[Don't reveal]
I agree with the others here. This is the biggest advantage Tomas has right now and there is no need for him to give that he knows their plans away at this point.
On a side note, does anyone know what is wrong with the PM's? I access them and it denied me access and did on every old PM after too.
Tomas
The castle of the Tor and the small port town by its feet were a beautiful and peaceful sight on a warm summer day like this. Howev… moreer, Tomas felt anything but peaceful looking at those white walls and towers. He was about to enter the halls of an enemy, an enemy that sought domination over Ghost Hill and House Toland – at least according to the dying words of Argim Taler. If Tomas had told Levor what he had learned from that treacherous spy, perhaps he wouldn't be here now. It's better that he doesn't know, Tomas tried to convince himself once again. Whatever the truth was, at least this could be an opportunity to gain more insight into the plans of King Yorick.
"I've never been to the Tor before," Ser Garibald of Sevengrace said quietly, eyeing at the white castle in front of them with awe. The young knight was the only companion Tomas had taken with him, and only because the boy had insisted. "Be careful in there," Tomas said st… [view original content]
On a side note, does anyone know what is wrong with the PM's? I access them and it denied me access and did on every old PM after too.
Hm, it seemed every user had this problem a few hours ago, but they have since fixed it, at least for me and many others. Is it still not working for you right now? Because technically it should work again.
[Don't reveal]
I agree with the others here. This is the biggest advantage Tomas has right now and there is no need for him to give that h… moree knows their plans away at this point.
On a side note, does anyone know what is wrong with the PM's? I access them and it denied me access and did on every old PM after too.
Here's my first Histories & Lore, and it is centered around Valyrian explorer Gauron Aerarys. Hope you enjoy.
Gauron Aerarys – Adventurer's Origin
Gauron Aerarys didn’t found the heat of Dorne too problematic. It was drier than the lands of the Long Summer, but the heat itself was nothing compared to the jungles of Sothoryos. Eighteen years in the Green Hell had made Gauron more than prepared for the burning sun of Dorne.
The Aerarys family had been one of the many families of Dragonlords that rose in prominence during the Ghiscari Wars, but found themselves in hard times with the death of their last dragon. It was the dragons that made Valyria the strongest empire in the world, so a family without one was like a knight without a sword, or a khal without a horse. Gauron himself had been only 16 years old when it had happened, and before his Lord father could even decide on their next action, he fled Valyria. The young noble boy bought a cabin from a ship traveling to Volantis. It was risky, abandoning his noble family, but there were abundance of opportunities in the world for a young man with gold and wits. Gauron was prepared, or so he thought.
However, on the voyage to Volantis happened something young Gauron could've never prepared himself for. The merchant ships was attacked by pirates. They killed most of the crew, but seeing that Gauron was Valyrian, and evidently rich, they decided to capture him in hopes of good ransom. Luckily for Gauron, the pirates were incompetent enough to leave him without any guards. He soon took his opportunity and stole a rowing boat, escaping in the dead of the night.
After drifting for days, Gauron finally found himself a strange shore. Walking along the white beaches and observing the thick jungles next to them, he quickly came to a conclusion- he had stranded on Sothoryos. Even the Valyrians avoided those gods forsaken lands, rumored to hold naught but misery in its wet forests. The only reason for anyone to come here was to look for slaves, a task usually left for the slavers of Slaver's Bay.
After days of thirst and hunger Gauron fell unconscious, having abandon almost all hope for survival. However, he soon woke up in a wooden shack, surrounded by the Brindled Men, the dark skinned, tall and taciturn inhabitants of the jungles. The stories Gauron had heard painted these people as savages and cannibals that adored dark gods, but this particular tribe happened to be surprisingly accommodating.
After spending enough months, or what he measured as months with the tribe, he learned a lot about their way of living. Half the time they lived in their simple settlements, half the time they stayed on the move. The tribes were ruled by chieftains, who made their status known with elaborate face paintings and bone jewelry. The tribes usually hunted jungle boars and monkeys, as well as collected edible bugs. The fruits were carefully picked according to the season.
The settlement of the tribe Gauron lived with was located near the Zamoyos river. Water flows calmly on Zamoyos, but it is inhabited by gigantic crocodiles big enough to drag a horse with ease, and schools of fishes capable of skinning a man in minutes. Gauron found these fish surprisingly tasty when caught separately. The jungles themselves were also full of creatures, some of them deadly dangerous. There were insects that carried nasty diseases that even the Brindled Men aren't completely immune to, massive elephants, elegant horned deer, huge variety of monkeys, and much more.
After living what Gauron had counted as eight years around the same area, the tribe moved to another territory inland, where they encountered other tribes, ones ruthless or desperate enough to eat their slain foes.
With his closest companion, a chieftain's son who called himself Brun, Gauron one day came up with an idea. They wanted to learn more, see more. So, together with his friend Gauron decided to make an expedition southward, the chieftain giving them a couple warriors to guard them from dangers. Gauron's hunger to explore wasn't even nearly fulfilled, and now his adventures were about to truly begin.
After traveling south for nearly a month, they reached the abandoned city of Yeen, and it quickly came clear that the terrifying stories of that accursed construction were not unfounded. An eerie silence dwelled in the city, as plants, birds and even bugs stayed out of its dark streets. Even Gauron as a Valyrian felt an enormous unease, and a primal fear that prevented him from delving too deep into its massive buildings.
The Bridled men also avoided the city, and according to their stories that Gauron understood, it had been abandoned long ago during a period simply known as the Time of Nightmares. They refused to speak much of that time, fearing it would attract the horrors that swallowed the inhabitants of the black city. Gauron himself never saw any brindled ghouls or eyeless cave-dwellers, but he didn't dismiss their existence completely, since many of those stories had basis in reality.
On the forests south of Yeen Gauron and his companions had a rare encounter with a giant ape. Those giants of the jungle usually walk on all fours, but fully standing they would be twenty feet tall, far taller than the giants of the frozen north in Westeros. Luckily, the creature didn't pay mind to Gauron and his friends, and kept wandering the jungle in search for food.
Eventually they reached what was arguably the most dangerous part of their journey - the true Green Hell. Many call Valyria a land of magic, but the Green Hell is a land of giants. Among its inhabitants are fifty feet long snakes, spotted spiders, giant pale bats that could carry a child, and packs of bipedal, tattooed lizards with sharp claws that could tear the throat of a man. And then there were its supreme predators; wyverns. While in many ways similar to dragons, wyverns don't breath fire. They also couldn't be tamed by a man, Gauron was sure of that. Brindled wyverns, swamp wyverns, and brown-bellies were both magnificent as well as terrifying, but the most elusive of its kin was the shadow-wing. The creature was silent like a ghost, and dark as the night, with piercing white eyes. It had been attracted to their encampment, but luckily it didn't consider any of them prey, only curiosities. Gauron only saw it once, but the experience was more than enough to last for a lifetime.
The journey back lasted more than two months, but when they returned, he felt almost like home. The years passed incredibly fast after their return, and then one day during a visit to the abandoned city of Zamettar, Gauron spotted a merchant vessel that had anchored for provisions. This was perhaps the only chance he would get to return to the civilized world, and he took it. He only had time to say a brief goodbye to his friend Brun, but he would never forget him.
The ship took Gauron to Volantis, and there he saw that the city had grown much in the years he had been gone. That was where he met the White Elephant, before he had even took that name, and together they returned to Valyria. He discovered his parents had long passed, and his sister was married to a dragon rider of a minor noble family known as the Targaryens. There was no reason for him to stay, so he continued his travels with White Elephant. The journey eastwards was long, but not as tiring as all his years in the south. At the city of Yin, they met Jinora, a tall woman warrior from the mysterious Island of Leng. She was an odd sight even in Yi Ti, the neighboring realm of Leng. With his new friends Gauron took on the life of a sellsword, and the journey westwards only made him more excited to see the rest of the Known World.
Oh, you posted it already Well, it's fine, I think pretty much everyone has voted on the Tomas part already.
Anyway, I do like this part, since it gives us the backstory of a character I haven't had the opportunity to show much in the story itself. And I surely would've never been able delve into his past this deeply. Another great thing about this H&L is the way it gives us the origin of the White Elephant's crew, which I really enjoyed. Can't wait to show more of these characters in the story
Here's my first Histories & Lore, and it is centered around Valyrian explorer Gauron Aerarys. Hope you enjoy.
Gauron Aerarys – Advent… moreurer's Origin
Gauron Aerarys didn’t found the heat of Dorne too problematic. It was drier than the lands of the Long Summer, but the heat itself was nothing compared to the jungles of Sothoryos. Eighteen years in the Green Hell had made Gauron more than prepared for the burning sun of Dorne.
The Aerarys family had been one of the many families of Dragonlords that rose in prominence during the Ghiscari Wars, but found themselves in hard times with the death of their last dragon. It was the dragons that made Valyria the strongest empire in the world, so a family without one was like a knight without a sword, or a khal without a horse. Gauron himself had been only 16 years old when it had happened, and before his Lord father could even decide on their next action, he fled Valyria. The young noble boy b… [view original content]
And Tomas won't reveal what he knows to Artos. So, you prefer to be cunning with Tomas in this situation, instead of straight up burning bridges with the Jordaynes. Could be a good idea, we'll have to wait and see.
So, I've been recently writing the next Isabella part, as well as the next Verro part, and I'm not really sure which one I'll finish first I might even post both of them at the same time, if I get both done fast enough. Nonetheless, small recaps for both are in order. Isabella in her latest part welcomed her brother Desmor back from his succesful mission of driving out the Manwoody raiders from the Kingdom of Stone and Sky. They had a conversation with King Garrison, who decided Desmor would escort Isabella to Starfall, and give away Isabella in the wedding. On top of that, Garrison also asked Desmor to deliver a marriage proposal to the Drinkwaters of Oasis Castle, specifically Arianne Drinkwater. Desmor wasn't exactly joyful about this, but begrudgingly agreed to it. After this, Isabella had one more conversation with her father, and ended it with "until we meet again". We will continue from her arriving to Oasis Castle.
Verro's latest part on the other hand took place in Lemonwood, after the battle where Efran defeated Lord Darin Dalt. He had a little conversation with Nesila, who wasn't expecting a bright future for Efran as the Lord of Lemonwood, and hinted that she might go looking for her brother, who apparently left the Thunder Crew years ago, heading to Stormlands. Later Verro took part in Efran's court session, where the young lord first took care of some trade contacts to Salt Shore, before confronting the sons of Darin - Derek and Danwell. While Derek obeyed Efran's orders and bent the knee to him, Danwell was less obedient, even spitting on Efran's face. Of course, Efran took none of that, and killed Danwell in front of everyone. After this, Derek swore his allegiance to Efran and recognized him as the Lord of Lemonwood - and then he was brought back to the dungeons. We'll skip a couple days forward in the start of the next part.
