And Jamison will allow Nelsor to sail on Starfire with him. Obviously not the most important choice of the storyline, but it will have its consequences.
As for what's next, I'm working on a Valor part, which will be his second in Book 2. In the first part we got a glimpse of him managing his sellsword company Fallen Dragons in Clearhaven after having taken it from the Daynes. At the end of the part Tryden Flowers requested that he could take 300 men to capture Sandstone, and Valor agreed to it, leaving him with around 800 troops to defend the town. In this next part we'll get to see more of him preparing for the inevitable retaliation from the Daynes. I hope to get the part done tomorrow, but we'll see. I've gotten back into No Man's Sky now that it got a pretty substantial update, and that game is nothing if not a time consumer
If you like No man's Sky, than there's another interesting game that is coming out that you might like. It is called Duel Universe. It is only in the pre-alpha stage at the moment, but the concept for the game is pretty incredible. You might want to look into it.
Voting is closed!
And Jamison will allow Nelsor to sail on Starfire with him. Obviously not the most important choice of the storyline, b… moreut it will have its consequences.
As for what's next, I'm working on a Valor part, which will be his second in Book 2. In the first part we got a glimpse of him managing his sellsword company Fallen Dragons in Clearhaven after having taken it from the Daynes. At the end of the part Tryden Flowers requested that he could take 300 men to capture Sandstone, and Valor agreed to it, leaving him with around 800 troops to defend the town. In this next part we'll get to see more of him preparing for the inevitable retaliation from the Daynes. I hope to get the part done tomorrow, but we'll see. I've gotten back into No Man's Sky now that it got a pretty substantial update, and that game is nothing if not a time consumer
Valor stood quietly at the harbor of Clearhaven, eyeing their fleet of fourteen ships. His gaze traveled through the bay, from the cliffs on the south to the shoals in the north, as he wondered what would be the best way to defend the town. “We’ll face them on the bay”, he finally said, glancing at Maran and Olyvar who were standing beside him. “If we let them make their landing without resistance the town will be overwhelmed within hours, and there will be no way for us to retreat.”
“So, you’re planning for us to retreat?” Olyvar asked, a hint of concern in his voice. Valor nodded, taking in a deep breath. “It’s clear they will have the numbers, especially now that our forces are three-hundred men lighter”, he spoke sternly. Tryden Flowers had begun his march to Sandstone that morning. “However, it’s crucial that we do as much damage to their fleet as we can, even if we have to give up our position here.”
“You trust that the Uller reinforcements will then finish the job?” Maran asked, and Valor gave him a shrug. “Perhaps”, he answered quietly, his eyes scanning the waters ahead of him as his mind pictured all the possible tactics they could use. “Whether they will or not, we still have a job of our own to focus on.”
-
That evening Valor sat alone in his quarters, reading the book that Bridget had gifted him. Reading through the poems about war brought a slight smirk on his face. They were all about the glory and honor, with no mention of the horror and despair. It’s clear this man never set a foot on a battlefield.
Just as he turned the page the door was knocked on, and then opened. In walked Maran, a hint of nervousness in his eyes. “Evening”, Valor greeted him with friendly tone. “Has something happened?”
“No, well… there was a small brawl at the tavern earlier, but that’s not really why I came”, Maran spoke calmly, gulping subtly before continuing. “I just… thought you might need some company, mylord”, he said quietly.
“Of course, take a seat”, Valor said warmly, and Maran sat on the chair opposed to him. “What are you reading?” the boy asked curiously, and with a sigh Valor closed the book. “Just some poetry”, he answered calmly, placing the book into the drawer. “Oh, it’s the book Lady Bridget gave you”, Maran deduced, a hint of a smile forming on his face.
“You’re observant”, Valor complimented his squire. “Do you miss her, mylord?” the boy then asked, to which Valor reacted with raising his eyebrow. “Lady Bridget, I mean”, Maran clarified nervously.
“Yes, I do”, Valor answered after hesitating a moment, and Maran nodded. “I miss someone too”, he said shyly, and now Valor narrowed his eyes in interest. “You do?” He asked with a surprised tone. “Someone in Salt Shore?”
Maran nodded with a timid smile, taking in a deep breath before continuing. “A girl, the stablemaster’s daughter”, he said, and Valor could see the excitement in the boy’s eyes. “Her name is Maria. I didn’t tell you before, because she doesn’t want to reveal it to her father yet.”
“Your secret is safe with me”, Valor promised with a smirk. The years of watching Maran grow had definitely developed him some fatherly feelings towards the boy, and in this moment he couldn’t help but feel proud. “So, how long have you been seeing this Maria?”
“About half-a-year”, Maran responded with a smile, which Valor reciprocated. “Well, let’s hear the story then. How did it happen?” he asked lightheartedly. Maran shrugged awkwardly, before speaking up. “I saw her almost every day at the courtyard after my sword training, and every time I noticed her looking at me. At first I just ignored it, but everyday I was more and more tempted to approach her. It took almost a month before I finally found the courage to go and talk to her.”
“And how did it go?” Valor asked with a grin. “She didn’t have much to say at first”, Maran responded with a small sigh. “However, we kept talking everyday after my training, until finally she asked me to come see her at the stables after sundown. I went, and she had brought with her mead from her father. So, we drank a little, talked about all kinds of things, and when I was about to leave and sneak back into the castle… she kissed me”, the boy blushed slightly as he said this, and Valor chuckled warmly.
“Ah, we need to celebrate this”, he said, standing up from his seat and fetching an opened bottle of wine from the shelf, as well as two small cups. Valor poured wine for both of them, and then raised his cup with a cheerful smile. “To love”, he said, and Maran repeated his words, before they both gulped down their drinks. “Ah, the poor girl must have been heartbroken when you told her that you were leaving for war”, Valor said, his tone more serious now.
“She was quite saddened”, Maran confirmed quietly as Valor poured more wine for them. “And… concerned”, he added, a touch of fear in his words. A tense moment of silence followed, until Valor put his hand on Maran’s shoulder and spoke up. “You’ll get back to your girl, buddy. I promise”, he said sincerely, and the boy gave him a nod. They drank their cups empty, and for a while neither said anything.
“So, you said earlier that our plan is to damage the Dayne fleet as much as we can, and then make our retreat. Right?” Maran spoke, and Valor nodded. “Aye. Why?”
“I was just thinking, what if instead of retreating back to east we would go straight to Southpoint”, the boy suggested with a somewhat uncertain tone, and Valor narrowed his eyes, intrigued by the idea. “That would force the Daynes to split their forces, I think.”
“You’re right, some of them would no doubt pursue us, leaving Clearhaven with lighter defenses”, Valor spoke quietly. “It’s risky though… if we fail to capture Southpoint quickly, we’ll be stuck between the town walls and the Dayne fleet. It could turn into a massacre”
“It was just an idea, you know best what to do”, Maran said humbly, and Valor gave him a nod. He smiled and let out a sigh, considering his decision carefully.
Valor
Valor stood quietly at the harbor of Clearhaven, eyeing their fleet of fourteen ships. His gaze traveled through the bay, from the … morecliffs on the south to the shoals in the north, as he wondered what would be the best way to defend the town. “We’ll face them on the bay”, he finally said, glancing at Maran and Olyvar who were standing beside him. “If we let them make their landing without resistance the town will be overwhelmed within hours, and there will be no way for us to retreat.”
“So, you’re planning for us to retreat?” Olyvar asked, a hint of concern in his voice. Valor nodded, taking in a deep breath. “It’s clear they will have the numbers, especially now that our forces are three-hundred men lighter”, he spoke sternly. Tryden Flowers had begun his march to Sandstone that morning. “However, it’s crucial that we do as much damage to their fleet as we can, even if we have to give up our position here.”
“You trust that the U… [view original content]
[Retreat to east] The reinforcements from House Uller aren't that far away, so the retreat gives them a better chance to counterattack, and it will be a bad idea to face the Dayne fleet so brazenly.
I do think that attacking Southpoint right now, without the support of the Uller forces will be way too much of a risk. If things go well, I mean that'll be good for the war effort, but there is a huge chance that things go badly, as Valor himself said, they might end up being stuck between the defenders of Southpoint and the Dayne fleet. Said defenders of Southpoint are likely to know that much, that they only have to hold out as long as possible, to allow the Dayne fleet to arrive. If that happens, it'll be bad for Valor and I do not wish to risk him. See, I got a clear favourite character in every kingdom, for every faction in this war and then some more. And Valor, he is my clear favourite for Team Nymeria. There is a fair number of really sympathetic characters on her side (and then there's some more unpleasant, such as Esperence and Forovos), but Valor is currently my favourite out of them. As such, what I might have been willing to risk with other characters at stake, I definitely will not dare with Valor. Slowly and carefully, that is the way to go at this point. A retreat, a following team-up with the Uller forces, that'll grant a much better chance. Of course, it will not split the Dayne fleet either, making an eventual battle far bigger, but I think it will be the safer option for Valor himself.
Valor
Valor stood quietly at the harbor of Clearhaven, eyeing their fleet of fourteen ships. His gaze traveled through the bay, from the … morecliffs on the south to the shoals in the north, as he wondered what would be the best way to defend the town. “We’ll face them on the bay”, he finally said, glancing at Maran and Olyvar who were standing beside him. “If we let them make their landing without resistance the town will be overwhelmed within hours, and there will be no way for us to retreat.”
“So, you’re planning for us to retreat?” Olyvar asked, a hint of concern in his voice. Valor nodded, taking in a deep breath. “It’s clear they will have the numbers, especially now that our forces are three-hundred men lighter”, he spoke sternly. Tryden Flowers had begun his march to Sandstone that morning. “However, it’s crucial that we do as much damage to their fleet as we can, even if we have to give up our position here.”
“You trust that the U… [view original content]
Ah yes, I made it in time to vote! I thought I might have missed it but luckily I did not! Anyway, this is honestly one of the hardest choices for me in the entire story since I always want to put the Dayne's in the best position to succeed but at the same time, I can't bring myself to choose something which I believe will put Valor who is certainly a favorite at least at this point So with that said, I am going to vote for Valor to [Retreat to east] While attacking Southpoint would be quite the surprise, it honestly isn't worth it for Valor to try and take it at this point. While it would be a way for the Martell's to have a base even closer to Starfall, I can't see Valor being able to hold it at this point and I am honestly not even sure they could take it in a timely enough manner to avoid not being stuck between Southpoint's walls and the Dayne fleet. While it would split the Dayne forces up, there are still some troops left behind in Southpoint and with walls to hide behind, I believe they could hold it until Jamison, Garret or whoever was able to lead troops back to aid the Southpoint troops and whenever that time came, it could very well mean serious trouble for Valor and the Fallen Dragons. I'm not too sure how many Uller troops are marching toward Clearhaven but Valor retreating and meeting up with them would definitely be the safest course of action for him and the Fallen Dragons. With all of this said, it looks like we are one step closer to the Valor vs Jamison clash and while it wasn't something I had really thought about as a possibility before, now that I know it is most likely happening, it will certainly be epic!
Valor
Valor stood quietly at the harbor of Clearhaven, eyeing their fleet of fourteen ships. His gaze traveled through the bay, from the … morecliffs on the south to the shoals in the north, as he wondered what would be the best way to defend the town. “We’ll face them on the bay”, he finally said, glancing at Maran and Olyvar who were standing beside him. “If we let them make their landing without resistance the town will be overwhelmed within hours, and there will be no way for us to retreat.”
“So, you’re planning for us to retreat?” Olyvar asked, a hint of concern in his voice. Valor nodded, taking in a deep breath. “It’s clear they will have the numbers, especially now that our forces are three-hundred men lighter”, he spoke sternly. Tryden Flowers had begun his march to Sandstone that morning. “However, it’s crucial that we do as much damage to their fleet as we can, even if we have to give up our position here.”
“You trust that the U… [view original content]
So, Valor's plan after the initial battle against the Dayne fleet by Clearhaven will be to retreat to east, where he will regroup with the Uller reinfrocements. That is if everything goes according to plan of course, which is far from certain.
Next up, we'll return to Arvin Manwoody's storyline. He is on a mission to find the outlaws causing havoc in the Manwoody kingdom, and in his latest part he arrived to a village called Greenwater. There he questioned the villagers about the outlaws, but as they refused to speak, Larry took control of the interrogation. With his rather aggressive methods he managed to learn that the outlaws call themselves the Free Ravens, there were around fifty of them when they visited Greenwater, and they took recruits. While describing their leader, one of the villagers said he was carrying a sword with heart-shaped ruby in the pommel, and Arvin recognized that to be Lady Forlorn, the ancestral sword of House Corbray. As Larry moved on to question if the villagers know where the Free Ravens are now, Arvin decided to interrupt the interrogation before it would get bloody. And that's where we shall continue, I hope to get the part done by tomorrow!
