impressing Nymeria herself, but the question is that wouldn't the cool head and choicing more safe option ergo showing prudency and cautiousness do that better (althought it may not be case here given that the battle is quite simple, so he can't really show off here). The other factor here is the person of Haronos - we don't really know how much is he gonna matter in the story of this company, and by giving him this responsibility we can show our trust and appreciation to him - I guess he's quite trustworthy, so not gonna discuss that.
I have no idea what will be consequences of any of these choices, so I wanted to wait a little bit with my decision, but maybe someone does have it the same, so I'm gonna share my thoughts. Maybe I'm overthinking it and it's really minor choice to start off with this new point of view in war, but who knows - it have potential to be more than that in my opinion.
Hmm, that brings some more light to this choice, still gonna stick to mine decision though - it's not that important choice here, as Nymeria's intentions to Lucifer are pretty clear - so it's not gonna matter if we killed his bannerman or sent him to the Wall. I still believe that this Wall option has more potential - You said that "he's gonna be sent to Wall", not that "he's going to arrive there" (not sure if it's intended or not) so I will still believe that he can be intercepted during his travel by King Dryland's forces, because Nymeria's sentence isn't even really rightful - probably not gonna happen, as he lost his seat, army and even his heirs so he would be pretty worthless to Lucifer, although it's still an option.
[Send Morgan to the Wall]
Well safe to say I am surprised that Godsgrace was conquered so easily! I figured Morgan wouldn't give up without a fight but it is safe to say Esperence's plan worked perfectly and now she will seemingly get what she wants at least for the time being. As for the choice, I believe this is the better choice since it establishes Nymeria has a somewhat fair conqueror rather than just killing everyone in her way and it would also leave an opening for Morgan to maybe weasel out of the situation rather than being killed off right here. On a side note, it is clear that there's no turning back for Emerson I wouldn't think so I may as well ask if Esperence's plan for Emerson would have went just like this or would it have been a setup? If Esperence was telling the truth than it will be even more interesting to see Emerson's role moving forward!
What!?!?! Valor as a PoV!?! That's very unexpected!
I remember when we last talked about it, you leaned toward having someone else as the Fallen Dragon PoV so it is definitely a pleasant surprise to see that it turned out to be Valor himself! Of course you have also wrote Valor perfectly here with his calm and quiet demeanor along with his bluntness and charisma that he can turn on whenever he needs to as shown by his speech which got me hyped! 
Great job! I also have to mention that it is cool to see Maran appear as well and I look forward to seeing his role moving forward too!
[Lead the assault yourself]
While Valor is more of a commander and strategist, this is a relatively safe situation plus Valor isn't a slouch as a warrior either. Like he said, leading from the front from time to time would inspire loyalty from his men and this seems like a good time to do that given that he is not really in a situation where he needs to observe the situation from afar. Of course, there could be some kind of trap with more men inside but it has seemed to be established that the majority of Lord Gargalen's forces are on the way to Vaith with King Lucifer so I will most likely stick with my choice here.
[Lead the assault yourself]
(Lead it yourself)
Also ( send him to the wall)
[Lead the assault yourself]
Hehe, yeah, I changed my mind about making Valor the PoV of Fallen Dragons a while ago, but wanted to keep it a surprise
Anyway, I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it so far, Valor certainly is an interesting character to write. And thank you for introducing Maran in Valor's H&L! The boy should give an interesting flavor to the Fallen Dragons' storyline with his presence, and show us sides of Valor that might otherwise not be as apparent 
Well, Morgan didn't give up completely without a fight, but in the end he just didn't have enough loyal followers to prevent Esperence's takeover. Even most of those who weren't necessarily in on Esperence's schemes jumped ship as soon as they realized how badly outnumbered they were, especially with Nymeria's army by the gates.
Had Emerson sided with Esperence, everything here would've went more or less the same way. After Morgan would've been dealt with, Emerson would've been made the Lord of Godsgrace, but Esperence would've been quick to remind him who truly holds the power there. So, in this chapter Emerson's storyline would've been trying to establish and solidify his role as a strong leader (and not just a puppet for his cousin), while simultaniously trying to keep Esperence on his side.
[Lead the assault yourself]
This could be a good way to witness Valor's skills, and see if this sword is more than just fancy.
I always found curious the difference between male and female Norvoshi, while men are only allowed to have mustaches, while women and slaves must be shaved bald.
Gabby Gargalen doesn't seem as a particularly smart commander, since everyone knows a castle a far more defendable than attacking head on with ships.
Ah, I remember Valor! The H&L we got from him a while ago has already made me very interested in the character. Doesn't happen often that we get an H&L of a character that's not even introduced, so I expected him to have an important role at some point in the future. Didn't expect it to be now though, nor did I expect him to be a PoV, both decisions I find very interesting
Now, the part itself has also been quite nice. I was already curious about the Fallen Dragons from the H&L, but it is safe to say that now I have quickly grown to enjoy them even more, seeing that they will definitely play an important role in the Martell-Dryland part of the war and certainly beyond as well. The battle for Salt Shore did went shockingly smoothly, it seems between Gabby Gargalen's failure at leading her troops (a general failure, if I may say so) and Esperence's scheming to overthrow Morgan, Nymeria is getting some good victories at this early stage of the war. Sure, Lucifer took Vaith and Efran took Lemonwood, but with Efran's man about to abandon him and Lucifer losing some prime allies with House Gargalen and Allyrion (as well as his own daughter hopefully leaving with Desi and maybe even the Lord of Vaith), it seems the Dryland's are quickly losing their initial advantage.
[Lead the assault yourself]
I am willing to believe that at this very point, Valor won't be in much danger, considering we just got introduced to him. It feels a bit like cheating to pick this one, but as someone who is naturally not the most daring with his choices (and outright cautious in a couple particular ones), this seems like the best chance for me to feel fully confident with choosing a choice leading to a more aciton-packed next part for Valor. He seems to be a pretty capable warrior, but I would like to see just how capable he truly is, so that I can make future choices, where more is at stake, with a more easy conscience, having an idea what kind of dangers Valor is capable of overcoming. It seems like a relatively safe way of getting this idea of the true extent of Valor's skills. Later on, if such choices come up again for him, and I believe they will, I will have some sort of a reference with which I can come to a decision for him. That, and he seems like the kind of guy who will be very enjoyable to read in a fight
[Lead the assault yourself]