Whether it's two parts or one, you should be getting something before the weekend is over!
Oh, and check out the Gauron H&L above if you haven't yet! ^^
@CM3434
On a side note, does anyone know what is wrong with the PM's? I access them and it denied me access and did on every old PM af… moreter too.
Hm, it seemed every user had this problem a few hours ago, but they have since fixed it, at least for me and many others. Is it still not working for you right now? Because technically it should work again.
That was really an interesting H&L! While Gauron hasn't had too many appearances in the story yet, his scene in Nealia's latest part definitely already caught my attention, so it was nice to see him fleshed out a bit more here in this part. One thing I am particularly interested in is that Gauron has not only been to Sothoryos, he has also survived there for eighteen years. Correct me if I am wrong, but that is longer than any other non-native has been known to ever live and survive there, right? Truly impressive and it made me even further interested in Sothoryos as a location, but also in Gauron as a character. I'll certainly keep an eye out for that badass in Nealia's coming parts. Great work, thank you for sharing it with us
Here's my first Histories & Lore, and it is centered around Valyrian explorer Gauron Aerarys. Hope you enjoy.
Gauron Aerarys – Advent… moreurer's Origin
Gauron Aerarys didn’t found the heat of Dorne too problematic. It was drier than the lands of the Long Summer, but the heat itself was nothing compared to the jungles of Sothoryos. Eighteen years in the Green Hell had made Gauron more than prepared for the burning sun of Dorne.
The Aerarys family had been one of the many families of Dragonlords that rose in prominence during the Ghiscari Wars, but found themselves in hard times with the death of their last dragon. It was the dragons that made Valyria the strongest empire in the world, so a family without one was like a knight without a sword, or a khal without a horse. Gauron himself had been only 16 years old when it had happened, and before his Lord father could even decide on their next action, he fled Valyria. The young noble boy b… [view original content]
Indeed, Gauron always considered himself lucky he didn't caught any fatal disease, and even the Brindled Men aren't completely immune to all those horrible diseases that have prevented further colonization.
@Edinosaur23
That was really an interesting H&L! While Gauron hasn't had too many appearances in the story yet, his scene in Nealia's… more latest part definitely already caught my attention, so it was nice to see him fleshed out a bit more here in this part. One thing I am particularly interested in is that Gauron has not only been to Sothoryos, he has also survived there for eighteen years. Correct me if I am wrong, but that is longer than any other non-native has been known to ever live and survive there, right? Truly impressive and it made me even further interested in Sothoryos as a location, but also in Gauron as a character. I'll certainly keep an eye out for that badass in Nealia's coming parts. Great work, thank you for sharing it with us
Like the others have said, it gave us in depth insight into a newer character and he clearly has one of if not the most unique backstory of any character in the entire story. Great H&L!
Here's my first Histories & Lore, and it is centered around Valyrian explorer Gauron Aerarys. Hope you enjoy.
Gauron Aerarys – Advent… moreurer's Origin
Gauron Aerarys didn’t found the heat of Dorne too problematic. It was drier than the lands of the Long Summer, but the heat itself was nothing compared to the jungles of Sothoryos. Eighteen years in the Green Hell had made Gauron more than prepared for the burning sun of Dorne.
The Aerarys family had been one of the many families of Dragonlords that rose in prominence during the Ghiscari Wars, but found themselves in hard times with the death of their last dragon. It was the dragons that made Valyria the strongest empire in the world, so a family without one was like a knight without a sword, or a khal without a horse. Gauron himself had been only 16 years old when it had happened, and before his Lord father could even decide on their next action, he fled Valyria. The young noble boy b… [view original content]
Even if it had lasted only few days, the journey from Skyreach to Oasis Castle had been one of the most exhausting experiences in Isabella's life. Now that they finally saw the seat of House Drinkwater in the middle of the desert, the Fowler princess felt relieved, but also tired and dirty from the travel. Every day had been burning hot, and there had been no chances to bathe or have a proper meal. Glancing on her left Isabella saw Cassana Blackpool, who looked even more exhausted than she was, whereas on her right were Prince Desmor and Ser Soren, who both looked relatively sharp and calm despite the weary travel behind them.
There was a whole market outside the walls of Oasis Castle, and all kinds of merchants and peddlers tried to sell their goods for them as they rode through it. The gates of the castle were open, but by them stood six guards in duty, demanding tolls from anyone who wanted to visit the oasis. They recognized Desmor and Isabella as royalty, and let them through without giving them trouble. Inside the walls was a like a whole different world – one filled with greenery and fountains, chirping of the birds and the soothing sound of running water. The oasis at the heart of the outer yard had been the lifeline of the Drinkwaters for centuries, as well as the source of their wealth. And that wealth had built them a beautiful white castle with blue dome roofs, lavish gardens with golden ornaments, as well as a magnificent marble sept with seven entrances and large colorful windows of leaded class. Oasis Castle was the first stop on an important trade route from the Wide Way to Clearhaven, and it could certainly be seen from all this display of riches.
The guards escorted them to the inner yard, which was paved with colorful cobblestones. There the Drinkwaters were waiting for them – or at least three of them. In the middle was a slender and tall man on his mid-twenties, showing off his wealth with flamboyant clothes and golden jewelry. He had a calm expression on his narrow face with warm brown eyes, and his medium-length dark hair was slicked back. On his left stood a woman about the same age, dressed in much simpler clothes, her dark hair cut fairly short, and a stern look in her brown eyes. On the right of the man stood a younger woman, this one dressed in a simple but elegant dark silk dress, parts of it so thin that skin could be seen through. She had a long black hair, which was currently braided, and beautiful blue eyes.
"Welcome, my prince and princess," the man spoke up as they arrived, kneeling for them. His sisters quickly followed the example. "You can stand up," Desmor said unenthusiastically, and the Drinkwaters obeyed.
"I am Maron Drinkwater, your highness, the second son of the late Lord Balon Drinkwater," the man introduced himself smoothly, before turning to the woman on his left. "Here is my sister Raewyn Drinkwater, known as the best marksman in Oasis Castle," Maron said this with a subtle grin on his face, before turning to the younger woman. "And here is my other sister, Arianne Drinkwater, flower of the desert, the most beautiful maiden this side of the Red Mountains."
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Desmor said dryly. "As you probably know, I am Prince Desmor Fowler, and she is Princess Isabella Fowler. With us are my sister's handmaiden Cassana Blackpool, as well as my fellow royal guard Ser Soren Ashford. We are on our way to Starfall, where my sister is to be wed to Prince Jamison Dayne. I... also have a message for you," Desmor spoke these last words with some embarrassment, pulling the letter from his saddlebag and handing it to Maron. "It's a proposal, from my father," Desmor quickly explained, as Maron read through it.
"Ah, I believe this is for you, sister," he said, handing the message to Arianne with a smirk on his face. Arianne read through it, and gave Desmor a sharp glare. "So, you want to wed me?" She asked strictly, to which Desmor gulped. "My father wants me to wed you," he corrected hastily, which made Arianne frown.
"That was your first mistake," she said coldly, handing the letter back to him. "I might consider accepting the proposal, prince, but you have to convince me first." Isabella turned her eyes to Desmor, who looked absolutely baffled by Arianne's response. Before he could say anything though, the doors of the keep were pushed open, and out of them walked with faltering steps a man on his late twenties. He looked much like Maron, except he was a bit sturdier, and dressed in slightly less flamboyant clothes. There was a short stubble on his face, his dark hair was uncombed, and he was carrying on his hand a mug of ale. Clearly drunken, he walked down the stairs with slow and uncertain steps, taking several gulps of the ale before he made it all the way down. When he finally reached them, the mug was empty and he threw it over his shoulder. In the court of Skyreach Isabella had heard the Lord of Oasis Castle being called Lord Drinkale, and she no longer had to wonder why.
"Well, well, looks like we have some Fowlers here," he slurred with a blunt and almost mocking tone, eyeing at Desmor and Isabella. Then he shifted his gaze to Ser Soren, and walked right in front of him. "And are you the Reachman knight I've heard so much about?" Without waiting for an answer, the drunken lord turned to Desmor again. "What are you thinking Fowler, bringing an enemy into my halls?"
"An enemy?" Soren spoke up with an almost insulted tone on his voice. "Excuse me, mylord, but the last war between Reachmen and Dornishmen was almost a century ago, and I have served King Garrison faithfully for a decade."
"This is my older brother, Lord Jared Drinkwater," Maron weighed in awkwardly, to which Lord Jared chuckled. "They know who I am, you idiot!" He spat to his brother's face, who took in a deep breath before speaking up again. "I had this under control brother, you don't need to..."
"I am the Lord here!" Jared shouted with drunken rage, and Maron backed down quietly. "Now, Prince Desmor, you have come here, in our halls... to rest in our beds and bathe in our bathhouse! To eat our meat and drink our wine!" There was a manic grin on Lord Jared's face as he paused for a moment. "And all that, of course, is your right, as the Prince of Stone and Sky," he concluded with a quiet and unsettling tone.
"We could start with the bath," Desmor said calmly, glaring at Jared sternly, and the drunken lord gave him an exaggeratedly deep bow. "As you wish, my prince," he slurred. "Come inside, and the servants will take you to the bathhouse." With these words Jared turned around, starting to walk back towards the doors of the keep.
-
Isabella took a long and relaxing bath in the bathhouse with her handmaiden, put on a new dress, and had Cassana comb and tie her hair into a beautiful braid. After all that, she was escorted to the dining room by Ser Soren. There Desmor was already waiting for her, as well as the Drinkwaters.
Lord Jared had not bothered to show up – instead the head of the table was occupied by an old and white-haired woman. Isabella had heard about Lady Darinna Drinkwater, known as the Matriarch of Oasis Castle, and said to be over hundred years old. While it was easy to see she was old, Darinna looked remarkably healthy and strong for such age. She sat in her chair with good posture, and the look in her deep blue eyes was sharp.
Desmor sat in the seat right next to Darinna, opposed to Maron Drinkwater. The seat right next to Desmor was empty, while Arianne sat next to Maron. The seat next to the empty one was taken by Raewyn, and next to her was sitting a girl about the same age as Isabella, with long dark hair and a bright red silk dress. On the other side of the table, next to Arianne, was sitting a woman on her mid-twenties. She looked a bit different from the rest of the family, her hair being a lighter tone of brown, and the tone of her skin being fairer.