”Enough”, Arvin commanded sternly, and Larry the Kind immediately shifted his gaze to him. For a moment he was visibly annoyed by the prince interrupting his interrogation, but he quickly hid it under a thin smile. “As you wish, my prince”, he said calmly, sheathing his dagger and walking away from the villagers.
“We are grateful for the information you have given us today”, Arvin spoke to the villagers, a sharp glare in his eyes. “Loyalty for the crown will be rewarded, while treachery will be punished. Remember that.” With those words Arvin turned around and began to walk towards their camp, Larry quickly catching up to him.
“Apologies, my prince, but I think we could’ve gained more information if you had let me continue”, he spoke quietly. Arvin took in a deep breath, keeping his gaze away from the freak. “Perhaps”, he admitted dryly. “However, we ought to not push these people too far, the situation is volatile enough as it is. Besides, we learned enough.”
“Did we?” Larry questioned sharply, as they arrived at the camp by the lakeside. “All we learned is that they call themselves the Free Ravens, and that there were around fifty of them when they visited Greenwater.”
“We also learned that their leader is a knight of House Corbray”, Arvin stated calmly, and Larry narrowed his eyes in confusion. “The man you interrogated described their leader’s sword”, Arvin pointed out. “A heart-shaped ruby in the pommel – that’s Lady Forlorn, the ancestral sword of House Corbray.”
“Interesting, but not particularly helpful when it comes to finding these bastards”, Larry replied sternly, and Arvin gave him a nod. “We’ll find them in time”, he said nonchalantly. “For now, instead of focusing on where, we should concentrate on learning who our enemy truly is. Who is Ser Lucas Corbray, and why has he decided to come here?”
“Want me to ask the villagers about him?” Larry asked cynically, but Arvin shook his head. “No, I doubt they know much about him. We rest now, and tomorrow we continue towards Safyre Hall”, he responded, before making his way to his tent.
-
Next day they continued southwest towards the lands of House Safyre, trekking through the rugged and lightly wooded uplands terrain. There were not many settlements in these lands, only some odd shepherds’ cabins here and there. Soldiers would rarely if ever patrol these lands, which made Arvin suspect the Free Ravens could have found a place to hide in here. However, that suspicion was too broad for him to start searching these lands quite yet – they needed to learn more.
Many hours after noon, as the Manwoody entourage was making their way down towards the valley where the lands under House Safyre’s governance began, they came across something equally interesting and disturbing. A large oak standing on a small hill, five soldiers in the colors of House Safyre hanging from its branches. Their boots had been taken, as well as their helmets, belts and weapons, but those who had hanged them had made sure to leave their red tabards on.
“Work of the Free Ravens”, Larry stated emotionlessly as they halted by the tree. Arvin dismounted his horse and approached the oak, taking in a deep breath as he eyed the pale and lifeless faces of the hanged soldiers. “May the Father judge them fairly”, he spoke laconically, hiding his anger behind his calm tone. “Take them down and bury them”, he commanded the soldiers, who heeded his order immediately.
“An attempt at intimidation, no doubt”, Larry said with an almost bored tone, watching the soldiers cutting the ropes and beginning to dig the graves. As Arvin remained silent, Larry spoke up again. “Don’t be too upset, my prince. These Free Ravens will suffer a fate much worse than hanging.” A cold smirk formed on the freak’s face as he spoke those words.
“I hope they do”, Arvin replied quietly, before turning away from Larry.
-
That evening before sundown they arrived to a small inn by the road, a day’s travel away from Safyre Hall. While the troops began to set up the camp outside, Arvin and Larry approached the inn with four soldiers as their guards. Above the door was a wooden signboard depicting a goat with a horn of ale on its mouth, and underneath it read with red letters ‘Drunken Goat’.
“Grew up in a place much like this”, Larry said calmly, a charming smile forming on his face. Arvin narrowed his eyes, realizing how little he actually knew about Larry’s past. It was the same with all of the king’s freaks, and perhaps that was for the best.
They entered the inn, noticing that four of the eight tables were occupied. In the corner half-a-dozen men had gathered to listen a redheaded girl playing a lute, singing along with her. One of the tables was occupied by an old passed out man, and on the tables by the fireplace were stern and quiet men armed with knives and axes. They glared at Arvin and his men as they walked past them, but remained quiet.
As they took their seats by the small window, the chubby barmaid approached them. However, before she reached them, one of the men by the fireplace spoke up. “Hold it right there”, he said with an authoritative tone, and the barmaid stopped dead on her tracks. At the same time the singing and playing stopped at the other end of the taproom.
The man who had spoken stood up from his seat, taking a few slow steps closer to their table. He was on his late forties if Arvin had to guess, with balding head and a couple of gruesome scars on his face. The man tapped the barmaid lightly on the shoulder, and with a humble nod she returned behind her desk.
“You the king’s men?” The man asked coldly, eyeing at Arvin and his companions. “Aye”, Arvin responded sternly. “And there’s a hundred more of us outside”, he added as a subtle threat, and the man exchanged looks with his companions. “Hundred, aye?” he asked curiously, and Arvin gave him a nod. “You must be quite important then.”
“He is Arvin Manwoody, the son and heir of King Albin”, Larry spoke with an arrogant tone, leaning back on his chair. “Cause trouble for us, and there will be no place for you to hide.” A tense silence followed the freak’s words, until the balding man broke it with a cold chuckle. “Word is that Albin won’t rule for long”, he said calmly, and the people behind him muttered in agreement. The man moved his hand on the hilt of his axe, and in reaction Arvin’s guards stood up and prepared to unsheathe their swords.
“Enough!” the redheaded young woman with the lute yelled, and everyone in the taproom shifted their attention to her. “Did you come here to start a fight?” she asked strictly, glaring at both Arvin’s group and the balding man. “Because the rest of us came here to sing and enjoy ourselves!”
The balding man removed his hand from the hilt of the axe, and with a nod towards the redheaded lady he returned to his seat, keeping his eyes away from Arvin and his men. Soon the barmaid brought them ale and soup, and the playing and singing returned.
“That is not just some ordinary singer”, Larry stated quietly, glaring at the redheaded lady who had resumed playing her lute. “The man obeyed her order without any objections.”
“It wasn’t really an order though”, Arvin pointed out tiredly, taking a deep gulp from his ale. “Perhaps not, but it’s clear she has some authority over these men”, Larry insisted, looking Arvin to the eyes. “My prince, I think you should approach her, ask her some questions. Who knows, perhaps she is even connected to the Free Ravens.”
Arvin
”Enough”, Arvin commanded sternly, and Larry the Kind immediately shifted his gaze to him. For a moment he was visibly annoyed by t… morehe prince interrupting his interrogation, but he quickly hid it under a thin smile. “As you wish, my prince”, he said calmly, sheathing his dagger and walking away from the villagers.
“We are grateful for the information you have given us today”, Arvin spoke to the villagers, a sharp glare in his eyes. “Loyalty for the crown will be rewarded, while treachery will be punished. Remember that.” With those words Arvin turned around and began to walk towards their camp, Larry quickly catching up to him.
“Apologies, my prince, but I think we could’ve gained more information if you had let me continue”, he spoke quietly. Arvin took in a deep breath, keeping his gaze away from the freak. “Perhaps”, he admitted dryly. “However, we ought to not push these people too far, the situation is volatile enough as it… [view original content]
If I remember correctly, there was a woman who played the lute with the Free Ravens when they were first introduced. She seemed pretty high up in their chain of command, for she was directly accompanying Lucas Corbray.
Arvin
”Enough”, Arvin commanded sternly, and Larry the Kind immediately shifted his gaze to him. For a moment he was visibly annoyed by t… morehe prince interrupting his interrogation, but he quickly hid it under a thin smile. “As you wish, my prince”, he said calmly, sheathing his dagger and walking away from the villagers.
“We are grateful for the information you have given us today”, Arvin spoke to the villagers, a sharp glare in his eyes. “Loyalty for the crown will be rewarded, while treachery will be punished. Remember that.” With those words Arvin turned around and began to walk towards their camp, Larry quickly catching up to him.
“Apologies, my prince, but I think we could’ve gained more information if you had let me continue”, he spoke quietly. Arvin took in a deep breath, keeping his gaze away from the freak. “Perhaps”, he admitted dryly. “However, we ought to not push these people too far, the situation is volatile enough as it… [view original content]
Arvin
”Enough”, Arvin commanded sternly, and Larry the Kind immediately shifted his gaze to him. For a moment he was visibly annoyed by t… morehe prince interrupting his interrogation, but he quickly hid it under a thin smile. “As you wish, my prince”, he said calmly, sheathing his dagger and walking away from the villagers.
“We are grateful for the information you have given us today”, Arvin spoke to the villagers, a sharp glare in his eyes. “Loyalty for the crown will be rewarded, while treachery will be punished. Remember that.” With those words Arvin turned around and began to walk towards their camp, Larry quickly catching up to him.
“Apologies, my prince, but I think we could’ve gained more information if you had let me continue”, he spoke quietly. Arvin took in a deep breath, keeping his gaze away from the freak. “Perhaps”, he admitted dryly. “However, we ought to not push these people too far, the situation is volatile enough as it… [view original content]
Arvin
”Enough”, Arvin commanded sternly, and Larry the Kind immediately shifted his gaze to him. For a moment he was visibly annoyed by t… morehe prince interrupting his interrogation, but he quickly hid it under a thin smile. “As you wish, my prince”, he said calmly, sheathing his dagger and walking away from the villagers.
“We are grateful for the information you have given us today”, Arvin spoke to the villagers, a sharp glare in his eyes. “Loyalty for the crown will be rewarded, while treachery will be punished. Remember that.” With those words Arvin turned around and began to walk towards their camp, Larry quickly catching up to him.
“Apologies, my prince, but I think we could’ve gained more information if you had let me continue”, he spoke quietly. Arvin took in a deep breath, keeping his gaze away from the freak. “Perhaps”, he admitted dryly. “However, we ought to not push these people too far, the situation is volatile enough as it… [view original content]
I imagine that this is definitely the singer from the book 2 prologue and there she was right with Ser Lucas when he killed Joffrey. Seeing that along with how she was able to get the men to stand down here it is pretty clear that she is a very important person and that she would be a prime person to get information out of. Lucas will find out about this encounter with Arvin I am sure along with whether he approaches her or not so I figure it wouldn't hurt to at least try and if Arvin can't get any real information out of her, I believe he will be able to figure out who she supports and make plans on what to do moving forward.
Arvin
”Enough”, Arvin commanded sternly, and Larry the Kind immediately shifted his gaze to him. For a moment he was visibly annoyed by t… morehe prince interrupting his interrogation, but he quickly hid it under a thin smile. “As you wish, my prince”, he said calmly, sheathing his dagger and walking away from the villagers.
“We are grateful for the information you have given us today”, Arvin spoke to the villagers, a sharp glare in his eyes. “Loyalty for the crown will be rewarded, while treachery will be punished. Remember that.” With those words Arvin turned around and began to walk towards their camp, Larry quickly catching up to him.
“Apologies, my prince, but I think we could’ve gained more information if you had let me continue”, he spoke quietly. Arvin took in a deep breath, keeping his gaze away from the freak. “Perhaps”, he admitted dryly. “However, we ought to not push these people too far, the situation is volatile enough as it… [view original content]
See, it seems pretty clear that this woman is indeed with the Free Ravens from what we have seen with the prologue, likely as a member but at the very least as a close associate. So, approaching her will bring Arvin closer to his goal of finding the Free Ravens, one way or the other. Since I doubt she'll be willing to cooperate, this is likely not going to end well. And I think it's clear that I don't want Arvin to succeed here, I don't want him to find the Free Ravens and help his father strike against one of the most important enemies he currently has. Instead, I want it to be the other way around. This woman at least is in contact to the Free Ravens and she knows whom Arvin is. If we leave her be now, then the Free Ravens might be able to catch Arvin by surprise later on. And well, that sounds preferable than him having any time to prepare himself. So, approaching her will definitely give him an advantage, but given the kind of person Arvin is and, even worse, the kind of people he's loyal to, I absolutely do not want him to gain any potential advantage.
Arvin
”Enough”, Arvin commanded sternly, and Larry the Kind immediately shifted his gaze to him. For a moment he was visibly annoyed by t… morehe prince interrupting his interrogation, but he quickly hid it under a thin smile. “As you wish, my prince”, he said calmly, sheathing his dagger and walking away from the villagers.
“We are grateful for the information you have given us today”, Arvin spoke to the villagers, a sharp glare in his eyes. “Loyalty for the crown will be rewarded, while treachery will be punished. Remember that.” With those words Arvin turned around and began to walk towards their camp, Larry quickly catching up to him.