"I'm very sorry for being late," Isabella said with an apologetic tone as she sat down next to her brother. "Oh no, you're not late at all, my dear," Darinna said with a soft smile on her wrinkled face. "The servants haven't even brought the appetizers yet. I believe we haven't met before, my princess. I am Darinna Drinkwater, the oldest Drinkwater here."
"I've heard of you, mylady," Isabella replied politely. "I am Princess Isabella, the youngest child and only daughter of King Garrison."
"I have heard of you as well, my princess, and you are just as beautiful as they say," Darinna said gently. "Thank you, mylady," Isabella replied with a shy smile forming on her face.
"Mm, I'm terribly sorry for Jared's earlier behavior," Darinna said with a sigh. "That boy gives a bad name to this family. Anyway, you already met Maron, Arianne and Raewyn, but there are more of us here. The girl in the red dress is Elyra, the third daughter of the late Lord Balon and Lady Sylva. She is a dedicated student of history and religion. On the other side of the table we have Lady Tansy Drinkwater, wife of Lord Jared." As Darinna finished, the servants brought in the appetizers on silver platters, as well as two jugs of wine. "Then there is also Waldemar, the youngest son of Lord Balon, but he is currently looking over Daimon, the son of Jared and Tansy," Darinna continued, taking a sip of her wine.
"You have a big family," Isabella said softly, to which Darinna nodded quietly. "Balon was the only child of Lord Justan, which was the reason he wanted to have as many children himself as possible," the old lady explained.
"Pity that his heir turned out to be an idiot," Raewyn said dryly, which made Maron chuckle. Darinna on the other hand didn't look so amused, a concerned expression on her face. "The future of this house is in the hands of Jared, we all should try to help him do better," she said sternly, which made Raewyn roll her eyes. "Jared can call himself the lord as much as he wants – you will always be my leader," she said with determination.
"I'm grateful for your appreciation, Raewyn, but one day I will be gone and you lot will have to learn to trust each other," Darinna responded with a tired sigh. "Jared might not be the ideal lord, but he is still your brother, not your enemy."
"House Fowler will also support you, the best we can," Desmor joined in the conversation, and Darinna nodded to him. "Indeed, I believe your father wants to improve the relationship between our houses, especially now that the kingdom is in war again," she said quietly, narrowing her eyes as she looked at Desmor. "And I agree with him, we need each other. However, what comes to the proposal you brought with you, that is entirely up to Arianne. Many knights and rich merchants have tried to win her heart, but she is not easily persuaded," Darinna looked at Arianne as she spoke, a sly smirk on her face, which the young maid reciprocated.
"Don't be too dramatic, Darinna," Arianne said lightheartedly. "Most of those suitors were just idiots, no matter how rich or famous."
"I could offer you a good life in Skyreach, mylady," Desmor said awkwardly, to which Arianne raised an eyebrow. "As far as I'm concerned, I already have a perfectly good life here in Oasis Castle," she responded playfully, and Isabella could see the frustration in her brother's eyes. Perhaps I could help him. Desmor had his flaws, but Isabella if anyone knew that he was a good person, and was surely capable of making Arianne happy.
[Speak up in support of Desmor] Is better to support him, and while I don't think Desmor will like his little sister vouching for him like that, I don't think Arianne is easily swayed.
Jared seems like a peace of work, and I guess this isn't the first time he has embarrassed his family with his alcoholism. Lady Darinna, is she grandmother or great-aunt of the current Drinkwater's?
Isabella
Even if it had lasted only few days, the journey from Skyreach to Oasis Castle had been one of the most exhausting experiences i… moren Isabella's life. Now that they finally saw the seat of House Drinkwater in the middle of the desert, the Fowler princess felt relieved, but also tired and dirty from the travel. Every day had been burning hot, and there had been no chances to bathe or have a proper meal. Glancing on her left Isabella saw Cassana Blackpool, who looked even more exhausted than she was, whereas on her right were Prince Desmor and Ser Soren, who both looked relatively sharp and calm despite the weary travel behind them.
There was a whole market outside the walls of Oasis Castle, and all kinds of merchants and peddlers tried to sell their goods for them as they rode through it. The gates of the castle were open, but by them stood six guards in duty, demanding tolls from anyone who wanted to visit the oasis. They recognize… [view original content]
[Speak up in support of Desmor] Is better to support him, and while I don't think Desmor will like his little sister vouching for him like t… morehat, I don't think Arianne is easily swayed.
Jared seems like a peace of work, and I guess this isn't the first time he has embarrassed his family with his alcoholism. Lady Darinna, is she grandmother or great-aunt of the current Drinkwater's?
Indeed, Darinna has lived an almost unnaturally long life, and is still in miraculously good shape. She is probably the only living Dornish to have seen the days of Garth the Painter's war
Isabella
Even if it had lasted only few days, the journey from Skyreach to Oasis Castle had been one of the most exhausting experiences i… moren Isabella's life. Now that they finally saw the seat of House Drinkwater in the middle of the desert, the Fowler princess felt relieved, but also tired and dirty from the travel. Every day had been burning hot, and there had been no chances to bathe or have a proper meal. Glancing on her left Isabella saw Cassana Blackpool, who looked even more exhausted than she was, whereas on her right were Prince Desmor and Ser Soren, who both looked relatively sharp and calm despite the weary travel behind them.
There was a whole market outside the walls of Oasis Castle, and all kinds of merchants and peddlers tried to sell their goods for them as they rode through it. The gates of the castle were open, but by them stood six guards in duty, demanding tolls from anyone who wanted to visit the oasis. They recognize… [view original content]
Isabella
Even if it had lasted only few days, the journey from Skyreach to Oasis Castle had been one of the most exhausting experiences i… moren Isabella's life. Now that they finally saw the seat of House Drinkwater in the middle of the desert, the Fowler princess felt relieved, but also tired and dirty from the travel. Every day had been burning hot, and there had been no chances to bathe or have a proper meal. Glancing on her left Isabella saw Cassana Blackpool, who looked even more exhausted than she was, whereas on her right were Prince Desmor and Ser Soren, who both looked relatively sharp and calm despite the weary travel behind them.
There was a whole market outside the walls of Oasis Castle, and all kinds of merchants and peddlers tried to sell their goods for them as they rode through it. The gates of the castle were open, but by them stood six guards in duty, demanding tolls from anyone who wanted to visit the oasis. They recognize… [view original content]
Isabella
Even if it had lasted only few days, the journey from Skyreach to Oasis Castle had been one of the most exhausting experiences i… moren Isabella's life. Now that they finally saw the seat of House Drinkwater in the middle of the desert, the Fowler princess felt relieved, but also tired and dirty from the travel. Every day had been burning hot, and there had been no chances to bathe or have a proper meal. Glancing on her left Isabella saw Cassana Blackpool, who looked even more exhausted than she was, whereas on her right were Prince Desmor and Ser Soren, who both looked relatively sharp and calm despite the weary travel behind them.
There was a whole market outside the walls of Oasis Castle, and all kinds of merchants and peddlers tried to sell their goods for them as they rode through it. The gates of the castle were open, but by them stood six guards in duty, demanding tolls from anyone who wanted to visit the oasis. They recognize… [view original content]
I feel like I am sinking my own ship with this Between Gwyla and Gwesmor, I'll only need a couple more ships to burn and you can call me Nymeria. But hey, it would feel selfish and wrong to jeopardize the future of House Fowler and possibly a good match for Desmor. I like that family, after all. And if anything, the Drinkwater's seem to be interesting, so if I have to set a ship of mine ablaze, there's worse options. Not too sure about Arianne, but there is not much I can say after one part, other than that she is an interesting one. And I feel like this option might do good to portray Desmor in a different light. If he can't convince her by his personality alone, maybe Isabella can help by highlighting those parts of him she otherwise might not see. If this is enough to convince her, very well, then we picked the right choice. If this does the opposite and drive her to reject him, then this is actually also a good thing, because it means Desmor dodged a bullet. Arianne is supposed to marry him after all and if she does not accept what Isabella is going to bring up, she won't be marriage material. So, no matter how I look at the situation, this seems like the best option for Desmor.
And as said above, the Drinkwater's seem interesting. However, there is one of them who gave me a really bad impression and it is Jared. In fact, he makes me second guess the entire proposal with the way he reacted to the presence of Desmor and Isabella. At worst, these people are anything but their allies, in which case bringing Arianne to Skyreach might be a terrible mistake. It might be nothing, but it cannot hurt to be cautious here. Still, since my distrust is most likely merely paranoia, I'd consider it wrong to risk this important alliance based on a bad feeling alone.
Isabella
Even if it had lasted only few days, the journey from Skyreach to Oasis Castle had been one of the most exhausting experiences i… moren Isabella's life. Now that they finally saw the seat of House Drinkwater in the middle of the desert, the Fowler princess felt relieved, but also tired and dirty from the travel. Every day had been burning hot, and there had been no chances to bathe or have a proper meal. Glancing on her left Isabella saw Cassana Blackpool, who looked even more exhausted than she was, whereas on her right were Prince Desmor and Ser Soren, who both looked relatively sharp and calm despite the weary travel behind them.
There was a whole market outside the walls of Oasis Castle, and all kinds of merchants and peddlers tried to sell their goods for them as they rode through it. The gates of the castle were open, but by them stood six guards in duty, demanding tolls from anyone who wanted to visit the oasis. They recognize… [view original content]
This would probably best a huge help for Desmor here and like Liquid said if Arianne doesn't even give the good things Isabella will say about Desmor a chance then she probably isn't worth the trouble for him anyhow other than the potential alliance which admittedly I am still unsure about since they have already abandoned the Fowler's once so seemingly aren't very trustworthy and if Darinna does die soon, it is untelling what will happen with the Drinkwater's since Jared is clearly not a leader.
Isabella
Even if it had lasted only few days, the journey from Skyreach to Oasis Castle had been one of the most exhausting experiences i… moren Isabella's life. Now that they finally saw the seat of House Drinkwater in the middle of the desert, the Fowler princess felt relieved, but also tired and dirty from the travel. Every day had been burning hot, and there had been no chances to bathe or have a proper meal. Glancing on her left Isabella saw Cassana Blackpool, who looked even more exhausted than she was, whereas on her right were Prince Desmor and Ser Soren, who both looked relatively sharp and calm despite the weary travel behind them.