“Apologies, my prince, but I think we could’ve gained more information if you had let me continue”, he spoke quietly. Arvin took in a deep breath, keeping his gaze away from the freak. “Perhaps”, he admitted dryly. “However, we ought to not push these people too far, the situation is volatile enough as it… [view original content]
[Leave her be] Liquid pretty much said all that I was thinking of posting myself. Seems like the choice is already decided though, but hopefully Arvin approaching the singer will actually be a double-edged sword in the end. Arvin himself doesn't seem to think much of her, so it gives me hope that in the end it might the singer who'll actually gain the most information here. If she indeed is a member of the Free Ravens, it's not like she would give him any real helpful information and if the freak tries to go the same route he did with the villagers, then they're pretty much fucked. Sure Arvin has a hundred men in their camp outside, but he only brought five (counting the freak) with him, while there's a lot of other people already inside the tavern.
Arvin
”Enough”, Arvin commanded sternly, and Larry the Kind immediately shifted his gaze to him. For a moment he was visibly annoyed by t… morehe prince interrupting his interrogation, but he quickly hid it under a thin smile. “As you wish, my prince”, he said calmly, sheathing his dagger and walking away from the villagers.
“We are grateful for the information you have given us today”, Arvin spoke to the villagers, a sharp glare in his eyes. “Loyalty for the crown will be rewarded, while treachery will be punished. Remember that.” With those words Arvin turned around and began to walk towards their camp, Larry quickly catching up to him.
“Apologies, my prince, but I think we could’ve gained more information if you had let me continue”, he spoke quietly. Arvin took in a deep breath, keeping his gaze away from the freak. “Perhaps”, he admitted dryly. “However, we ought to not push these people too far, the situation is volatile enough as it… [view original content]
Hello everyone. First of all, sorry for the couple weeks of silence, it has been due to me considering what to do with this story. Sadly, I've come to the decision to shelve it, at least for now. The reason isn't anything in my personal life, nor is it a lack of interest for this story. In fact, there are many characters and storylines that I genuinely feel sad leaving unfinished. However, especially during this summer I've grown more and more frustrated with the limitations that come with the format of interactive storytelling. Don't get me wrong though, on one hand the interactivity with the small audience I've managed to gather here has been the best thing about writing NW, and I'm very thankful for all of you who have discussed and shared your thoughts, submitted awesome characters (even though admittedly creating a cast based on reader submissions holds its own problems as well), not to mention the amazing H&L parts. Thanks for all of that, it has been the reason I managed to keep doing this as long as I did. And sorry for letting you down now, but I hope you at least enjoyed the one book I managed to finish.
However, as said, the limitations of the format have begun to bug me more and more recently, especially the feeling of not being able to reach my full potential as a writer this way. Having to structure the story around choices even when it doesn't make much sense, not being able to properly plan ahead due to the choices and new submitted characters, which in turn leads to rushed and uninspired parts and storylines etc. This is also the reason why I'm planning to do my future fanfic projects as non-interactive on another website (more about that below). I know interactive storytelling can be done well, case in point being Liquid's Forum of Thrones, but I've just come to the conclusion that it is not the optimal format for me.
Now, I fully realize that the interactivity and investment in your submitted characters is probably for many of you the main selling point of NW in the first place, so I understand if you don't have much interest for me shilling my new non-interactive project. However, for those of you who enjoy my storytelling, I urge you to at least check out my new story on fanfiction.net, here's the link: https://fanfiction.net/s/13034116/1/The-Age-of-Storm. It's called The Age of Storm, and it is set a couple decades later than NW, focusing on all of Westeros instead of just Dorne. For now there is only the prologue and first chapter/part, and there isn't really a schedule for uploads, I just add new chapters when I'm 100% satisfied with them. Because of this, I'm confident that the consistency of quality will be much higher in TAoS than it has been in NW. And in case you're interested, I'm not planning to 100% follow NW's continuity in TAoS, but I will definitely use some of the characters there. Well, Nymeria is a given, but even some of the submitted ones. Anyway, if you do end up checking it out I'd love to hear your thoughts either there or here, however you like.
Once again, I'm sorry for not being able to give closure to this story. If it was a question of just pushing forward for a couple more months I'd definitely do it, but bringing NW to its end would require several years, and I just can't see myself doing it while being frustrated and unsatisfied with the format. Still, I'd like to thank you all for following and taking part, writing NW has overall been mostly a positive experience, and I do feel like I've developed as a writer. Peace!
Oh man, this actually hit me. Nymeria's War has been truly and by far my favourite story in the forums over the past two and a half years and I thought, if there is one that can be finished, it'll be this one. As far as I am concerned, hearing that you have decided to shelve it is truly crushing. It has been a wonderful ride so far, truly the best I have read in the forums and a story that I would have remained interested in until its very end. I had hoped it would reach its conclusion, so these news pretty much hit me without warning. At the same time, it is your choice, I understand and accept it, unhappy as I may be about it. Of course you can count on me being active for The Age of Storm as well.
Though you mention it is the format and not the lack of interest in the story itself. Perhaps there could be another way? I know the problem might run deeper than that, but the thought of having this wonderful story unfinished is something that sits hard with me and I know how much harder it must sit with you. I can, of course, only speak for myself, but I would love a conclusion to the story and its characters. While I know your new story is likely going to offer some pieces of it, there is just so much about Nymeria's War I fear will be left hanging, so much stuff left unwritten. And after what you are writing here, it seems you are not quite happy with leaving things like that either. As far as I am concerned, I don't need interactivity. I do not plan to submit additional characters and I am always happy to leave my thoughts on parts even if there is no choice involved. In fact, I don't need choices or character submissions and the like. Admittedly, it is why I came in the first place, back when I joined the forums, but with Nymeria's War, it has grown beyond that, an attachement to the story itself, one I would love to see concluded in some way.
Now, I now there is likely going to be some conclusion in The Age of Storm, but personally, I would love to actually have resolutions to the tons of stuff in the story that could have happened, the things you likely had planned. Seeing not what is going to be decades after NW, but seeing how it will happen, how the characters will interact during the conquest and things like that. This is what makes these news so hard for me. After what you have written here, I know you're not happy about leaving things like that either. I know there have been plans and well, I at least had and still have this tremendous hype for what could have been in the future. Of course, continuing the story as it is won't be an option. You tried, but this whole interactive storytelling isn't for anyone. To be honest, I know exactly how you feel, the unpredictability makes it hard to plan ahead and it can happen that new characters mess up existing plans. So, how do you feel about continuing the story without the interactivity? The active readers here have their characters in the story or at least submitted and while the choices have always been nice, I read the story to see how it continues, not to see how my choices may affect it. That has always been but a nice gimmick and if it becomes that hard for you to continue with it, maybe just scrapping it could be an option, a middle ground. You have put years of hard work into the story and while my interest in seeing it continued is definitely also due to the tremendous excitement I have for the storylines and characters and for this being my favourite story, I would hate to see your actual efforts in vain. Perhaps it would be possible to continue this story without the choices and without the character submission? It would not change a thing for me in the way I am active here, but having an actual conclusion to all this would mean the world and I bet you don't enjoy leaving things so open-ended either. That could have the added benefit of the story being able to run simultaneously on fanfiction.net, gaining a greater following.
Alternatively, if this is not an option for you, I do have another suggestion I would like to bring up, but I think I'd prefer to do that in a PM (and I realize, with guilt, that I have kept you on hold in our conversation for some time now), mostly because it is a bit odd and I'd be super embarrassed if more than one other person even knows about it before you either agree or disagree.
And finally, though I hope that there can be some way for the story to continue, if in a different form, let me take a moment to thank you for the wonderful first book of the story. You have created something wonderful here and while I'd do anything to have a proper continuation and conclusion to it, I cannot thank you enough for the work you have done here so far
Hello everyone. First of all, sorry for the couple weeks of silence, it has been due to me considering what to do with this story. Sadly, I'… moreve come to the decision to shelve it, at least for now. The reason isn't anything in my personal life, nor is it a lack of interest for this story. In fact, there are many characters and storylines that I genuinely feel sad leaving unfinished. However, especially during this summer I've grown more and more frustrated with the limitations that come with the format of interactive storytelling. Don't get me wrong though, on one hand the interactivity with the small audience I've managed to gather here has been the best thing about writing NW, and I'm very thankful for all of you who have discussed and shared your thoughts, submitted awesome characters (even though admittedly creating a cast based on reader submissions holds its own problems as well), not to mention the amazing H&L parts. Thanks for all o… [view original content]
Liquid said all that I wanted to say myself, I second pretty much every word he said above, especially the idea about continuing the story without the interactive part. You see, at least to me personally the most important part about the interactive stories here in the forums is the character submission part and not the choices themselves. Pretty much everyone who reads NW already submitted their characters, so closing the submissions now wouldn't (I imagine) be a problem to any of us. I'm really so attached to a number of characters here, it would be a shame not to see their stories properly finished. So, if you still feel excited about NW, I say ditch the whole interactivity part and tell the story how you like, hell, even decide which characters you want to keep in the story or not. To a degree, I even think that taking away the interactivity part would be better, that way you can plan ahead without any unforeseen issues and you won't have to worry about putting a choice at the end of every part and worrying about whether these choices would stay in character or not.
Now, regardless of what you decide to do about NW in the end, I also wanted to thank you for taking the time to write NW to begin with. NW and FoT have been sources of great enjoyment for me during this past year and I'm really glad that I happened upon them in the forums.
@LiquidChicagoTed & @Javier Raviolli , you've certainly given me a lot to consider here. For some reason the idea of continuing NW as a non-interactive story never crossed my mind, and admittedly it'll be a bit strange to change the format midway through, but I'm quite liking the idea. I need to consider this a bit longer still, but I'm seriously warming up to it already. It would probably mean a bit less frequent updates (especially as I'm working on TAoS as well), but I think I could compensate that with longer parts and improved quality. Anyway, it's not confirmed yet, but I'd certainly love to give this story the conclusion it deserves. You know, perhaps the reason I never even considered this solution was because I thought that dropping the interactivity aspect would mean losing the audience's interest, but I'm glad to be proven wrong
All that said, I'm still quite curious about that other suggestion you had in mind, Liquid
I know I haven't really commented much in this story's thread and its been quite a while since I told you I would send you characters I still haven't sent, but I still do very much like the story and i'm fully on board with Liquid's suggestion if you want to go through with it. So just so you know you have at least three readers if you choose to continue that way.
It would honestly be really sad and disappointing if the story just stopped, for all the current readers and all who might take interest in it. It's sadly something this forum's been used to with interfics or just stories over all that people write in these threads. The large majority don't even get half way before the writer gets bored or leaves or just dissapears never to be seen again. As far as I know the only two that are guaranteed to be finished are FOT, since Liquid is part robot part Stephen King clone, and my own story Prime, which has taken such a long time to continue that its kind of shameful to admit and only continues because I refuse to give it up. Besides that there have been so many that just end or never even start. Back in the old days, when guys like me and Liquid started joining stories, so many got cancelled mid way, there was even one author who just gave up and didn't tell anyone despite having three whole stories all with different people reading and getting excited for them. All those stories just dropped into the void never to return.
And this story was and hopefully still is absolutely amazing. It really shows a lot of creativity and passion from you and so many love it that it would really be a shame for everyone if it goes down that road. I am sure I'm not alone (partly because Javier and Liquid seem to agree) when saying that we would support any format of continuation for this story.
@LiquidChicagoTed & @Javier Raviolli , you've certainly given me a lot to consider here. For some reason the idea of continuing NW as a … morenon-interactive story never crossed my mind, and admittedly it'll be a bit strange to change the format midway through, but I'm quite liking the idea. I need to consider this a bit longer still, but I'm seriously warming up to it already. It would probably mean a bit less frequent updates (especially as I'm working on TAoS as well), but I think I could compensate that with longer parts and improved quality. Anyway, it's not confirmed yet, but I'd certainly love to give this story the conclusion it deserves. You know, perhaps the reason I never even considered this solution was because I thought that dropping the interactivity aspect would mean losing the audience's interest, but I'm glad to be proven wrong
All that said, I'm still quite curious about that other suggestion you had in mind, Liquid
Ah man I had a bad feeling about this. The others who have posted have pretty much said a lot of my many thoughts about this so I will try to keep what other thoughts I have short since I am on my phone and I don't want to just repeat what they have already said too much. With that said, I will say that this story is the one that really made me interested in fanfictions with you actually posting the first part right around when I first joined this forum. In all honesty, I hadn't really heard of fanfictions or at least knew all that much about them until I joined this forum so safe to say NW has made a pretty big difference in my life as far as my reading choices go.
This story really is too great to go unfinished and I definitely agree with the others in that while the choices and submitted characters are cool and a lot of what got me interested in the fanfictions here, it certainly isn't a dealbreaker which leads me to add that I would really like to see NW in a non interactive form! Cut off the submissions and cut out characters that don't fit your vision for the story if you need to but I have to agree that I really want to see this story continue to unfold in your vision and I know I would continue to be a loyal reader and leave my thoughts in every part. I will add that I will join in on your new story as well and I am sure the quality there will be top notch just the same as it is with NW. With that said, ultimately continuing NW or not is your decision and whatever you feel is best for you, I understand. If this does end up being the end of Nymeria's War in any form, then I thank you for writing this wonderful story and I look forward to seeing more of your work
Hello everyone. First of all, sorry for the couple weeks of silence, it has been due to me considering what to do with this story. Sadly, I'… moreve come to the decision to shelve it, at least for now. The reason isn't anything in my personal life, nor is it a lack of interest for this story. In fact, there are many characters and storylines that I genuinely feel sad leaving unfinished. However, especially during this summer I've grown more and more frustrated with the limitations that come with the format of interactive storytelling. Don't get me wrong though, on one hand the interactivity with the small audience I've managed to gather here has been the best thing about writing NW, and I'm very thankful for all of you who have discussed and shared your thoughts, submitted awesome characters (even though admittedly creating a cast based on reader submissions holds its own problems as well), not to mention the amazing H&L parts. Thanks for all o… [view original content]
Phew, I am glad you appreciate the suggestion! Honestly, if it is only a problem with the interactive part, then by all means, get rid of it. The story has started interactive, the character submission and our choices have undoubtedly shaped it, but it has grown beyond this a long time ago. I don't think it is necessary anymore, not with the strong following you have gained by now. It has always been a nice gimmick, something to make it stand out, but the main selling point has always been your excellent writing and the compelling characters that I have grown invested in. The reactions of the others here show that I'm thankfully not alone with that. It is your story and there has gone so much work and passion into it that I truly hope that there can be a way for it to find its proper conclusion instead of ending prematurely. An end, a proper end, maybe even the story of Nymeria's War in all the epic entirety you undoubtedly had planned for. Not having choices in it could also come at the added benefit of you being able to write longer parts, whole scenes at once. For example, Arvin's latest part could have already included the talk with the singer that did not happen due to us being given the choice to approach her or not. The more thought I put into it, the more I think that not having choices anymore won't just be a necessary change for the story to continue, but a welcome thing, something that can improve the quality of the parts and, most importantly, your excitement to tell the story.
So, it won't just not bother me if you decide to cut back on the interactivity, it is something I'd even see a big chance in. Not having to bother with choices, especially in situations where you don't feel they make sense or where you'd very much prefer to continue writing the scene into a particular direction can give you a degree of control over the story that I, for example, simply don't have with mine. I hope you will decide to continue the story in your way and I feel that it will ultimately be all the better for it. Of course, it is your decision and I will understand and accept it regardless of the outcome. However, I hope you can find a way to continue the story without the elements that hold you back. A lot of work and time on your end went into it and a lot of investment and excitement from the readers. I'm certain everyone here will always support the story. If it needs to change in order to continue, so be it, it sounds like it would be a change for the better.
Now, that other suggestion I brought up would have been in case your decision to drop the story would have been related to simply being fed up with telling the story itself, no desire to continue working with the world and the characters. I see this is thankfully not the case and there might yet be ways around the problems that you have encountered, so that the story might hopefully continue to shine. However, for your amusement I shall send you a PM about my thoughts on the subject
@LiquidChicagoTed & @Javier Raviolli , you've certainly given me a lot to consider here. For some reason the idea of continuing NW as a … morenon-interactive story never crossed my mind, and admittedly it'll be a bit strange to change the format midway through, but I'm quite liking the idea. I need to consider this a bit longer still, but I'm seriously warming up to it already. It would probably mean a bit less frequent updates (especially as I'm working on TAoS as well), but I think I could compensate that with longer parts and improved quality. Anyway, it's not confirmed yet, but I'd certainly love to give this story the conclusion it deserves. You know, perhaps the reason I never even considered this solution was because I thought that dropping the interactivity aspect would mean losing the audience's interest, but I'm glad to be proven wrong
All that said, I'm still quite curious about that other suggestion you had in mind, Liquid
I really wouldn't mind if the story lost the interactive part, the story is great on it's own, and while I would like to post a new character on occasion if the situation allowed it, but this is your story and I would love to see the conclusion.
I know my opinion is a bit redundant right now, but I wanted you to know.
I'm shocked! This is my favorite story in the forums. I pretty much have the same feelings as everyone else. I would still read it if you made it less interactive.
Hello everyone. First of all, sorry for the couple weeks of silence, it has been due to me considering what to do with this story. Sadly, I'… moreve come to the decision to shelve it, at least for now. The reason isn't anything in my personal life, nor is it a lack of interest for this story. In fact, there are many characters and storylines that I genuinely feel sad leaving unfinished. However, especially during this summer I've grown more and more frustrated with the limitations that come with the format of interactive storytelling. Don't get me wrong though, on one hand the interactivity with the small audience I've managed to gather here has been the best thing about writing NW, and I'm very thankful for all of you who have discussed and shared your thoughts, submitted awesome characters (even though admittedly creating a cast based on reader submissions holds its own problems as well), not to mention the amazing H&L parts. Thanks for all o… [view original content]
I know I myself usually leave the comments with only votes in this thread, but believe me when I say that I would completely be on board with the story continuing with no votes and no character submissions. I got really invested into this story and it would be real shame to see it unfinished. I'm not much of a writer myself, but I think if you close the submissions now, and take some time to plan the story out, there is no reason this story wouldn't be both awesome for us and comfortable for you to write. But anyway, don't feel forced to continue the story if you don't want to, just wanted to say that I will be reading the story in whichever format it continues.
Watching from afar with nostalgia and in some part envy, I always liked to keep tabs on your brilliant story, even if I couldn't manage to keep up with the reading. These projects often begin as something small and erupt into something overly ambitious, and I do remember a long time ago we exchanged ideas about where we wanted to take our story-telling in the future, so it warms me that even with this grievous news, life spawns from the soil with TAoS, I'm really glad you are going through with that idea.
Furthermore, I fully understand where you are coming from with your struggle in this. In the Invasion I struggle with the sheer character base I foolishly chose to overwhelm myself with, and in both my interactive stories I find that actually making the choice is a forced and rather spontaneous action which feels to alienate or prolong sections of the story. I always felt I did this poorly, and while I was an avid reader of both your projects, I took inspiration from your fluent techniques, you did it brilliantly. There is a part of me that is glad I am not the only one to struggle with this, but it still saddens me to see this as a result, even if I feel I'm likely to share the same path given with where my life is heading.
However with my gaze set ahead I'd like to say that I feel better inclined to start engaging with your new project with a fresh start, not overwhelmed with the sheer pages and chapters of writing needed to catch up on You were and are a real inspiration to me, and dare I say us all. Your works encouraged me to start my own projects, and there's never been a moment where I've looked back in regret for that, so I do feel I need to thank you. I'm sorry that with time we fell out, but I'll always be a great fan of your works, and I look forward to seeing the potential that arises with your new path
Hello everyone. First of all, sorry for the couple weeks of silence, it has been due to me considering what to do with this story. Sadly, I'… moreve come to the decision to shelve it, at least for now. The reason isn't anything in my personal life, nor is it a lack of interest for this story. In fact, there are many characters and storylines that I genuinely feel sad leaving unfinished. However, especially during this summer I've grown more and more frustrated with the limitations that come with the format of interactive storytelling. Don't get me wrong though, on one hand the interactivity with the small audience I've managed to gather here has been the best thing about writing NW, and I'm very thankful for all of you who have discussed and shared your thoughts, submitted awesome characters (even though admittedly creating a cast based on reader submissions holds its own problems as well), not to mention the amazing H&L parts. Thanks for all o… [view original content]
Hello again! So, first of all, thanks for all the supportive messages. I can't lie, it has been extremely encouraging and validating to read about how invested you guys are in this story, as well as the support for the idea of continuing this story in a non-interactive format. So encouraging that I have indeed decided to give this idea a shot instead of shelving Nymeria's War.
For full transparency, I haven't actually resumed writing NW yet, as I've concentrated on getting out the first chapters of The Age of Storm. And speaking of TAoS, the parts I've uploaded to fanfiction.net so far should give you a good idea of the length and format I'm planning to continue NW with. This will mean longer parts and hopefully improved quality, with the choices being cut and perhaps a bit longer waiting period between parts. That said, in the long run I actually expect this format change to speed up the process of getting NW to its conclusion, as I can progress the plot more naturally instead of grinding the pace to a halt to concentrate on the minutiae of the choices. Don't get me wrong, the choices have been a fun gimmick at times and there will probably be moments where I'll miss them, but overall I feel like they're just not worth risking the quality of storytelling for. I'll keep the character submissions open at least for a while still, in case some of you still had some character ideas you've been working on. Oh, and H&L parts will always be welcome, if any of you feel like doing them
So, I am planning to kick off this new format with a part from Femi. As a bit of a recap, she is the rebellious younger sister of Farrah of Ghoyan Drohe, and together with Lysera and Ayron she has been tasked with finding her brother Ammon, who is apparently involved with the conspiracy against Nymeria. In order to find him Femi has decided to meet a man called Turtle Prince in Planky Town, whom he expects to know her brother's whereabouts. On the way there Femi got into a bit of a heated conversation with Ayron, who ended up pressing her to answer whether in the worst case scenario she'd stay loyal to their mission or side with her brother instead. She refused to answer, which is where her next part will begin. As said, I have not yet began to write this part, and it is very hard to estimate how quickly I'll be able to get it done. However, broadly speaking you can expect it within a week or so.
Thanks once more for all the support you've shown, you are quite literally the reason this story is still alive
Hello again! So, first of all, thanks for all the supportive messages. I can't lie, it has been extremely encouraging and validating to read… more about how invested you guys are in this story, as well as the support for the idea of continuing this story in a non-interactive format. So encouraging that I have indeed decided to give this idea a shot instead of shelving Nymeria's War.
For full transparency, I haven't actually resumed writing NW yet, as I've concentrated on getting out the first chapters of The Age of Storm. And speaking of TAoS, the parts I've uploaded to fanfiction.net so far should give you a good idea of the length and format I'm planning to continue NW with. This will mean longer parts and hopefully improved quality, with the choices being cut and perhaps a bit longer waiting period between parts. That said, in the long run I actually expect this format change to speed up the process of getting NW to its conclusion, as I can p… [view original content]
Ah, I am so glad to hear this! Nymeria's War is too good to be cancelled, so I am honestly happy to hear you wish to continue it in a non-interactive format. Seeing all the characters we have grown to know and like as the story progresses, that will be amazing. And honestly, it feels great to know that our excitement for the story has ended up saving it. Admittedly, you are right, at times the choices will definitely be missed by me as well. I bet there will be moments and storylines where I'd wish I could influence the outcome, perhaps even in storylines where the outcome will be overall positive and I'll definitely will be left wondering how things could have been in the storylines where the ending might not be all that pleasant. In the end though, this really is merely a gimmick, one that is not worth risking the story itself for, because it is as I said, NW is so much more than our choices. Your writing has always been top notch and I have and always had full trust in your ability to tell a compelling story, even more so when left with complete freedom on how to proceed. Choices can be limiting, so I really am excited to see how the story will progress without them. I think this has been why I was so surprised by your initial announcement of shelving NW, because so far, I never got the impression that the choices held you back and had a negative impact on the storytelling. Considering how amazing and engaging this has been so far, I am honestly hyped to see where you'll take the story with these changes.
And hm, the submission is still open you say? I mean, I am very happy with Gwen, Naemon and Varyn, more than that actually, but if this is the last chance, I might have to think about submitting another character. I suppose I'll send you a PM once I have a better idea if I even want to submit another character at all. H&L parts are definitely something I keep doing though
Hello again! So, first of all, thanks for all the supportive messages. I can't lie, it has been extremely encouraging and validating to read… more about how invested you guys are in this story, as well as the support for the idea of continuing this story in a non-interactive format. So encouraging that I have indeed decided to give this idea a shot instead of shelving Nymeria's War.
For full transparency, I haven't actually resumed writing NW yet, as I've concentrated on getting out the first chapters of The Age of Storm. And speaking of TAoS, the parts I've uploaded to fanfiction.net so far should give you a good idea of the length and format I'm planning to continue NW with. This will mean longer parts and hopefully improved quality, with the choices being cut and perhaps a bit longer waiting period between parts. That said, in the long run I actually expect this format change to speed up the process of getting NW to its conclusion, as I can p… [view original content]
Femi glared at Ayron and shook her head. “I’m not going to answer that,” she hissed with a spiteful tone, to which Ayron just nodded. “You don’t have to, your silence tells me enough,” he responded coldly. “Well, at least now I know not to trust you.”
“Come on Ayron, that was an unfair question,” Lysera argued with a sigh. “You are asking her to choose between a brother and two people she hardly knows.”
“I am asking her to choose between a traitor and the Principality,” Ayron corrected harshly, the look on his eyes indicating his mind wouldn’t be changed, not that Femi even cared to try. The old fool can think what he likes. Ammon was still her brother, and she refused to believe that they had to become enemies.