There was a whole market outside the walls of Oasis Castle, and all kinds of merchants and peddlers tried to sell their goods for them as they rode through it. The gates of the castle were open, but by them stood six guards in duty, demanding tolls from anyone who wanted to visit the oasis. They recognize… [view original content]
Isabella
Even if it had lasted only few days, the journey from Skyreach to Oasis Castle had been one of the most exhausting experiences i… moren Isabella's life. Now that they finally saw the seat of House Drinkwater in the middle of the desert, the Fowler princess felt relieved, but also tired and dirty from the travel. Every day had been burning hot, and there had been no chances to bathe or have a proper meal. Glancing on her left Isabella saw Cassana Blackpool, who looked even more exhausted than she was, whereas on her right were Prince Desmor and Ser Soren, who both looked relatively sharp and calm despite the weary travel behind them.
There was a whole market outside the walls of Oasis Castle, and all kinds of merchants and peddlers tried to sell their goods for them as they rode through it. The gates of the castle were open, but by them stood six guards in duty, demanding tolls from anyone who wanted to visit the oasis. They recognize… [view original content]
Ah, this is so cool! Gwendis' journey with Aisha is definitely one of my favorite storylines to write, and this is like an awesome movie poster for it You really nailed the looks of each character as well. Great job, and thanks for making this!
Oh yeah, this is very cool! That storyline is surely an extreme one for me, with my favourites and least favourites so close to each other and at each others throat, so I can definitely confirm, you did a great job with this. Gwendis surely is looking perfectly as imagined and this is wonderful, thank you so much Trentan looks nice as well and while my overall feelings for Aisha are quite well-known, I gotta admit, she looks cool as hell. Evil, sure, but cool as hell. Certainly among my favourites of your works, from the way these three look to the creepy background, I think this captured the eery vibe of the storyline quite well.
And Isabella will speak up in support of Desmor. The prince might not be thrilled about his sister stepping in to defend him, but it could make Arianne look at Desmor more favorably. We'll see in Isabella's next part.
And as you know, next up will be the Verro part. I'll try to get it done today!
Verro stood silently on the courtyard, along with the rest of the troops. Above his light armor was the purple tabard of House Dalt, which still felt weird. He had been in this place a couple weeks, and now he was wearing the colors of a family he hadn't even heard about couple months ago.
On the opposite side of the courtyard he saw Axel standing proudly, clad in his new outfit, which included a fancy yellow cape. After being chosen as the new leader of the Thunder Crew, he had been knighted by Ser Byrron Granit, and made the commander of Lemonwood's city guard – the Thunder Crew obviously being the newly assigned city guard. Luckily Verro had been positioned to the castle guard, which was commanded by Ser Byrron himself, so he didn't have to deal with Ser Axel's bullshit on a daily basis.
However, right now most of the troops had gathered to the courtyard to welcome back Lady Elise and her bastard son. Escorted by Jabar and Zhobho, the lady rode in with a smile on her face, though the expression on the boy's face was closer to frightened than happy. They dismounted their horse, and Efran approached them with a wide grin on his face.
"Welcome home, my love!" He yelled cheerfully, and proceeded to kiss Elise, which resulted in loud cheers and applauds among the troops. Even Verro clapped a few times, even if just to not stand out. When they were done with the kissing, Elise turned to the boy. He was a skinny boy, clearly under ten years old, with dirty blonde hair and tanned skin. "Let me introduce you my son, Athen," Elise said enthusiastically, putting her hand on the boy's shoulder, which seemed to startle him. "Athen, this is Efran Dalt, the Lord of Lemonwood – he will be your new father."
Efran lowered himself to a crouch in front of the boy, ruffling his hair softly. "Athen, huh?" He said with a warm smirk on his face, and the boy shyly turned his gaze down. "We'll make a warrior of you yet, boy," Efran said with a chuckle, tapping Athen on the shoulder before getting up on his feet again. "Ser Byrron, take Athen to his new quarters."
The Granit knight gave Efran a dutiful bow, and walked to the fearful and quiet boy, proceeding to lead him inside. Meanwhile Efran put his hand around Elise, a wide grin on his face. "To celebrate the return of Lady Elise, a great feast will be held tonight in the mess hall, and all of you are invited!" He yelled, and once again the troops cheered. "For now, get back to your duties," the Bandit Lord commanded, and made his way inside with Elise.
With a sigh Verro turned and started making his way towards the barracks. His leg was still aching slightly, but overall it had healed faster than he had expected. Hopefully there won't be another battle soon, Verro thought grimly. Nesila was certain that Efran's days as the Lord of Lemonwood was numbered, and kept talking about leaving before it would happen. She hadn't left yet though, and Verro was still wondering if he should go with her. Taking the road again without a clear destination would be a risk, but that had never stopped Verro before. Then again, perhaps he should be more thankful for the life Efran had offered him here in Lemonwood.
Arriving to the doors of the barracks, Verro saw Zaltha Qo. The exiled Summer Islander prince stood by the doorframe with a stern expression on his face. He had refused to take on the guard uniform, and was still clad in his light leather armor and colorful feather cape. "Verro," Zaltha greeted him with his strong accent as he approached the doors, gesturing for him to stop. "Afternoon," Verro replied awkwardly as he stopped, a bit confused about why Zaltha would want to speak to him. "Um, how are you?"
"If you want an honest answer, I am frustrated and angered," the Summer Islander answered with a deadpan tone. "However, that is not why I wanted to speak to you. Have you been talking to Nesila lately?" He asked quietly. Verro nodded, and Zaltha continued. "Mm, I cast my vote for her as the new leader of the Thunder Crew, but Axel won. That brute is not a worthy successor for Malanos, and I have no loyalty for him. Thus, I have decided to leave with Nesila. As I've understood, you are planning to come as well, is that right?"
"Oh, well, I haven't really decided yet," Verro answered honestly, to which Zaltha narrowed his eyes. "And why is that?" He asked, his voice strict but not hostile. Verro took in a deep breath, glancing around for a moment before he answered. "For once in my life I've found stability here in Lemonwood, something I've been needing for years. There is food every day, as well as a roof over my head for the nights. We even get paid for our work, which isn't something to be taken for granted."
"I understand, but whatever stability there is now will crumble once the enemies of Efran arrive," Zaltha said with a serious tone. Then he let out a small sigh and tapped Verro lightly on the shoulder. "Make your decision quickly, brother. We will leave tomorrow." With these words Zaltha Qo walked away from Verro, leaving him to ponder his options.
-
The lower tables of Lemonwood's mess hall were crowded with the troops, while Efran, Elise, Byrron and Axel sat on the high table. Wine flowed, the food was plenty, and towards the end of the night the hall was full of laughter and singing.
Throughout the feast Verro had been sitting with several of his fellow guardsmen, but he had hardly taken part in the conversations, his mind dwelling on the decision he would have to make. While Verro himself had taken just a couple cups of wine during the night, those around him were piss drunk by now. Verro shifted his gaze to the high table, seeing Efran and Elise kissing again, while Byrron and Axel were having a seemingly serious conversation next to them.
Turning his eyes, Verro noticed Nesila approaching him. The Myrwoman stopped next to his seat, looking at him with a tired gaze. Verro could tell from her body language that Nesila was a bit drunk, albeit not as badly as most others in the hall.
"Good evening, Nesila," Verro said politely, a small smirk on his face, and Nesila shot him a cold glare. "Cut the crap, Verro," she said sternly, taking in a deep breath. "I've come to ask you if you're coming with me and Zaltha or not."
"You want me to decide now?" Verro asked hesitantly, and Nesila nodded. "Yes," she answered strictly. "We will leave before the sunrise, you have to decide now."
Verro let out a sigh, taking another gulp of the wine. He gazed at the surface of the table in front of him, considering his options once more. He had found a new life here in Lemonwood, even if it wasn't a perfect one. Do I really want to throw it away? On the other hand, Nesila was perhaps the only person here that Verro truly considered a friend.
[Go with Nesila and Zaltha]
As much as I want a pov here when Efran's enemies arrive, Zaltha is right, it would be too dangerous for Verro to stay. Verro is still injured, he is not ready to battle again. There is a good chance that he might be killed when Nymeria's forces arrive. Even if he survives the battle, what will become of him after it? Going with Nesila is the safer choice. Plus, it's possible that Wildling might have a one off pov to see the battle, if Verro isn't there. Anyways, I don't necessarily want to see Verro and Nesila split up like this. Verro even considers her his one true friend. There is much room for future development between them. So, if anyone wants to save a possible Verro x Nesila ship, this is the choice to pick. Also, I'm curious to see this quest to find Nesila's mysterious missing brother!
Verro
Verro stood silently on the courtyard, along with the rest of the troops. Above his light armor was the purple tabard of House Dalt… more, which still felt weird. He had been in this place a couple weeks, and now he was wearing the colors of a family he hadn't even heard about couple months ago.
On the opposite side of the courtyard he saw Axel standing proudly, clad in his new outfit, which included a fancy yellow cape. After being chosen as the new leader of the Thunder Crew, he had been knighted by Ser Byrron Granit, and made the commander of Lemonwood's city guard – the Thunder Crew obviously being the newly assigned city guard. Luckily Verro had been positioned to the castle guard, which was commanded by Ser Byrron himself, so he didn't have to deal with Ser Axel's bullshit on a daily basis.
However, right now most of the troops had gathered to the courtyard to welcome back Lady Elise and her bastard son. Escorted by Jabar and Z… [view original content]
[Go with Nesila and Zaltha] This one was a bit difficult, but I think is the right choice, after all, Efran has, how many, 200 men tops. While the Bravespear, Granit, remaining Dalts, Santagar and Ladybright forces number easily 2000 men.
I do hope for a POV in the retaking, but I don't want to risk Verro for a cause that's most likely to fail.
Verro
Verro stood silently on the courtyard, along with the rest of the troops. Above his light armor was the purple tabard of House Dalt… more, which still felt weird. He had been in this place a couple weeks, and now he was wearing the colors of a family he hadn't even heard about couple months ago.
On the opposite side of the courtyard he saw Axel standing proudly, clad in his new outfit, which included a fancy yellow cape. After being chosen as the new leader of the Thunder Crew, he had been knighted by Ser Byrron Granit, and made the commander of Lemonwood's city guard – the Thunder Crew obviously being the newly assigned city guard. Luckily Verro had been positioned to the castle guard, which was commanded by Ser Byrron himself, so he didn't have to deal with Ser Axel's bullshit on a daily basis.