There was no further conversation that evening, and the next day they continued towards the Greenblood. Few hours past the noon they arrived to the village where Femi had left her boat. She was glad to see the villagers had kept their word and kept the boat safe and in good condition. With the help of Lysera and Ayron, Femi pushed the boat back to the water. It was a relatively simple poleboat with little ornamentation, but still well-crafted and comfortable, having a small hut in the middle that could fit three or four people in it at once.
Ayron made his way inside, while Femi and Lysera went to the rear to push the boat forward and steer it with the poles.
“So, does the boat have a name?” Lysera asked casually, and Femi frowned. “No,” she said calmly, raising her eyebrow. “Never really even though about that, to be honest.”
“Well maybe you should consider it,” Lysera suggested with a playful tone. “You could name it after someone’s who’s important to you, maybe someone you miss?”
“Juni,” Femi blurted out, immediately turning her gaze down in regret and grief.
“Someone you lost?” Lysera asked gently, and Femi nodded. “My mother,” she muttered quietly. “She died on the Summer Isles, fever took her,” she explained with a gulp.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Lysera spoke with a compassionate tone, and Femi could only give her a meek nod. For a moment neither of them said anything, and they just glided in silence past the green and fertile countryside surrounding the Greenblood.
“I’m sorry about Ayron,” Lysera finally spoke up again. “He means well, and he’ll accept you in time.”
“Only if I let him kill my brother, it would seem,” Femi responded with a bitter tone, but Lysera shook her head. “Trust me, none of us wants to kill your brother,” she assured, and it sounded sincere. “That’s the reason why we need you Femi, to convince Ammon that his cause isn’t worth dying for.”
Femi nodded wordlessly, even if she knew all too well how stubborn her brother was. Taking back Rhoyne would be easier than changing Ammon’s mind.
It took them another hour before they finally reached Planky Town. Seeing the wooden piers, platforms and bridges that creeped over the waters of Greenblood from both sides of the river brought a small smile on Femi’s face. This place was the closest thing to a home she had, a tiny sparkle of the great civilization the Rhoynar had once been. Dozens of boats were moving in and out of the town, and many more were anchored by the planked piers. Many of them were simple and modest like Femi’s, while others were painted in vibrant colors and decorated with elaborate sculptures.
“You should go inside,” Femi said quietly to Lysera, who gave her a questioning look. “It’s better if we’re not seen arriving together,” she explained hastily, and with a nod the young warrior woman made her way inside the hut.
Femi docked her boat on the southern side, on a shadowy spot next to some warehouses. She glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to her, and opened the door of the hut. Lysera was sitting on the carpet, while Ayron was standing up by the small window with a frustrated expression on his face. “We’re in Planky Town,” Femi announced needlessly with an apathetic tone. “I’ll go talk with Turtle Prince now. If you want to look around, wait a couple minutes before leaving. And… try not to draw too much attention, this town is filled sympathizers of the conspiracy.”
“Shouldn’t we be coming with you?” Ayron questioned sternly, and Femi gave him an indifferent glare. “Sure, if you want to lose any chance we have of finding Ammon,” she sneered, to which the old cripple reacted with an irritated frown on his scarred face. “By myself I may be able to get something out of the Turtle Prince, if I go to him with the two of you he’ll say nothing. In fact, he’ll probably set his thugs after us,” Femi explained with a sigh, which was followed by a tense moment of silence.
“We understand,” Lysera finally said, giving Femi an approving nod. “Go now, we’ll stay and watch the boat.”
With a thin and hesitant smile on her face Femi closed the door of the hut, and climbed out of the boat. She walked along the pier to the east, past the warehouses and towards the floating market that was the heart of the town. On the other side of it was the harbor for ships coming from the sea, and the small lighthouse overlooking it. However, Femi took a sharp turn to right just before the market, and made her way through a narrow alley to the dusty streets of the town. The buildings closest to the river were mainly built from timber, but walking away from the water sandstone and mudbrick quickly became the prevalent materials. Planky Town was young and still growing, with several new buildings always under construction.
Femi approached a two-story building with a small porch and two palm trees in front of it. It was made of sandstone, its corners were painted red, and above its wooden door hung a turtle’s shell that was over four feet wide. In one of the great Rhoynar cities of old it would’ve been among the more modest buildings, but here surrounded mostly by small huts it looked quite impressive.
On the porch next to the door was sitting a slender young man with curly black hair and plain face. He was dressed in a simple red wool tunic paired with a dark leather vest, and next to him was a finely crafted halberd leaning against the wall. Femi recalled having seen this man few times before in Turtle Prince’s company, but couldn’t remember his name.
“Afternoon,” she said calmly as she approached the porch. Instantly the man shifted his eyes to her, a slightly startled look on them. “Oh, you,” he mumbled, moving his hand back from reaching towards the halberd.
“Yes, me,” Femi responded dryly. “Is Turtle Prince home?”
“We are Orphans. None of us are home, sister,” the man responded, his tone calm but the look on his eyes sharp. “You know what I meant,” Femi replied impatiently, and a slight grin formed on the man’s face as he stood up from his chair. He grabbed the halberd and approached Femi, studying her face with his eyes. “Why are you here?” he finally asked. “In need of coin again, is that it?”
“Who were you again?” Femi asked with a condescending tone. The man’s grin faded, replaced with an almost disappointed expression. He moved the halberd slightly closer to Femi and spoke up. “My name is Jarak,” he said tensely, and now Femi flashed him a playful smirk.
“Well then, Jarak, mind answering my question?” she chirped, but Jarak kept on his steely expression. “If you answer mine,” he insisted. “Why are you here?”
“Fine, I’m looking for Ammon,” Femi answered frustratedly. The answer seemed to satisfy Jarak, as the expression on his face mellowed and he moved his halberd away. “Figured Turtle Prince would be the first person I should ask,” she added with a sigh, and Jarak nodded. “Good thinking,” he complimented calmly, and led her inside.
The ground floor of the house was one big open room, including a large wooden round table in the middle. The floors were covered with fine carpets, there was a wooden bookshelf with dozens of books, beautifully crafted and painted vases stood by the walls, and green glass had been used on the three latticework windows that offered a view to the small walled garden behind the house.
However, Jarak led them up the stairs to the upper floor. There was a wide corridor with doors to three separate rooms, and at the very end an archway out to the balcony overlooking the garden. Two more armed men stood in guard of the archway. These two were clad in scale armors and wore pointed halfhelms with nasal and cheek guards. They were armed with halberds similar to that of Jarak’s, and round red iron shields depicting a green turtle were strapped to their left arms.
The guards let them pass without questions, and so they stepped out on the balcony. There Turtle Prince was sitting on his comfortable armchair, a wine carafe and small glass on the table next to him. He was a plump and unattractive man on his late forties, with pasty skin and thin brown hair that was starting to recede. In his small brown eyes was usually a disinterested and haughty gaze, and below his broad nose was a thin mustache. He was dressed in green silken robes adorned with gold, and in his fat fingers were four golden rings in total.
“It’s been a while, Femi,” the Turtle Prince spoke with his indolent voice, taking a sip of the wine as he finished speaking. “Turtle Prince,” Femi greeted him with a respectful nod. “I hope you’re not holding grudge over that busted job a few moons ago,” she said with a nervous smirk.
The Turtle Prince let out a lazy chuckle and shook his head. “All is forgiven, mylady,” he said, and while his lips formed a thin smile his eyes remained cold and emotionless. “I’m assuming you’re looking for another job?”
“Actually no, not this time,” Femi responded, her tone more serious now. The Turtle Prince narrowed his eyes, a mildly intrigued gaze in them. “I’ve come because I need your help to find my brother,” she explained with a subtle gulp. “I thought you might know where he is. He is an ally of yours, is he not?”
“I might know where Ammon is,” the Turtle Prince admitted nonchalantly, pouring more wine to his glass. “Why do you seek him?”
Femi was stunned for a couple of seconds, cursing herself internally for not thinking up what to say beforehand. “I… I miss him,” she finally managed to mutter, and though not the full truth it wasn’t a lie either. For a brief moment she could see something resembling sympathy in Turtle Prince’s eyes, before he turned them away and gulped down his wine. “Last time I saw Ammon I gave him my word that I wouldn’t reveal where he was going to anyone,” he spoke quietly, a hint of uncertainty in his words.
“He probably didn’t expect me to come looking for him,” Femi replied with a sigh, feeling bad for knowing she was only looking for Ammon now because Farrah had asked her to. “But wherever he is, I need to speak with him. It has been way too long.”
“Family is important,” the Turtle Prince said with a small nod, a contemplating expression on his face. “Fine then. Your brother is in Godsgrace, has been for the past three weeks.”
“Do you happen to know why he is there?” Femi asked carefully, and the Turtle Prince gave her a stern glare. “Don’t concern yourself with that too much, sweet girl,” he said, his tone calm but definitive. “To find him, go to a tavern near the eastern gate called ‘Maiden’s Kiss’. A Rhoynar man named Yaren is a regular there, green eyes, long black hair and goatee, a scar on his forehead. Tell him I sent you and he’ll take you to Ammon.”
“Thank you for doing this,” Femi said with a relieved tone, and the Turtle Prince gave her a stiff nod. “I have great respect for your brother, and I know he cares for you,” he said calmly, taking in a deep breath. “In return for this favor, I have just one request for you.”
“Yes?” Femi asked with a raised eyebrow, slightly concerned that she wouldn’t like this request.
“If your brother decides to reveal to you what he is doing in Godsgrace, do not interfere, no matter how concerned for him you may be,” the Turtle Prince spoke sternly, his words leaving no room for doubt that he was being serious. “For if you interfere with his plans in any way, I will be forced to consider you as my enemy.”
“You needn’t worry about that,” Femi managed to say thinly, and the Turtle Prince smiled coldly to her. “That is all,” he said, turning his eyes away from her.
With an anxious feeling Femi made her way out of the house, more conflicted than ever before. Now staying loyal to Farrah and Nymeria wouldn’t only mean betraying Ammon’s trust, but also crossing one of the most influential men in Greenblood. If she were to do what Farrah had asked of her, she could never go back to the life she had, and she would be forced to rely on Nymeria’s protection. Is that a sacrifice I’m willing to make?
I'M glad you are back. Femi is certainly facing a dangerous dilemma. Clearly there is a growing conspiracy against House Martell, but I wonder what are their objectives, especially after Varyn killed several of it's members.
Femi
Femi glared at Ayron and shook her head. “I’m not going to answer that,” she hissed with a spiteful tone, to which Ayron just nodded… more. “You don’t have to, your silence tells me enough,” he responded coldly. “Well, at least now I know not to trust you.”
“Come on Ayron, that was an unfair question,” Lysera argued with a sigh. “You are asking her to choose between a brother and two people she hardly knows.”
“I am asking her to choose between a traitor and the Principality,” Ayron corrected harshly, the look on his eyes indicating his mind wouldn’t be changed, not that Femi even cared to try. The old fool can think what he likes. Ammon was still her brother, and she refused to believe that they had to become enemies.
There was no further conversation that evening, and the next day they continued towards the Greenblood. Few hours past the noon they arrived to the village where Femi had left her boat. She was glad to see the village… [view original content]
Well, it is a conspiracy against Nymeria, so at the very least we can assume the main objective is removing her from power. Inside the conspiracy are surely a variety of types though, from people who just oppose Nymeria's ongoing conquest and want her to instead concentrate on protecting Greenblood, to more radical types who want to assassinate Nymeria and usurp her position as the ruler of the remaining Rhoynar. And of course, we know some Westerosi who oppose Nymeria's rule over them could be involved as well.
I'M glad you are back. Femi is certainly facing a dangerous dilemma. Clearly there is a growing conspiracy against House Martell, but I wonder what are their objectives, especially after Varyn killed several of it's members.
First of all, I am so glad the story is back! The new format did not feel strange at all and the quality itself is of course great as always. Here I really enjoyed the lawless atmosphere in Planky Town. It was quite a difference to the usual way things are portrayed in Nymeria's parts of Dorne. I really gotta wonder just what Ammon is doing in Godsgrace though. I doubt it is anything good, else the Turtle Prince wouldn't have been that cryptic about it.
Related to that, there is one new aspect I just now noticed. I mean we have talked before how removing the choices is unfortunate, but necessary, that it means cutting an expendable element to increase the quality of writing and to effectively save the story as a whole. But after this part, I realized that it also adds a pretty significant aspect to the whole experience. While the story always had thrilling storylines and tense moments, we always had the chance to influence things. For example, a majority of readers picked options that prevented Gwen from falling for the Great Other's lies and it eventually saved her life. However, that was due to our choices and it has been pretty clear that no danger for her survival came from herself. That has changed now. Before, our choices offered some safety, some predictability to tense momwnts. Now, we can no longer be sure how the PoV characters will react and that adds a whole new layer of intrigue to several already thrilling moments to come, no doubt about it. For example with Femi, had NW continued in its old form, I am absolutely willing to bet our choices would have directly decided if she ends up stopping Ammon, how she will do this or even if she will rather join him. Now, we don't know what she will decide for and it arguably makes her storyline only more exciting. Next to all the other stuff, I am now also intrigued to learn how she will act and I am absolutely certain that she won't remain the only PoV where the lack of choices and influence on the characters' decisions will make things more exciting to read
Femi
Femi glared at Ayron and shook her head. “I’m not going to answer that,” she hissed with a spiteful tone, to which Ayron just nodded… more. “You don’t have to, your silence tells me enough,” he responded coldly. “Well, at least now I know not to trust you.”
“Come on Ayron, that was an unfair question,” Lysera argued with a sigh. “You are asking her to choose between a brother and two people she hardly knows.”
“I am asking her to choose between a traitor and the Principality,” Ayron corrected harshly, the look on his eyes indicating his mind wouldn’t be changed, not that Femi even cared to try. The old fool can think what he likes. Ammon was still her brother, and she refused to believe that they had to become enemies.
There was no further conversation that evening, and the next day they continued towards the Greenblood. Few hours past the noon they arrived to the village where Femi had left her boat. She was glad to see the village… [view original content]
Glad to see this will continue, but Wildling there's one thing you still need to clarify. Are character submissions still open or with this new format in place are they now closed?
First of all, I am so glad the story is back! The new format did not feel strange at all and the quality itself is of course great as always. Here I really enjoyed the lawless atmosphere in Planky Town. It was quite a difference to the usual way things are portrayed in Nymeria's parts of Dorne. I really gotta wonder just what Ammon is doing in Godsgrace though. I doubt it is anything good, else the Turtle Prince wouldn't have been that cryptic about it.
Ah, it does feel good to continue this story, even if it took a change of format to rekindle my excitement And yeah, while being within the authority of the Principality, Planky Town doesn't really have a real governing body atm. And while most people there are honest folk just doing their best to make do, the circustances do give a lot of power to shady figures such as the Turtle Prince. I'm glad I managed to give this vibe despite Femi's visit there being relatively short. And yeah, it's a safe bet that Ammon is up to no good in Godsgrace.
Related to that, there is one new aspect I just now noticed. I mean we have talked before how removing the choices is unfortunate, but necessary, that it means cutting an expendable element to increase the quality of writing and to effectively save the story as a whole. But after this part, I realized that it also adds a pretty significant aspect to the whole experience. While the story always had thrilling storylines and tense moments, we always had the chance to influence things. For example, a majority of readers picked options that prevented Gwen from falling for the Great Other's lies and it eventually saved her life. However, that was due to our choices and it has been pretty clear that no danger for her survival came from herself. That has changed now. Before, our choices offered some safety, some predictability to tense momwnts. Now, we can no longer be sure how the PoV characters will react and that adds a whole new layer of intrigue to several already thrilling moments to come, no doubt about it. For example with Femi, had NW continued in its old form, I am absolutely willing to bet our choices would have directly decided if she ends up stopping Ammon, how she will do this or even if she will rather join him. Now, we don't know what she will decide for and it arguably makes her storyline only more exciting. Next to all the other stuff, I am now also intrigued to learn how she will act and I am absolutely certain that she won't remain the only PoV where the lack of choices and influence on the characters' decisions will make things more exciting to read
That is a good point indeed. The choices by their nature do sometimes make it a tad more predictable what might happen in the next part. And I'd also add that this way when the characters do make important choices it'll be easier for me to present those moments in a way that feels organic. Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts on this part
First of all, I am so glad the story is back! The new format did not feel strange at all and the quality itself is of course great as always… more. Here I really enjoyed the lawless atmosphere in Planky Town. It was quite a difference to the usual way things are portrayed in Nymeria's parts of Dorne. I really gotta wonder just what Ammon is doing in Godsgrace though. I doubt it is anything good, else the Turtle Prince wouldn't have been that cryptic about it.
Related to that, there is one new aspect I just now noticed. I mean we have talked before how removing the choices is unfortunate, but necessary, that it means cutting an expendable element to increase the quality of writing and to effectively save the story as a whole. But after this part, I realized that it also adds a pretty significant aspect to the whole experience. While the story always had thrilling storylines and tense moments, we always had the chance to influence things. For exam… [view original content]
Yes, as for now the character submissions are still open. I might close it later down the line, but for now if you (or anyone) still have character ideas you want to shoot at me you can do so. I can't 100% guarantee that every character will make it into the story, but I will do my best to find at least a small role for every submitted character
Glad to see this will continue, but Wildling there's one thing you still need to clarify. Are character submissions still open or with this new format in place are they now closed?
It is definitely nice to see a new NW part! There is so much of this story left to be told and I am definitely glad you have decided to continue writing it Now for the part, Femi really has quite an intriguing storyline with so many risks coming from her choice to find her brother that it definitely looks like her life will change massively in one way or another. It is pretty clear to see that Ammon is up to no good and most likely playing a role in this conspiracy so I have to say I am curious to what path Femi will end up taking here. I also have to say that the Turtle Prince is a pretty interesting character and I am definitely interested in seeing how much of a role he plays moving forward. Great part!
Femi
Femi glared at Ayron and shook her head. “I’m not going to answer that,” she hissed with a spiteful tone, to which Ayron just nodded… more. “You don’t have to, your silence tells me enough,” he responded coldly. “Well, at least now I know not to trust you.”
“Come on Ayron, that was an unfair question,” Lysera argued with a sigh. “You are asking her to choose between a brother and two people she hardly knows.”
“I am asking her to choose between a traitor and the Principality,” Ayron corrected harshly, the look on his eyes indicating his mind wouldn’t be changed, not that Femi even cared to try. The old fool can think what he likes. Ammon was still her brother, and she refused to believe that they had to become enemies.
There was no further conversation that evening, and the next day they continued towards the Greenblood. Few hours past the noon they arrived to the village where Femi had left her boat. She was glad to see the village… [view original content]
Comments
Voting is closed!
And Jamison will allow Nelsor to sail on Starfire with him. Obviously not the most important choice of the storyline, but it will have its consequences.
As for what's next, I'm working on a Valor part, which will be his second in Book 2. In the first part we got a glimpse of him managing his sellsword company Fallen Dragons in Clearhaven after having taken it from the Daynes. At the end of the part Tryden Flowers requested that he could take 300 men to capture Sandstone, and Valor agreed to it, leaving him with around 800 troops to defend the town. In this next part we'll get to see more of him preparing for the inevitable retaliation from the Daynes. I hope to get the part done tomorrow, but we'll see. I've gotten back into No Man's Sky now that it got a pretty substantial update, and that game is nothing if not a time consumer
If you like No man's Sky, than there's another interesting game that is coming out that you might like. It is called Duel Universe. It is only in the pre-alpha stage at the moment, but the concept for the game is pretty incredible. You might want to look into it.
Valor
Valor stood quietly at the harbor of Clearhaven, eyeing their fleet of fourteen ships. His gaze traveled through the bay, from the cliffs on the south to the shoals in the north, as he wondered what would be the best way to defend the town. “We’ll face them on the bay”, he finally said, glancing at Maran and Olyvar who were standing beside him. “If we let them make their landing without resistance the town will be overwhelmed within hours, and there will be no way for us to retreat.”
“So, you’re planning for us to retreat?” Olyvar asked, a hint of concern in his voice. Valor nodded, taking in a deep breath. “It’s clear they will have the numbers, especially now that our forces are three-hundred men lighter”, he spoke sternly. Tryden Flowers had begun his march to Sandstone that morning. “However, it’s crucial that we do as much damage to their fleet as we can, even if we have to give up our position here.”
“You trust that the Uller reinforcements will then finish the job?” Maran asked, and Valor gave him a shrug. “Perhaps”, he answered quietly, his eyes scanning the waters ahead of him as his mind pictured all the possible tactics they could use. “Whether they will or not, we still have a job of our own to focus on.”
-
That evening Valor sat alone in his quarters, reading the book that Bridget had gifted him. Reading through the poems about war brought a slight smirk on his face. They were all about the glory and honor, with no mention of the horror and despair. It’s clear this man never set a foot on a battlefield.
Just as he turned the page the door was knocked on, and then opened. In walked Maran, a hint of nervousness in his eyes. “Evening”, Valor greeted him with friendly tone. “Has something happened?”
“No, well… there was a small brawl at the tavern earlier, but that’s not really why I came”, Maran spoke calmly, gulping subtly before continuing. “I just… thought you might need some company, mylord”, he said quietly.
“Of course, take a seat”, Valor said warmly, and Maran sat on the chair opposed to him. “What are you reading?” the boy asked curiously, and with a sigh Valor closed the book. “Just some poetry”, he answered calmly, placing the book into the drawer. “Oh, it’s the book Lady Bridget gave you”, Maran deduced, a hint of a smile forming on his face.
“You’re observant”, Valor complimented his squire. “Do you miss her, mylord?” the boy then asked, to which Valor reacted with raising his eyebrow. “Lady Bridget, I mean”, Maran clarified nervously.
“Yes, I do”, Valor answered after hesitating a moment, and Maran nodded. “I miss someone too”, he said shyly, and now Valor narrowed his eyes in interest. “You do?” He asked with a surprised tone. “Someone in Salt Shore?”
Maran nodded with a timid smile, taking in a deep breath before continuing. “A girl, the stablemaster’s daughter”, he said, and Valor could see the excitement in the boy’s eyes. “Her name is Maria. I didn’t tell you before, because she doesn’t want to reveal it to her father yet.”
“Your secret is safe with me”, Valor promised with a smirk. The years of watching Maran grow had definitely developed him some fatherly feelings towards the boy, and in this moment he couldn’t help but feel proud. “So, how long have you been seeing this Maria?”
“About half-a-year”, Maran responded with a smile, which Valor reciprocated. “Well, let’s hear the story then. How did it happen?” he asked lightheartedly. Maran shrugged awkwardly, before speaking up. “I saw her almost every day at the courtyard after my sword training, and every time I noticed her looking at me. At first I just ignored it, but everyday I was more and more tempted to approach her. It took almost a month before I finally found the courage to go and talk to her.”
“And how did it go?” Valor asked with a grin. “She didn’t have much to say at first”, Maran responded with a small sigh. “However, we kept talking everyday after my training, until finally she asked me to come see her at the stables after sundown. I went, and she had brought with her mead from her father. So, we drank a little, talked about all kinds of things, and when I was about to leave and sneak back into the castle… she kissed me”, the boy blushed slightly as he said this, and Valor chuckled warmly.
“Ah, we need to celebrate this”, he said, standing up from his seat and fetching an opened bottle of wine from the shelf, as well as two small cups. Valor poured wine for both of them, and then raised his cup with a cheerful smile. “To love”, he said, and Maran repeated his words, before they both gulped down their drinks. “Ah, the poor girl must have been heartbroken when you told her that you were leaving for war”, Valor said, his tone more serious now.
“She was quite saddened”, Maran confirmed quietly as Valor poured more wine for them. “And… concerned”, he added, a touch of fear in his words. A tense moment of silence followed, until Valor put his hand on Maran’s shoulder and spoke up. “You’ll get back to your girl, buddy. I promise”, he said sincerely, and the boy gave him a nod. They drank their cups empty, and for a while neither said anything.
“So, you said earlier that our plan is to damage the Dayne fleet as much as we can, and then make our retreat. Right?” Maran spoke, and Valor nodded. “Aye. Why?”
“I was just thinking, what if instead of retreating back to east we would go straight to Southpoint”, the boy suggested with a somewhat uncertain tone, and Valor narrowed his eyes, intrigued by the idea. “That would force the Daynes to split their forces, I think.”
“You’re right, some of them would no doubt pursue us, leaving Clearhaven with lighter defenses”, Valor spoke quietly. “It’s risky though… if we fail to capture Southpoint quickly, we’ll be stuck between the town walls and the Dayne fleet. It could turn into a massacre”
“It was just an idea, you know best what to do”, Maran said humbly, and Valor gave him a nod. He smiled and let out a sigh, considering his decision carefully.
[Retreat to east] [Assault Southpoint]
[Assault Southpoint]
That could be a good option. Although, it is still risky.
[Retreat to east] The reinforcements from House Uller aren't that far away, so the retreat gives them a better chance to counterattack, and it will be a bad idea to face the Dayne fleet so brazenly.
[Retreat to east]
I do think that attacking Southpoint right now, without the support of the Uller forces will be way too much of a risk. If things go well, I mean that'll be good for the war effort, but there is a huge chance that things go badly, as Valor himself said, they might end up being stuck between the defenders of Southpoint and the Dayne fleet. Said defenders of Southpoint are likely to know that much, that they only have to hold out as long as possible, to allow the Dayne fleet to arrive. If that happens, it'll be bad for Valor and I do not wish to risk him. See, I got a clear favourite character in every kingdom, for every faction in this war and then some more. And Valor, he is my clear favourite for Team Nymeria. There is a fair number of really sympathetic characters on her side (and then there's some more unpleasant, such as Esperence and Forovos), but Valor is currently my favourite out of them. As such, what I might have been willing to risk with other characters at stake, I definitely will not dare with Valor. Slowly and carefully, that is the way to go at this point. A retreat, a following team-up with the Uller forces, that'll grant a much better chance. Of course, it will not split the Dayne fleet either, making an eventual battle far bigger, but I think it will be the safer option for Valor himself.