However, right now most of the troops had gathered to the courtyard to welcome back Lady Elise and her bastard son. Escorted by Jabar and Z… [view original content]
Verro
Verro stood silently on the courtyard, along with the rest of the troops. Above his light armor was the purple tabard of House Dalt… more, which still felt weird. He had been in this place a couple weeks, and now he was wearing the colors of a family he hadn't even heard about couple months ago.
On the opposite side of the courtyard he saw Axel standing proudly, clad in his new outfit, which included a fancy yellow cape. After being chosen as the new leader of the Thunder Crew, he had been knighted by Ser Byrron Granit, and made the commander of Lemonwood's city guard – the Thunder Crew obviously being the newly assigned city guard. Luckily Verro had been positioned to the castle guard, which was commanded by Ser Byrron himself, so he didn't have to deal with Ser Axel's bullshit on a daily basis.
However, right now most of the troops had gathered to the courtyard to welcome back Lady Elise and her bastard son. Escorted by Jabar and Z… [view original content]
Verro
Verro stood silently on the courtyard, along with the rest of the troops. Above his light armor was the purple tabard of House Dalt… more, which still felt weird. He had been in this place a couple weeks, and now he was wearing the colors of a family he hadn't even heard about couple months ago.
On the opposite side of the courtyard he saw Axel standing proudly, clad in his new outfit, which included a fancy yellow cape. After being chosen as the new leader of the Thunder Crew, he had been knighted by Ser Byrron Granit, and made the commander of Lemonwood's city guard – the Thunder Crew obviously being the newly assigned city guard. Luckily Verro had been positioned to the castle guard, which was commanded by Ser Byrron himself, so he didn't have to deal with Ser Axel's bullshit on a daily basis.
However, right now most of the troops had gathered to the courtyard to welcome back Lady Elise and her bastard son. Escorted by Jabar and Z… [view original content]
What else is there to say? Tales and Edinosaur took the words right out of my mouth, because I agree wholeheartedly. I have been very much in favour of Verro leaving Efran for a while now, ever since it became clear that Efran has no interest in realistic long-term plans to keep his rule stable. This is a situation waiting to implode and I don't want Verro being caught in it. Bjorn already took his chances and left, Tryden did the same for sure, meaning most sympathetic or at least semi-sympathetic characters have left Lemonwood by now. Verro would be the last and I approve of him leaving.
Sure, I would like a PoV in Lemonwood, but I could see this being a job for someone on Nymeria's side of the conflict. We don't necessarily need someone on Efran's side of the coming battle (albeit I would not be opposed to an Elise PoV to show this, could give a more personal view on Efran's situation than the relatively distant involvement of the former Lemonwood PoV's), especially as I think this will be extremely dangerous for Verro, likely resulting in his death. So, yeah, not going to happen. I have full trust in you to give him an interesting storyline by Nesila's side, especially if my earlier not-so-crack theory about her brother turns out to be true, as that'd tie Verro to Kingsgrave in a situation where Kortney and Myke have a realistic chance of leaving the very same storyline. And of course, as Master of ships I consider it my duty to protect the Verro x Nesila ship
Verro
Verro stood silently on the courtyard, along with the rest of the troops. Above his light armor was the purple tabard of House Dalt… more, which still felt weird. He had been in this place a couple weeks, and now he was wearing the colors of a family he hadn't even heard about couple months ago.
On the opposite side of the courtyard he saw Axel standing proudly, clad in his new outfit, which included a fancy yellow cape. After being chosen as the new leader of the Thunder Crew, he had been knighted by Ser Byrron Granit, and made the commander of Lemonwood's city guard – the Thunder Crew obviously being the newly assigned city guard. Luckily Verro had been positioned to the castle guard, which was commanded by Ser Byrron himself, so he didn't have to deal with Ser Axel's bullshit on a daily basis.
However, right now most of the troops had gathered to the courtyard to welcome back Lady Elise and her bastard son. Escorted by Jabar and Z… [view original content]
As much as I want a pov here when Efran's enemies arrive, Zaltha is right, it would be too dangerous for Verro to stay. Verro is still injured, he is not ready to battle again. There is a good chance that he might be killed when Nymeria's forces arrive. Even if he survives the battle, what will become of him after it? Going with Nesila is the safer choice. Plus, it's possible that Wildling might have a one off pov to see the battle, if Verro isn't there.
Aye, I can confirm that we will indeed see the coming battle in Lemonwood even if Verro leaves now. Obviously with Verro we would see a bit more of it, as well as the build up to it, but I can promise the storyline with Nesila will be interesting as well
[Go with Nesila and Zaltha]
As much as I want a pov here when Efran's enemies arrive, Zaltha is right, it would be too dangerous for Verro … moreto stay. Verro is still injured, he is not ready to battle again. There is a good chance that he might be killed when Nymeria's forces arrive. Even if he survives the battle, what will become of him after it? Going with Nesila is the safer choice. Plus, it's possible that Wildling might have a one off pov to see the battle, if Verro isn't there. Anyways, I don't necessarily want to see Verro and Nesila split up like this. Verro even considers her his one true friend. There is much room for future development between them. So, if anyone wants to save a possible Verro x Nesila ship, this is the choice to pick. Also, I'm curious to see this quest to find Nesila's mysterious missing brother!
Yeah, I'd say Efran has around 200-300 men right now, some of them being former troops of Lord Darin, who obviously might not be terribly loyal to Efran. So, clearly our Bandit Lord is outnumbered.
[Go with Nesila and Zaltha] This one was a bit difficult, but I think is the right choice, after all, Efran has, how many, 200 men tops. Wh… moreile the Bravespear, Granit, remaining Dalts, Santagar and Ladybright forces number easily 2000 men.
I do hope for a POV in the retaking, but I don't want to risk Verro for a cause that's most likely to fail.
Sure, I would like a PoV in Lemonwood, but I could see this being a job for someone on Nymeria's side of the conflict. We don't necessarily need someone on Efran's side of the coming battle (albeit I would not be opposed to an Elise PoV to show this, could give a more personal view on Efran's situation than the relatively distant involvement of the former Lemonwood PoV's), especially as I think this will be extremely dangerous for Verro, likely resulting in his death. So, yeah, not going to happen. I have full trust in you to give him an interesting storyline by Nesila's side, especially if my earlier not-so-crack theory about her brother turns out to be true, as that'd tie Verro to Kingsgrave in a situation where Kortney and Myke have a realistic chance of leaving the very same storyline. And of course, as Master of ships I consider it my duty to protect the Verro x Nesila ship
As I told Tales, there will indeed be a PoV showing us the coming battle in Lemonwood, so no need to worry about that. Whether this PoV will be on Efran's side or not, we'll see as the time comes And I surely hope I'll be able to deliver an interesting storyline with Verro and Nesila, I can at least say I have a pretty good feeling about this. They will be heading towards Stormlands in search of Nesila's brother, so it's very much possible they are going to meet some of the Carons.
[Go with Nesila and Zaltha]
What else is there to say? Tales and Edinosaur took the words right out of my mouth, because I agree wholehea… morertedly. I have been very much in favour of Verro leaving Efran for a while now, ever since it became clear that Efran has no interest in realistic long-term plans to keep his rule stable. This is a situation waiting to implode and I don't want Verro being caught in it. Bjorn already took his chances and left, Tryden did the same for sure, meaning most sympathetic or at least semi-sympathetic characters have left Lemonwood by now. Verro would be the last and I approve of him leaving.
Sure, I would like a PoV in Lemonwood, but I could see this being a job for someone on Nymeria's side of the conflict. We don't necessarily need someone on Efran's side of the coming battle (albeit I would not be opposed to an Elise PoV to show this, could give a more personal view on Efran's situation than the relatively d… [view original content]
Safe to say I agree with the others here. Efran's time as lord will be over very soon and staying at his side would definitely put Verro in the crossfire for that plus I am intrigued to see where this path will take Verro.
Verro
Verro stood silently on the courtyard, along with the rest of the troops. Above his light armor was the purple tabard of House Dalt… more, which still felt weird. He had been in this place a couple weeks, and now he was wearing the colors of a family he hadn't even heard about couple months ago.
On the opposite side of the courtyard he saw Axel standing proudly, clad in his new outfit, which included a fancy yellow cape. After being chosen as the new leader of the Thunder Crew, he had been knighted by Ser Byrron Granit, and made the commander of Lemonwood's city guard – the Thunder Crew obviously being the newly assigned city guard. Luckily Verro had been positioned to the castle guard, which was commanded by Ser Byrron himself, so he didn't have to deal with Ser Axel's bullshit on a daily basis.
However, right now most of the troops had gathered to the courtyard to welcome back Lady Elise and her bastard son. Escorted by Jabar and Z… [view original content]
Comments
I think I figured out the answer to my question.
@Tales-from-Telltale
That is exactly how you tag
[Don't reveal]
I agree with the others here. This is the biggest advantage Tomas has right now and there is no need for him to give that he knows their plans away at this point.
On a side note, does anyone know what is wrong with the PM's? I access them and it denied me access and did on every old PM after too.
@CM3434
Hm, it seemed every user had this problem a few hours ago, but they have since fixed it, at least for me and many others. Is it still not working for you right now? Because technically it should work again.
[Don't reveal] No need to spill the beans so early, let them think they're in control up to the very last moment.
Here's my first Histories & Lore, and it is centered around Valyrian explorer Gauron Aerarys. Hope you enjoy.
Gauron Aerarys – Adventurer's Origin
Gauron Aerarys didn’t found the heat of Dorne too problematic. It was drier than the lands of the Long Summer, but the heat itself was nothing compared to the jungles of Sothoryos. Eighteen years in the Green Hell had made Gauron more than prepared for the burning sun of Dorne.
The Aerarys family had been one of the many families of Dragonlords that rose in prominence during the Ghiscari Wars, but found themselves in hard times with the death of their last dragon. It was the dragons that made Valyria the strongest empire in the world, so a family without one was like a knight without a sword, or a khal without a horse. Gauron himself had been only 16 years old when it had happened, and before his Lord father could even decide on their next action, he fled Valyria. The young noble boy bought a cabin from a ship traveling to Volantis. It was risky, abandoning his noble family, but there were abundance of opportunities in the world for a young man with gold and wits. Gauron was prepared, or so he thought.
However, on the voyage to Volantis happened something young Gauron could've never prepared himself for. The merchant ships was attacked by pirates. They killed most of the crew, but seeing that Gauron was Valyrian, and evidently rich, they decided to capture him in hopes of good ransom. Luckily for Gauron, the pirates were incompetent enough to leave him without any guards. He soon took his opportunity and stole a rowing boat, escaping in the dead of the night.