Ah yes, I made it in time to vote! I thought I might have missed it but luckily I did not! Anyway, this is honestly one of the hardest choices for me in the entire story since I always want to put the Dayne's in the best position to succeed but at the same time, I can't bring myself to choose something which I believe will put Valor who is certainly a favorite at least at this point
So with that said, I am going to vote for Valor to [Retreat to east] While attacking Southpoint would be quite the surprise, it honestly isn't worth it for Valor to try and take it at this point. While it would be a way for the Martell's to have a base even closer to Starfall, I can't see Valor being able to hold it at this point and I am honestly not even sure they could take it in a timely enough manner to avoid not being stuck between Southpoint's walls and the Dayne fleet. While it would split the Dayne forces up, there are still some troops left behind in Southpoint and with walls to hide behind, I believe they could hold it until Jamison, Garret or whoever was able to lead troops back to aid the Southpoint troops and whenever that time came, it could very well mean serious trouble for Valor and the Fallen Dragons. I'm not too sure how many Uller troops are marching toward Clearhaven but Valor retreating and meeting up with them would definitely be the safest course of action for him and the Fallen Dragons. With all of this said, it looks like we are one step closer to the Valor vs Jamison clash and while it wasn't something I had really thought about as a possibility before, now that I know it is most likely happening, it will certainly be epic!
[Retreat to east]
Voting is closed
So, Valor's plan after the initial battle against the Dayne fleet by Clearhaven will be to retreat to east, where he will regroup with the Uller reinfrocements. That is if everything goes according to plan of course, which is far from certain.
Next up, we'll return to Arvin Manwoody's storyline. He is on a mission to find the outlaws causing havoc in the Manwoody kingdom, and in his latest part he arrived to a village called Greenwater. There he questioned the villagers about the outlaws, but as they refused to speak, Larry took control of the interrogation. With his rather aggressive methods he managed to learn that the outlaws call themselves the Free Ravens, there were around fifty of them when they visited Greenwater, and they took recruits. While describing their leader, one of the villagers said he was carrying a sword with heart-shaped ruby in the pommel, and Arvin recognized that to be Lady Forlorn, the ancestral sword of House Corbray. As Larry moved on to question if the villagers know where the Free Ravens are now, Arvin decided to interrupt the interrogation before it would get bloody. And that's where we shall continue, I hope to get the part done by tomorrow!
Arvin
”Enough”, Arvin commanded sternly, and Larry the Kind immediately shifted his gaze to him. For a moment he was visibly annoyed by the prince interrupting his interrogation, but he quickly hid it under a thin smile. “As you wish, my prince”, he said calmly, sheathing his dagger and walking away from the villagers.
“We are grateful for the information you have given us today”, Arvin spoke to the villagers, a sharp glare in his eyes. “Loyalty for the crown will be rewarded, while treachery will be punished. Remember that.” With those words Arvin turned around and began to walk towards their camp, Larry quickly catching up to him.
“Apologies, my prince, but I think we could’ve gained more information if you had let me continue”, he spoke quietly. Arvin took in a deep breath, keeping his gaze away from the freak. “Perhaps”, he admitted dryly. “However, we ought to not push these people too far, the situation is volatile enough as it is. Besides, we learned enough.”
“Did we?” Larry questioned sharply, as they arrived at the camp by the lakeside. “All we learned is that they call themselves the Free Ravens, and that there were around fifty of them when they visited Greenwater.”
“We also learned that their leader is a knight of House Corbray”, Arvin stated calmly, and Larry narrowed his eyes in confusion. “The man you interrogated described their leader’s sword”, Arvin pointed out. “A heart-shaped ruby in the pommel – that’s Lady Forlorn, the ancestral sword of House Corbray.”
“Interesting, but not particularly helpful when it comes to finding these bastards”, Larry replied sternly, and Arvin gave him a nod. “We’ll find them in time”, he said nonchalantly. “For now, instead of focusing on where, we should concentrate on learning who our enemy truly is. Who is Ser Lucas Corbray, and why has he decided to come here?”
“Want me to ask the villagers about him?” Larry asked cynically, but Arvin shook his head. “No, I doubt they know much about him. We rest now, and tomorrow we continue towards Safyre Hall”, he responded, before making his way to his tent.
-
Next day they continued southwest towards the lands of House Safyre, trekking through the rugged and lightly wooded uplands terrain. There were not many settlements in these lands, only some odd shepherds’ cabins here and there. Soldiers would rarely if ever patrol these lands, which made Arvin suspect the Free Ravens could have found a place to hide in here. However, that suspicion was too broad for him to start searching these lands quite yet – they needed to learn more.
Many hours after noon, as the Manwoody entourage was making their way down towards the valley where the lands under House Safyre’s governance began, they came across something equally interesting and disturbing. A large oak standing on a small hill, five soldiers in the colors of House Safyre hanging from its branches. Their boots had been taken, as well as their helmets, belts and weapons, but those who had hanged them had made sure to leave their red tabards on.
“Work of the Free Ravens”, Larry stated emotionlessly as they halted by the tree. Arvin dismounted his horse and approached the oak, taking in a deep breath as he eyed the pale and lifeless faces of the hanged soldiers. “May the Father judge them fairly”, he spoke laconically, hiding his anger behind his calm tone. “Take them down and bury them”, he commanded the soldiers, who heeded his order immediately.
“An attempt at intimidation, no doubt”, Larry said with an almost bored tone, watching the soldiers cutting the ropes and beginning to dig the graves. As Arvin remained silent, Larry spoke up again. “Don’t be too upset, my prince. These Free Ravens will suffer a fate much worse than hanging.” A cold smirk formed on the freak’s face as he spoke those words.
“I hope they do”, Arvin replied quietly, before turning away from Larry.
-
That evening before sundown they arrived to a small inn by the road, a day’s travel away from Safyre Hall. While the troops began to set up the camp outside, Arvin and Larry approached the inn with four soldiers as their guards. Above the door was a wooden signboard depicting a goat with a horn of ale on its mouth, and underneath it read with red letters ‘Drunken Goat’.
“Grew up in a place much like this”, Larry said calmly, a charming smile forming on his face. Arvin narrowed his eyes, realizing how little he actually knew about Larry’s past. It was the same with all of the king’s freaks, and perhaps that was for the best.
They entered the inn, noticing that four of the eight tables were occupied. In the corner half-a-dozen men had gathered to listen a redheaded girl playing a lute, singing along with her. One of the tables was occupied by an old passed out man, and on the tables by the fireplace were stern and quiet men armed with knives and axes. They glared at Arvin and his men as they walked past them, but remained quiet.
As they took their seats by the small window, the chubby barmaid approached them. However, before she reached them, one of the men by the fireplace spoke up. “Hold it right there”, he said with an authoritative tone, and the barmaid stopped dead on her tracks. At the same time the singing and playing stopped at the other end of the taproom.
The man who had spoken stood up from his seat, taking a few slow steps closer to their table. He was on his late forties if Arvin had to guess, with balding head and a couple of gruesome scars on his face. The man tapped the barmaid lightly on the shoulder, and with a humble nod she returned behind her desk.
“You the king’s men?” The man asked coldly, eyeing at Arvin and his companions. “Aye”, Arvin responded sternly. “And there’s a hundred more of us outside”, he added as a subtle threat, and the man exchanged looks with his companions. “Hundred, aye?” he asked curiously, and Arvin gave him a nod. “You must be quite important then.”
“He is Arvin Manwoody, the son and heir of King Albin”, Larry spoke with an arrogant tone, leaning back on his chair. “Cause trouble for us, and there will be no place for you to hide.” A tense silence followed the freak’s words, until the balding man broke it with a cold chuckle. “Word is that Albin won’t rule for long”, he said calmly, and the people behind him muttered in agreement. The man moved his hand on the hilt of his axe, and in reaction Arvin’s guards stood up and prepared to unsheathe their swords.
“Enough!” the redheaded young woman with the lute yelled, and everyone in the taproom shifted their attention to her. “Did you come here to start a fight?” she asked strictly, glaring at both Arvin’s group and the balding man. “Because the rest of us came here to sing and enjoy ourselves!”
The balding man removed his hand from the hilt of the axe, and with a nod towards the redheaded lady he returned to his seat, keeping his eyes away from Arvin and his men. Soon the barmaid brought them ale and soup, and the playing and singing returned.
“That is not just some ordinary singer”, Larry stated quietly, glaring at the redheaded lady who had resumed playing her lute. “The man obeyed her order without any objections.”
“It wasn’t really an order though”, Arvin pointed out tiredly, taking a deep gulp from his ale. “Perhaps not, but it’s clear she has some authority over these men”, Larry insisted, looking Arvin to the eyes. “My prince, I think you should approach her, ask her some questions. Who knows, perhaps she is even connected to the Free Ravens.”
[Approach the singer] [Leave her be]
[Approach the singer]
[Approach the singer]
If I remember correctly, there was a woman who played the lute with the Free Ravens when they were first introduced. She seemed pretty high up in their chain of command, for she was directly accompanying Lucas Corbray.
[Approach the singer] She will try to change the subject, but she's their best lead right now.
[Leave her be]
[Approach the singer]
I imagine that this is definitely the singer from the book 2 prologue and there she was right with Ser Lucas when he killed Joffrey. Seeing that along with how she was able to get the men to stand down here it is pretty clear that she is a very important person and that she would be a prime person to get information out of. Lucas will find out about this encounter with Arvin I am sure along with whether he approaches her or not so I figure it wouldn't hurt to at least try and if Arvin can't get any real information out of her, I believe he will be able to figure out who she supports and make plans on what to do moving forward.
[Approach the singer]
[Leave her be]
See, it seems pretty clear that this woman is indeed with the Free Ravens from what we have seen with the prologue, likely as a member but at the very least as a close associate. So, approaching her will bring Arvin closer to his goal of finding the Free Ravens, one way or the other. Since I doubt she'll be willing to cooperate, this is likely not going to end well. And I think it's clear that I don't want Arvin to succeed here, I don't want him to find the Free Ravens and help his father strike against one of the most important enemies he currently has. Instead, I want it to be the other way around. This woman at least is in contact to the Free Ravens and she knows whom Arvin is. If we leave her be now, then the Free Ravens might be able to catch Arvin by surprise later on. And well, that sounds preferable than him having any time to prepare himself. So, approaching her will definitely give him an advantage, but given the kind of person Arvin is and, even worse, the kind of people he's loyal to, I absolutely do not want him to gain any potential advantage.
[Leave her be] Liquid pretty much said all that I was thinking of posting myself. Seems like the choice is already decided though, but hopefully Arvin approaching the singer will actually be a double-edged sword in the end. Arvin himself doesn't seem to think much of her, so it gives me hope that in the end it might the singer who'll actually gain the most information here. If she indeed is a member of the Free Ravens, it's not like she would give him any real helpful information and if the freak tries to go the same route he did with the villagers, then they're pretty much fucked. Sure Arvin has a hundred men in their camp outside, but he only brought five (counting the freak) with him, while there's a lot of other people already inside the tavern.
Hello everyone. First of all, sorry for the couple weeks of silence, it has been due to me considering what to do with this story. Sadly, I've come to the decision to shelve it, at least for now. The reason isn't anything in my personal life, nor is it a lack of interest for this story. In fact, there are many characters and storylines that I genuinely feel sad leaving unfinished. However, especially during this summer I've grown more and more frustrated with the limitations that come with the format of interactive storytelling. Don't get me wrong though, on one hand the interactivity with the small audience I've managed to gather here has been the best thing about writing NW, and I'm very thankful for all of you who have discussed and shared your thoughts, submitted awesome characters (even though admittedly creating a cast based on reader submissions holds its own problems as well), not to mention the amazing H&L parts. Thanks for all of that, it has been the reason I managed to keep doing this as long as I did. And sorry for letting you down now, but I hope you at least enjoyed the one book I managed to finish.
However, as said, the limitations of the format have begun to bug me more and more recently, especially the feeling of not being able to reach my full potential as a writer this way. Having to structure the story around choices even when it doesn't make much sense, not being able to properly plan ahead due to the choices and new submitted characters, which in turn leads to rushed and uninspired parts and storylines etc. This is also the reason why I'm planning to do my future fanfic projects as non-interactive on another website (more about that below). I know interactive storytelling can be done well, case in point being Liquid's Forum of Thrones, but I've just come to the conclusion that it is not the optimal format for me.