After drifting for days, Gauron finally found himself a strange shore. Walking along the white beaches and observing the thick jungles next to them, he quickly came to a conclusion- he had stranded on Sothoryos. Even the Valyrians avoided those gods forsaken lands, rumored to hold naught but misery in its wet forests. The only reason for anyone to come here was to look for slaves, a task usually left for the slavers of Slaver's Bay.
After days of thirst and hunger Gauron fell unconscious, having abandon almost all hope for survival. However, he soon woke up in a wooden shack, surrounded by the Brindled Men, the dark skinned, tall and taciturn inhabitants of the jungles. The stories Gauron had heard painted these people as savages and cannibals that adored dark gods, but this particular tribe happened to be surprisingly accommodating.
After spending enough months, or what he measured as months with the tribe, he learned a lot about their way of living. Half the time they lived in their simple settlements, half the time they stayed on the move. The tribes were ruled by chieftains, who made their status known with elaborate face paintings and bone jewelry. The tribes usually hunted jungle boars and monkeys, as well as collected edible bugs. The fruits were carefully picked according to the season.
The settlement of the tribe Gauron lived with was located near the Zamoyos river. Water flows calmly on Zamoyos, but it is inhabited by gigantic crocodiles big enough to drag a horse with ease, and schools of fishes capable of skinning a man in minutes. Gauron found these fish surprisingly tasty when caught separately. The jungles themselves were also full of creatures, some of them deadly dangerous. There were insects that carried nasty diseases that even the Brindled Men aren't completely immune to, massive elephants, elegant horned deer, huge variety of monkeys, and much more.
After living what Gauron had counted as eight years around the same area, the tribe moved to another territory inland, where they encountered other tribes, ones ruthless or desperate enough to eat their slain foes.
With his closest companion, a chieftain's son who called himself Brun, Gauron one day came up with an idea. They wanted to learn more, see more. So, together with his friend Gauron decided to make an expedition southward, the chieftain giving them a couple warriors to guard them from dangers. Gauron's hunger to explore wasn't even nearly fulfilled, and now his adventures were about to truly begin.
After traveling south for nearly a month, they reached the abandoned city of Yeen, and it quickly came clear that the terrifying stories of that accursed construction were not unfounded. An eerie silence dwelled in the city, as plants, birds and even bugs stayed out of its dark streets. Even Gauron as a Valyrian felt an enormous unease, and a primal fear that prevented him from delving too deep into its massive buildings.
The Bridled men also avoided the city, and according to their stories that Gauron understood, it had been abandoned long ago during a period simply known as the Time of Nightmares. They refused to speak much of that time, fearing it would attract the horrors that swallowed the inhabitants of the black city. Gauron himself never saw any brindled ghouls or eyeless cave-dwellers, but he didn't dismiss their existence completely, since many of those stories had basis in reality.
On the forests south of Yeen Gauron and his companions had a rare encounter with a giant ape. Those giants of the jungle usually walk on all fours, but fully standing they would be twenty feet tall, far taller than the giants of the frozen north in Westeros. Luckily, the creature didn't pay mind to Gauron and his friends, and kept wandering the jungle in search for food.
Eventually they reached what was arguably the most dangerous part of their journey - the true Green Hell. Many call Valyria a land of magic, but the Green Hell is a land of giants. Among its inhabitants are fifty feet long snakes, spotted spiders, giant pale bats that could carry a child, and packs of bipedal, tattooed lizards with sharp claws that could tear the throat of a man. And then there were its supreme predators; wyverns. While in many ways similar to dragons, wyverns don't breath fire. They also couldn't be tamed by a man, Gauron was sure of that. Brindled wyverns, swamp wyverns, and brown-bellies were both magnificent as well as terrifying, but the most elusive of its kin was the shadow-wing. The creature was silent like a ghost, and dark as the night, with piercing white eyes. It had been attracted to their encampment, but luckily it didn't consider any of them prey, only curiosities. Gauron only saw it once, but the experience was more than enough to last for a lifetime.
The journey back lasted more than two months, but when they returned, he felt almost like home. The years passed incredibly fast after their return, and then one day during a visit to the abandoned city of Zamettar, Gauron spotted a merchant vessel that had anchored for provisions. This was perhaps the only chance he would get to return to the civilized world, and he took it. He only had time to say a brief goodbye to his friend Brun, but he would never forget him.
The ship took Gauron to Volantis, and there he saw that the city had grown much in the years he had been gone. That was where he met the White Elephant, before he had even took that name, and together they returned to Valyria. He discovered his parents had long passed, and his sister was married to a dragon rider of a minor noble family known as the Targaryens. There was no reason for him to stay, so he continued his travels with White Elephant. The journey eastwards was long, but not as tiring as all his years in the south. At the city of Yin, they met Jinora, a tall woman warrior from the mysterious Island of Leng. She was an odd sight even in Yi Ti, the neighboring realm of Leng. With his new friends Gauron took on the life of a sellsword, and the journey westwards only made him more excited to see the rest of the Known World.
@Edinosaur23
Oh, you posted it already
Well, it's fine, I think pretty much everyone has voted on the Tomas part already.
Anyway, I do like this part, since it gives us the backstory of a character I haven't had the opportunity to show much in the story itself. And I surely would've never been able delve into his past this deeply. Another great thing about this H&L is the way it gives us the origin of the White Elephant's crew, which I really enjoyed. Can't wait to show more of these characters in the story
Voting is closed!
And Tomas won't reveal what he knows to Artos. So, you prefer to be cunning with Tomas in this situation, instead of straight up burning bridges with the Jordaynes. Could be a good idea, we'll have to wait and see.
So, I've been recently writing the next Isabella part, as well as the next Verro part, and I'm not really sure which one I'll finish first
I might even post both of them at the same time, if I get both done fast enough. Nonetheless, small recaps for both are in order. Isabella in her latest part welcomed her brother Desmor back from his succesful mission of driving out the Manwoody raiders from the Kingdom of Stone and Sky. They had a conversation with King Garrison, who decided Desmor would escort Isabella to Starfall, and give away Isabella in the wedding. On top of that, Garrison also asked Desmor to deliver a marriage proposal to the Drinkwaters of Oasis Castle, specifically Arianne Drinkwater. Desmor wasn't exactly joyful about this, but begrudgingly agreed to it. After this, Isabella had one more conversation with her father, and ended it with "until we meet again". We will continue from her arriving to Oasis Castle.
Verro's latest part on the other hand took place in Lemonwood, after the battle where Efran defeated Lord Darin Dalt. He had a little conversation with Nesila, who wasn't expecting a bright future for Efran as the Lord of Lemonwood, and hinted that she might go looking for her brother, who apparently left the Thunder Crew years ago, heading to Stormlands. Later Verro took part in Efran's court session, where the young lord first took care of some trade contacts to Salt Shore, before confronting the sons of Darin - Derek and Danwell. While Derek obeyed Efran's orders and bent the knee to him, Danwell was less obedient, even spitting on Efran's face. Of course, Efran took none of that, and killed Danwell in front of everyone. After this, Derek swore his allegiance to Efran and recognized him as the Lord of Lemonwood - and then he was brought back to the dungeons. We'll skip a couple days forward in the start of the next part.
Whether it's two parts or one, you should be getting something before the weekend is over!
Oh, and check out the Gauron H&L above if you haven't yet! ^^
I just logged in again and it does seem that it was just a sitewide glitch thankfully! I should have no problem accessing them now. Thanks Liquid!
@Edinosaur23
That was really an interesting H&L! While Gauron hasn't had too many appearances in the story yet, his scene in Nealia's latest part definitely already caught my attention, so it was nice to see him fleshed out a bit more here in this part. One thing I am particularly interested in is that Gauron has not only been to Sothoryos, he has also survived there for eighteen years. Correct me if I am wrong, but that is longer than any other non-native has been known to ever live and survive there, right? Truly impressive and it made me even further interested in Sothoryos as a location, but also in Gauron as a character. I'll certainly keep an eye out for that badass in Nealia's coming parts. Great work, thank you for sharing it with us
Indeed, Gauron always considered himself lucky he didn't caught any fatal disease, and even the Brindled Men aren't completely immune to all those horrible diseases that have prevented further colonization.
Like the others have said, it gave us in depth insight into a newer character and he clearly has one of if not the most unique backstory of any character in the entire story. Great H&L!
Isabella
Even if it had lasted only few days, the journey from Skyreach to Oasis Castle had been one of the most exhausting experiences in Isabella's life. Now that they finally saw the seat of House Drinkwater in the middle of the desert, the Fowler princess felt relieved, but also tired and dirty from the travel. Every day had been burning hot, and there had been no chances to bathe or have a proper meal. Glancing on her left Isabella saw Cassana Blackpool, who looked even more exhausted than she was, whereas on her right were Prince Desmor and Ser Soren, who both looked relatively sharp and calm despite the weary travel behind them.
There was a whole market outside the walls of Oasis Castle, and all kinds of merchants and peddlers tried to sell their goods for them as they rode through it. The gates of the castle were open, but by them stood six guards in duty, demanding tolls from anyone who wanted to visit the oasis. They recognized Desmor and Isabella as royalty, and let them through without giving them trouble. Inside the walls was a like a whole different world – one filled with greenery and fountains, chirping of the birds and the soothing sound of running water. The oasis at the heart of the outer yard had been the lifeline of the Drinkwaters for centuries, as well as the source of their wealth. And that wealth had built them a beautiful white castle with blue dome roofs, lavish gardens with golden ornaments, as well as a magnificent marble sept with seven entrances and large colorful windows of leaded class. Oasis Castle was the first stop on an important trade route from the Wide Way to Clearhaven, and it could certainly be seen from all this display of riches.
The guards escorted them to the inner yard, which was paved with colorful cobblestones. There the Drinkwaters were waiting for them – or at least three of them. In the middle was a slender and tall man on his mid-twenties, showing off his wealth with flamboyant clothes and golden jewelry. He had a calm expression on his narrow face with warm brown eyes, and his medium-length dark hair was slicked back. On his left stood a woman about the same age, dressed in much simpler clothes, her dark hair cut fairly short, and a stern look in her brown eyes. On the right of the man stood a younger woman, this one dressed in a simple but elegant dark silk dress, parts of it so thin that skin could be seen through. She had a long black hair, which was currently braided, and beautiful blue eyes.
"Welcome, my prince and princess," the man spoke up as they arrived, kneeling for them. His sisters quickly followed the example. "You can stand up," Desmor said unenthusiastically, and the Drinkwaters obeyed.
"I am Maron Drinkwater, your highness, the second son of the late Lord Balon Drinkwater," the man introduced himself smoothly, before turning to the woman on his left. "Here is my sister Raewyn Drinkwater, known as the best marksman in Oasis Castle," Maron said this with a subtle grin on his face, before turning to the younger woman. "And here is my other sister, Arianne Drinkwater, flower of the desert, the most beautiful maiden this side of the Red Mountains."
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Desmor said dryly. "As you probably know, I am Prince Desmor Fowler, and she is Princess Isabella Fowler. With us are my sister's handmaiden Cassana Blackpool, as well as my fellow royal guard Ser Soren Ashford. We are on our way to Starfall, where my sister is to be wed to Prince Jamison Dayne. I... also have a message for you," Desmor spoke these last words with some embarrassment, pulling the letter from his saddlebag and handing it to Maron. "It's a proposal, from my father," Desmor quickly explained, as Maron read through it.
"Ah, I believe this is for you, sister," he said, handing the message to Arianne with a smirk on his face. Arianne read through it, and gave Desmor a sharp glare. "So, you want to wed me?" She asked strictly, to which Desmor gulped. "My father wants me to wed you," he corrected hastily, which made Arianne frown.
"That was your first mistake," she said coldly, handing the letter back to him. "I might consider accepting the proposal, prince, but you have to convince me first." Isabella turned her eyes to Desmor, who looked absolutely baffled by Arianne's response. Before he could say anything though, the doors of the keep were pushed open, and out of them walked with faltering steps a man on his late twenties. He looked much like Maron, except he was a bit sturdier, and dressed in slightly less flamboyant clothes. There was a short stubble on his face, his dark hair was uncombed, and he was carrying on his hand a mug of ale. Clearly drunken, he walked down the stairs with slow and uncertain steps, taking several gulps of the ale before he made it all the way down. When he finally reached them, the mug was empty and he threw it over his shoulder. In the court of Skyreach Isabella had heard the Lord of Oasis Castle being called Lord Drinkale, and she no longer had to wonder why.
"Well, well, looks like we have some Fowlers here," he slurred with a blunt and almost mocking tone, eyeing at Desmor and Isabella. Then he shifted his gaze to Ser Soren, and walked right in front of him. "And are you the Reachman knight I've heard so much about?" Without waiting for an answer, the drunken lord turned to Desmor again. "What are you thinking Fowler, bringing an enemy into my halls?"
"An enemy?" Soren spoke up with an almost insulted tone on his voice. "Excuse me, mylord, but the last war between Reachmen and Dornishmen was almost a century ago, and I have served King Garrison faithfully for a decade."
"This is my older brother, Lord Jared Drinkwater," Maron weighed in awkwardly, to which Lord Jared chuckled. "They know who I am, you idiot!" He spat to his brother's face, who took in a deep breath before speaking up again. "I had this under control brother, you don't need to..."
"I am the Lord here!" Jared shouted with drunken rage, and Maron backed down quietly. "Now, Prince Desmor, you have come here, in our halls... to rest in our beds and bathe in our bathhouse! To eat our meat and drink our wine!" There was a manic grin on Lord Jared's face as he paused for a moment. "And all that, of course, is your right, as the Prince of Stone and Sky," he concluded with a quiet and unsettling tone.
"We could start with the bath," Desmor said calmly, glaring at Jared sternly, and the drunken lord gave him an exaggeratedly deep bow. "As you wish, my prince," he slurred. "Come inside, and the servants will take you to the bathhouse." With these words Jared turned around, starting to walk back towards the doors of the keep.
-
Isabella took a long and relaxing bath in the bathhouse with her handmaiden, put on a new dress, and had Cassana comb and tie her hair into a beautiful braid. After all that, she was escorted to the dining room by Ser Soren. There Desmor was already waiting for her, as well as the Drinkwaters.
Lord Jared had not bothered to show up – instead the head of the table was occupied by an old and white-haired woman. Isabella had heard about Lady Darinna Drinkwater, known as the Matriarch of Oasis Castle, and said to be over hundred years old. While it was easy to see she was old, Darinna looked remarkably healthy and strong for such age. She sat in her chair with good posture, and the look in her deep blue eyes was sharp.
Desmor sat in the seat right next to Darinna, opposed to Maron Drinkwater. The seat right next to Desmor was empty, while Arianne sat next to Maron. The seat next to the empty one was taken by Raewyn, and next to her was sitting a girl about the same age as Isabella, with long dark hair and a bright red silk dress. On the other side of the table, next to Arianne, was sitting a woman on her mid-twenties. She looked a bit different from the rest of the family, her hair being a lighter tone of brown, and the tone of her skin being fairer.
"I'm very sorry for being late," Isabella said with an apologetic tone as she sat down next to her brother. "Oh no, you're not late at all, my dear," Darinna said with a soft smile on her wrinkled face. "The servants haven't even brought the appetizers yet. I believe we haven't met before, my princess. I am Darinna Drinkwater, the oldest Drinkwater here."
"I've heard of you, mylady," Isabella replied politely. "I am Princess Isabella, the youngest child and only daughter of King Garrison."
"I have heard of you as well, my princess, and you are just as beautiful as they say," Darinna said gently. "Thank you, mylady," Isabella replied with a shy smile forming on her face.
"Mm, I'm terribly sorry for Jared's earlier behavior," Darinna said with a sigh. "That boy gives a bad name to this family. Anyway, you already met Maron, Arianne and Raewyn, but there are more of us here. The girl in the red dress is Elyra, the third daughter of the late Lord Balon and Lady Sylva. She is a dedicated student of history and religion. On the other side of the table we have Lady Tansy Drinkwater, wife of Lord Jared." As Darinna finished, the servants brought in the appetizers on silver platters, as well as two jugs of wine. "Then there is also Waldemar, the youngest son of Lord Balon, but he is currently looking over Daimon, the son of Jared and Tansy," Darinna continued, taking a sip of her wine.
"You have a big family," Isabella said softly, to which Darinna nodded quietly. "Balon was the only child of Lord Justan, which was the reason he wanted to have as many children himself as possible," the old lady explained.
"Pity that his heir turned out to be an idiot," Raewyn said dryly, which made Maron chuckle. Darinna on the other hand didn't look so amused, a concerned expression on her face. "The future of this house is in the hands of Jared, we all should try to help him do better," she said sternly, which made Raewyn roll her eyes. "Jared can call himself the lord as much as he wants – you will always be my leader," she said with determination.
"I'm grateful for your appreciation, Raewyn, but one day I will be gone and you lot will have to learn to trust each other," Darinna responded with a tired sigh. "Jared might not be the ideal lord, but he is still your brother, not your enemy."
"House Fowler will also support you, the best we can," Desmor joined in the conversation, and Darinna nodded to him. "Indeed, I believe your father wants to improve the relationship between our houses, especially now that the kingdom is in war again," she said quietly, narrowing her eyes as she looked at Desmor. "And I agree with him, we need each other. However, what comes to the proposal you brought with you, that is entirely up to Arianne. Many knights and rich merchants have tried to win her heart, but she is not easily persuaded," Darinna looked at Arianne as she spoke, a sly smirk on her face, which the young maid reciprocated.
"Don't be too dramatic, Darinna," Arianne said lightheartedly. "Most of those suitors were just idiots, no matter how rich or famous."
"I could offer you a good life in Skyreach, mylady," Desmor said awkwardly, to which Arianne raised an eyebrow. "As far as I'm concerned, I already have a perfectly good life here in Oasis Castle," she responded playfully, and Isabella could see the frustration in her brother's eyes. Perhaps I could help him. Desmor had his flaws, but Isabella if anyone knew that he was a good person, and was surely capable of making Arianne happy.
[Speak up in support of Desmor] [Stay quiet]
[Speak up in support of Desmor] Is better to support him, and while I don't think Desmor will like his little sister vouching for him like that, I don't think Arianne is easily swayed.
Jared seems like a peace of work, and I guess this isn't the first time he has embarrassed his family with his alcoholism. Lady Darinna, is she grandmother or great-aunt of the current Drinkwater's?
She is actually great-grandmother of the current Drinkwaters
Man, that means Damion Drinkwater is her great-great-grandson. Talk about long-lived.
Indeed, Darinna has lived an almost unnaturally long life, and is still in miraculously good shape. She is probably the only living Dornish to have seen the days of Garth the Painter's war
[Stay quiet]
I might change my vote on this later, but I'm not sure that Arianne would be impressed if Isabella had to speak and reason for him.
[Speak up in support of Desmor]
[Speak up in support of Desmor]
[Speak up in support of Desmor]
I feel like I am sinking my own ship with this
Between Gwyla and Gwesmor, I'll only need a couple more ships to burn and you can call me Nymeria. But hey, it would feel selfish and wrong to jeopardize the future of House Fowler and possibly a good match for Desmor. I like that family, after all. And if anything, the Drinkwater's seem to be interesting, so if I have to set a ship of mine ablaze, there's worse options. Not too sure about Arianne, but there is not much I can say after one part, other than that she is an interesting one. And I feel like this option might do good to portray Desmor in a different light. If he can't convince her by his personality alone, maybe Isabella can help by highlighting those parts of him she otherwise might not see. If this is enough to convince her, very well, then we picked the right choice. If this does the opposite and drive her to reject him, then this is actually also a good thing, because it means Desmor dodged a bullet. Arianne is supposed to marry him after all and if she does not accept what Isabella is going to bring up, she won't be marriage material. So, no matter how I look at the situation, this seems like the best option for Desmor.
And as said above, the Drinkwater's seem interesting. However, there is one of them who gave me a really bad impression and it is Jared. In fact, he makes me second guess the entire proposal with the way he reacted to the presence of Desmor and Isabella. At worst, these people are anything but their allies, in which case bringing Arianne to Skyreach might be a terrible mistake. It might be nothing, but it cannot hurt to be cautious here. Still, since my distrust is most likely merely paranoia, I'd consider it wrong to risk this important alliance based on a bad feeling alone.
[Speak up in support of Desmor]
This would probably best a huge help for Desmor here and like Liquid said if Arianne doesn't even give the good things Isabella will say about Desmor a chance then she probably isn't worth the trouble for him anyhow other than the potential alliance which admittedly I am still unsure about since they have already abandoned the Fowler's once so seemingly aren't very trustworthy and if Darinna does die soon, it is untelling what will happen with the Drinkwater's since Jared is clearly not a leader.
[Speak up in support of Desmor]
Here some fanart from a part, which brings most of the emotions in the readers... at least I think so.
Ah, this is so cool! Gwendis' journey with Aisha is definitely one of my favorite storylines to write, and this is like an awesome movie poster for it
You really nailed the looks of each character as well. Great job, and thanks for making this! 
Oh yeah, this is very cool! That storyline is surely an extreme one for me, with my favourites and least favourites so close to each other and at each others throat, so I can definitely confirm, you did a great job with this. Gwendis surely is looking perfectly as imagined and this is wonderful, thank you so much
Trentan looks nice as well and while my overall feelings for Aisha are quite well-known, I gotta admit, she looks cool as hell. Evil, sure, but cool as hell. Certainly among my favourites of your works, from the way these three look to the creepy background, I think this captured the eery vibe of the storyline quite well.
That fan art definitely looks pretty cool. You did a great job on it.
Great artwork, Aisha kinda looks like a Sith Lord in this pic XD
Glad you like it guys.
Voting is closed!
And Isabella will speak up in support of Desmor. The prince might not be thrilled about his sister stepping in to defend him, but it could make Arianne look at Desmor more favorably. We'll see in Isabella's next part.
And as you know, next up will be the Verro part. I'll try to get it done today!
-
Here is a portrait of Arianne Drinkwater:
Verro
Verro stood silently on the courtyard, along with the rest of the troops. Above his light armor was the purple tabard of House Dalt, which still felt weird. He had been in this place a couple weeks, and now he was wearing the colors of a family he hadn't even heard about couple months ago.
On the opposite side of the courtyard he saw Axel standing proudly, clad in his new outfit, which included a fancy yellow cape. After being chosen as the new leader of the Thunder Crew, he had been knighted by Ser Byrron Granit, and made the commander of Lemonwood's city guard – the Thunder Crew obviously being the newly assigned city guard. Luckily Verro had been positioned to the castle guard, which was commanded by Ser Byrron himself, so he didn't have to deal with Ser Axel's bullshit on a daily basis.
However, right now most of the troops had gathered to the courtyard to welcome back Lady Elise and her bastard son. Escorted by Jabar and Zhobho, the lady rode in with a smile on her face, though the expression on the boy's face was closer to frightened than happy. They dismounted their horse, and Efran approached them with a wide grin on his face.
"Welcome home, my love!" He yelled cheerfully, and proceeded to kiss Elise, which resulted in loud cheers and applauds among the troops. Even Verro clapped a few times, even if just to not stand out. When they were done with the kissing, Elise turned to the boy. He was a skinny boy, clearly under ten years old, with dirty blonde hair and tanned skin. "Let me introduce you my son, Athen," Elise said enthusiastically, putting her hand on the boy's shoulder, which seemed to startle him. "Athen, this is Efran Dalt, the Lord of Lemonwood – he will be your new father."
Efran lowered himself to a crouch in front of the boy, ruffling his hair softly. "Athen, huh?" He said with a warm smirk on his face, and the boy shyly turned his gaze down. "We'll make a warrior of you yet, boy," Efran said with a chuckle, tapping Athen on the shoulder before getting up on his feet again. "Ser Byrron, take Athen to his new quarters."
The Granit knight gave Efran a dutiful bow, and walked to the fearful and quiet boy, proceeding to lead him inside. Meanwhile Efran put his hand around Elise, a wide grin on his face. "To celebrate the return of Lady Elise, a great feast will be held tonight in the mess hall, and all of you are invited!" He yelled, and once again the troops cheered. "For now, get back to your duties," the Bandit Lord commanded, and made his way inside with Elise.
With a sigh Verro turned and started making his way towards the barracks. His leg was still aching slightly, but overall it had healed faster than he had expected. Hopefully there won't be another battle soon, Verro thought grimly. Nesila was certain that Efran's days as the Lord of Lemonwood was numbered, and kept talking about leaving before it would happen. She hadn't left yet though, and Verro was still wondering if he should go with her. Taking the road again without a clear destination would be a risk, but that had never stopped Verro before. Then again, perhaps he should be more thankful for the life Efran had offered him here in Lemonwood.
Arriving to the doors of the barracks, Verro saw Zaltha Qo. The exiled Summer Islander prince stood by the doorframe with a stern expression on his face. He had refused to take on the guard uniform, and was still clad in his light leather armor and colorful feather cape. "Verro," Zaltha greeted him with his strong accent as he approached the doors, gesturing for him to stop. "Afternoon," Verro replied awkwardly as he stopped, a bit confused about why Zaltha would want to speak to him. "Um, how are you?"
"If you want an honest answer, I am frustrated and angered," the Summer Islander answered with a deadpan tone. "However, that is not why I wanted to speak to you. Have you been talking to Nesila lately?" He asked quietly. Verro nodded, and Zaltha continued. "Mm, I cast my vote for her as the new leader of the Thunder Crew, but Axel won. That brute is not a worthy successor for Malanos, and I have no loyalty for him. Thus, I have decided to leave with Nesila. As I've understood, you are planning to come as well, is that right?"
"Oh, well, I haven't really decided yet," Verro answered honestly, to which Zaltha narrowed his eyes. "And why is that?" He asked, his voice strict but not hostile. Verro took in a deep breath, glancing around for a moment before he answered. "For once in my life I've found stability here in Lemonwood, something I've been needing for years. There is food every day, as well as a roof over my head for the nights. We even get paid for our work, which isn't something to be taken for granted."
"I understand, but whatever stability there is now will crumble once the enemies of Efran arrive," Zaltha said with a serious tone. Then he let out a small sigh and tapped Verro lightly on the shoulder. "Make your decision quickly, brother. We will leave tomorrow." With these words Zaltha Qo walked away from Verro, leaving him to ponder his options.
-
The lower tables of Lemonwood's mess hall were crowded with the troops, while Efran, Elise, Byrron and Axel sat on the high table. Wine flowed, the food was plenty, and towards the end of the night the hall was full of laughter and singing.
Throughout the feast Verro had been sitting with several of his fellow guardsmen, but he had hardly taken part in the conversations, his mind dwelling on the decision he would have to make. While Verro himself had taken just a couple cups of wine during the night, those around him were piss drunk by now. Verro shifted his gaze to the high table, seeing Efran and Elise kissing again, while Byrron and Axel were having a seemingly serious conversation next to them.
Turning his eyes, Verro noticed Nesila approaching him. The Myrwoman stopped next to his seat, looking at him with a tired gaze. Verro could tell from her body language that Nesila was a bit drunk, albeit not as badly as most others in the hall.
"Good evening, Nesila," Verro said politely, a small smirk on his face, and Nesila shot him a cold glare. "Cut the crap, Verro," she said sternly, taking in a deep breath. "I've come to ask you if you're coming with me and Zaltha or not."
"You want me to decide now?" Verro asked hesitantly, and Nesila nodded. "Yes," she answered strictly. "We will leave before the sunrise, you have to decide now."
Verro let out a sigh, taking another gulp of the wine. He gazed at the surface of the table in front of him, considering his options once more. He had found a new life here in Lemonwood, even if it wasn't a perfect one. Do I really want to throw it away? On the other hand, Nesila was perhaps the only person here that Verro truly considered a friend.
[Go with Nesila and Zaltha] [Stay in Lemonwood]
[Go with Nesila and Zaltha]
As much as I want a pov here when Efran's enemies arrive, Zaltha is right, it would be too dangerous for Verro to stay. Verro is still injured, he is not ready to battle again. There is a good chance that he might be killed when Nymeria's forces arrive. Even if he survives the battle, what will become of him after it? Going with Nesila is the safer choice. Plus, it's possible that Wildling might have a one off pov to see the battle, if Verro isn't there. Anyways, I don't necessarily want to see Verro and Nesila split up like this. Verro even considers her his one true friend. There is much room for future development between them. So, if anyone wants to save a possible Verro x Nesila ship, this is the choice to pick. Also, I'm curious to see this quest to find Nesila's mysterious missing brother!
[Go with Nesila and Zaltha] This one was a bit difficult, but I think is the right choice, after all, Efran has, how many, 200 men tops. While the Bravespear, Granit, remaining Dalts, Santagar and Ladybright forces number easily 2000 men.
I do hope for a POV in the retaking, but I don't want to risk Verro for a cause that's most likely to fail.
[Go with Nesila and Zaltha]
[Go with Nesila and Zaltha]
[Go with Nesila and Zaltha]
What else is there to say? Tales and Edinosaur took the words right out of my mouth, because I agree wholeheartedly. I have been very much in favour of Verro leaving Efran for a while now, ever since it became clear that Efran has no interest in realistic long-term plans to keep his rule stable. This is a situation waiting to implode and I don't want Verro being caught in it. Bjorn already took his chances and left, Tryden did the same for sure, meaning most sympathetic or at least semi-sympathetic characters have left Lemonwood by now. Verro would be the last and I approve of him leaving.
Sure, I would like a PoV in Lemonwood, but I could see this being a job for someone on Nymeria's side of the conflict. We don't necessarily need someone on Efran's side of the coming battle (albeit I would not be opposed to an Elise PoV to show this, could give a more personal view on Efran's situation than the relatively distant involvement of the former Lemonwood PoV's), especially as I think this will be extremely dangerous for Verro, likely resulting in his death. So, yeah, not going to happen. I have full trust in you to give him an interesting storyline by Nesila's side, especially if my earlier not-so-crack theory about her brother turns out to be true, as that'd tie Verro to Kingsgrave in a situation where Kortney and Myke have a realistic chance of leaving the very same storyline. And of course, as Master of ships I consider it my duty to protect the Verro x Nesila ship
@Tales-from-Telltale
Aye, I can confirm that we will indeed see the coming battle in Lemonwood even if Verro leaves now. Obviously with Verro we would see a bit more of it, as well as the build up to it, but I can promise the storyline with Nesila will be interesting as well
@Edinosaur23
Yeah, I'd say Efran has around 200-300 men right now, some of them being former troops of Lord Darin, who obviously might not be terribly loyal to Efran. So, clearly our Bandit Lord is outnumbered.
@LiquidChicagoTed
As I told Tales, there will indeed be a PoV showing us the coming battle in Lemonwood, so no need to worry about that. Whether this PoV will be on Efran's side or not, we'll see as the time comes
And I surely hope I'll be able to deliver an interesting storyline with Verro and Nesila, I can at least say I have a pretty good feeling about this. They will be heading towards Stormlands in search of Nesila's brother, so it's very much possible they are going to meet some of the Carons.
[Go with Nesila and Zaltha]
Safe to say I agree with the others here. Efran's time as lord will be over very soon and staying at his side would definitely put Verro in the crossfire for that plus I am intrigued to see where this path will take Verro.