Now, I fully realize that the interactivity and investment in your submitted characters is probably for many of you the main selling point of NW in the first place, so I understand if you don't have much interest for me shilling my new non-interactive project. However, for those of you who enjoy my storytelling, I urge you to at least check out my new story on fanfiction.net, here's the link: https://fanfiction.net/s/13034116/1/The-Age-of-Storm. It's called The Age of Storm, and it is set a couple decades later than NW, focusing on all of Westeros instead of just Dorne. For now there is only the prologue and first chapter/part, and there isn't really a schedule for uploads, I just add new chapters when I'm 100% satisfied with them. Because of this, I'm confident that the consistency of quality will be much higher in TAoS than it has been in NW. And in case you're interested, I'm not planning to 100% follow NW's continuity in TAoS, but I will definitely use some of the characters there. Well, Nymeria is a given, but even some of the submitted ones. Anyway, if you do end up checking it out I'd love to hear your thoughts either there or here, however you like.
Once again, I'm sorry for not being able to give closure to this story. If it was a question of just pushing forward for a couple more months I'd definitely do it, but bringing NW to its end would require several years, and I just can't see myself doing it while being frustrated and unsatisfied with the format. Still, I'd like to thank you all for following and taking part, writing NW has overall been mostly a positive experience, and I do feel like I've developed as a writer. Peace!
Oh man, this actually hit me. Nymeria's War has been truly and by far my favourite story in the forums over the past two and a half years and I thought, if there is one that can be finished, it'll be this one. As far as I am concerned, hearing that you have decided to shelve it is truly crushing. It has been a wonderful ride so far, truly the best I have read in the forums and a story that I would have remained interested in until its very end. I had hoped it would reach its conclusion, so these news pretty much hit me without warning. At the same time, it is your choice, I understand and accept it, unhappy as I may be about it. Of course you can count on me being active for The Age of Storm as well.
Though you mention it is the format and not the lack of interest in the story itself. Perhaps there could be another way? I know the problem might run deeper than that, but the thought of having this wonderful story unfinished is something that sits hard with me and I know how much harder it must sit with you. I can, of course, only speak for myself, but I would love a conclusion to the story and its characters. While I know your new story is likely going to offer some pieces of it, there is just so much about Nymeria's War I fear will be left hanging, so much stuff left unwritten. And after what you are writing here, it seems you are not quite happy with leaving things like that either. As far as I am concerned, I don't need interactivity. I do not plan to submit additional characters and I am always happy to leave my thoughts on parts even if there is no choice involved. In fact, I don't need choices or character submissions and the like. Admittedly, it is why I came in the first place, back when I joined the forums, but with Nymeria's War, it has grown beyond that, an attachement to the story itself, one I would love to see concluded in some way.
Now, I now there is likely going to be some conclusion in The Age of Storm, but personally, I would love to actually have resolutions to the tons of stuff in the story that could have happened, the things you likely had planned. Seeing not what is going to be decades after NW, but seeing how it will happen, how the characters will interact during the conquest and things like that. This is what makes these news so hard for me. After what you have written here, I know you're not happy about leaving things like that either. I know there have been plans and well, I at least had and still have this tremendous hype for what could have been in the future. Of course, continuing the story as it is won't be an option. You tried, but this whole interactive storytelling isn't for anyone. To be honest, I know exactly how you feel, the unpredictability makes it hard to plan ahead and it can happen that new characters mess up existing plans. So, how do you feel about continuing the story without the interactivity? The active readers here have their characters in the story or at least submitted and while the choices have always been nice, I read the story to see how it continues, not to see how my choices may affect it. That has always been but a nice gimmick and if it becomes that hard for you to continue with it, maybe just scrapping it could be an option, a middle ground. You have put years of hard work into the story and while my interest in seeing it continued is definitely also due to the tremendous excitement I have for the storylines and characters and for this being my favourite story, I would hate to see your actual efforts in vain. Perhaps it would be possible to continue this story without the choices and without the character submission? It would not change a thing for me in the way I am active here, but having an actual conclusion to all this would mean the world and I bet you don't enjoy leaving things so open-ended either. That could have the added benefit of the story being able to run simultaneously on fanfiction.net, gaining a greater following.
Alternatively, if this is not an option for you, I do have another suggestion I would like to bring up, but I think I'd prefer to do that in a PM (and I realize, with guilt, that I have kept you on hold in our conversation for some time now), mostly because it is a bit odd and I'd be super embarrassed if more than one other person even knows about it before you either agree or disagree.
And finally, though I hope that there can be some way for the story to continue, if in a different form, let me take a moment to thank you for the wonderful first book of the story. You have created something wonderful here and while I'd do anything to have a proper continuation and conclusion to it, I cannot thank you enough for the work you have done here so far
Liquid said all that I wanted to say myself, I second pretty much every word he said above, especially the idea about continuing the story without the interactive part. You see, at least to me personally the most important part about the interactive stories here in the forums is the character submission part and not the choices themselves. Pretty much everyone who reads NW already submitted their characters, so closing the submissions now wouldn't (I imagine) be a problem to any of us. I'm really so attached to a number of characters here, it would be a shame not to see their stories properly finished. So, if you still feel excited about NW, I say ditch the whole interactivity part and tell the story how you like, hell, even decide which characters you want to keep in the story or not. To a degree, I even think that taking away the interactivity part would be better, that way you can plan ahead without any unforeseen issues and you won't have to worry about putting a choice at the end of every part and worrying about whether these choices would stay in character or not.
Now, regardless of what you decide to do about NW in the end, I also wanted to thank you for taking the time to write NW to begin with. NW and FoT have been sources of great enjoyment for me during this past year and I'm really glad that I happened upon them in the forums.
@LiquidChicagoTed & @Javier Raviolli , you've certainly given me a lot to consider here. For some reason the idea of continuing NW as a non-interactive story never crossed my mind, and admittedly it'll be a bit strange to change the format midway through, but I'm quite liking the idea. I need to consider this a bit longer still, but I'm seriously warming up to it already. It would probably mean a bit less frequent updates (especially as I'm working on TAoS as well), but I think I could compensate that with longer parts and improved quality. Anyway, it's not confirmed yet, but I'd certainly love to give this story the conclusion it deserves. You know, perhaps the reason I never even considered this solution was because I thought that dropping the interactivity aspect would mean losing the audience's interest, but I'm glad to be proven wrong
All that said, I'm still quite curious about that other suggestion you had in mind, Liquid
I know I haven't really commented much in this story's thread and its been quite a while since I told you I would send you characters I still haven't sent, but I still do very much like the story and i'm fully on board with Liquid's suggestion if you want to go through with it. So just so you know you have at least three readers if you choose to continue that way.
It would honestly be really sad and disappointing if the story just stopped, for all the current readers and all who might take interest in it. It's sadly something this forum's been used to with interfics or just stories over all that people write in these threads. The large majority don't even get half way before the writer gets bored or leaves or just dissapears never to be seen again. As far as I know the only two that are guaranteed to be finished are FOT, since Liquid is part robot part Stephen King clone, and my own story Prime, which has taken such a long time to continue that its kind of shameful to admit and only continues because I refuse to give it up. Besides that there have been so many that just end or never even start. Back in the old days, when guys like me and Liquid started joining stories, so many got cancelled mid way, there was even one author who just gave up and didn't tell anyone despite having three whole stories all with different people reading and getting excited for them. All those stories just dropped into the void never to return.
And this story was and hopefully still is absolutely amazing. It really shows a lot of creativity and passion from you and so many love it that it would really be a shame for everyone if it goes down that road. I am sure I'm not alone (partly because Javier and Liquid seem to agree) when saying that we would support any format of continuation for this story.
Ah man I had a bad feeling about this. The others who have posted have pretty much said a lot of my many thoughts about this so I will try to keep what other thoughts I have short since I am on my phone and I don't want to just repeat what they have already said too much. With that said, I will say that this story is the one that really made me interested in fanfictions with you actually posting the first part right around when I first joined this forum. In all honesty, I hadn't really heard of fanfictions or at least knew all that much about them until I joined this forum so safe to say NW has made a pretty big difference in my life as far as my reading choices go.
This story really is too great to go unfinished and I definitely agree with the others in that while the choices and submitted characters are cool and a lot of what got me interested in the fanfictions here, it certainly isn't a dealbreaker which leads me to add that I would really like to see NW in a non interactive form! Cut off the submissions and cut out characters that don't fit your vision for the story if you need to but I have to agree that I really want to see this story continue to unfold in your vision and I know I would continue to be a loyal reader and leave my thoughts in every part. I will add that I will join in on your new story as well and I am sure the quality there will be top notch just the same as it is with NW. With that said, ultimately continuing NW or not is your decision and whatever you feel is best for you, I understand. If this does end up being the end of Nymeria's War in any form, then I thank you for writing this wonderful story and I look forward to seeing more of your work
Phew, I am glad you appreciate the suggestion! Honestly, if it is only a problem with the interactive part, then by all means, get rid of it. The story has started interactive, the character submission and our choices have undoubtedly shaped it, but it has grown beyond this a long time ago. I don't think it is necessary anymore, not with the strong following you have gained by now. It has always been a nice gimmick, something to make it stand out, but the main selling point has always been your excellent writing and the compelling characters that I have grown invested in. The reactions of the others here show that I'm thankfully not alone with that. It is your story and there has gone so much work and passion into it that I truly hope that there can be a way for it to find its proper conclusion instead of ending prematurely. An end, a proper end, maybe even the story of Nymeria's War in all the epic entirety you undoubtedly had planned for. Not having choices in it could also come at the added benefit of you being able to write longer parts, whole scenes at once. For example, Arvin's latest part could have already included the talk with the singer that did not happen due to us being given the choice to approach her or not. The more thought I put into it, the more I think that not having choices anymore won't just be a necessary change for the story to continue, but a welcome thing, something that can improve the quality of the parts and, most importantly, your excitement to tell the story.
So, it won't just not bother me if you decide to cut back on the interactivity, it is something I'd even see a big chance in. Not having to bother with choices, especially in situations where you don't feel they make sense or where you'd very much prefer to continue writing the scene into a particular direction can give you a degree of control over the story that I, for example, simply don't have with mine. I hope you will decide to continue the story in your way and I feel that it will ultimately be all the better for it. Of course, it is your decision and I will understand and accept it regardless of the outcome. However, I hope you can find a way to continue the story without the elements that hold you back. A lot of work and time on your end went into it and a lot of investment and excitement from the readers. I'm certain everyone here will always support the story. If it needs to change in order to continue, so be it, it sounds like it would be a change for the better.
Now, that other suggestion I brought up would have been in case your decision to drop the story would have been related to simply being fed up with telling the story itself, no desire to continue working with the world and the characters. I see this is thankfully not the case and there might yet be ways around the problems that you have encountered, so that the story might hopefully continue to shine. However, for your amusement I shall send you a PM about my thoughts on the subject
I really wouldn't mind if the story lost the interactive part, the story is great on it's own, and while I would like to post a new character on occasion if the situation allowed it, but this is your story and I would love to see the conclusion.
I know my opinion is a bit redundant right now, but I wanted you to know.
I'm shocked! This is my favorite story in the forums. I pretty much have the same feelings as everyone else. I would still read it if you made it less interactive.
I know I myself usually leave the comments with only votes in this thread, but believe me when I say that I would completely be on board with the story continuing with no votes and no character submissions. I got really invested into this story and it would be real shame to see it unfinished. I'm not much of a writer myself, but I think if you close the submissions now, and take some time to plan the story out, there is no reason this story wouldn't be both awesome for us and comfortable for you to write. But anyway, don't feel forced to continue the story if you don't want to, just wanted to say that I will be reading the story in whichever format it continues.
Watching from afar with nostalgia and in some part envy, I always liked to keep tabs on your brilliant story, even if I couldn't manage to keep up with the reading. These projects often begin as something small and erupt into something overly ambitious, and I do remember a long time ago we exchanged ideas about where we wanted to take our story-telling in the future, so it warms me that even with this grievous news, life spawns from the soil with TAoS, I'm really glad you are going through with that idea.
Furthermore, I fully understand where you are coming from with your struggle in this. In the Invasion I struggle with the sheer character base I foolishly chose to overwhelm myself with, and in both my interactive stories I find that actually making the choice is a forced and rather spontaneous action which feels to alienate or prolong sections of the story. I always felt I did this poorly, and while I was an avid reader of both your projects, I took inspiration from your fluent techniques, you did it brilliantly. There is a part of me that is glad I am not the only one to struggle with this, but it still saddens me to see this as a result, even if I feel I'm likely to share the same path given with where my life is heading.
However with my gaze set ahead I'd like to say that I feel better inclined to start engaging with your new project with a fresh start, not overwhelmed with the sheer pages and chapters of writing needed to catch up on
You were and are a real inspiration to me, and dare I say us all. Your works encouraged me to start my own projects, and there's never been a moment where I've looked back in regret for that, so I do feel I need to thank you. I'm sorry that with time we fell out, but I'll always be a great fan of your works, and I look forward to seeing the potential that arises with your new path 
Hello again! So, first of all, thanks for all the supportive messages. I can't lie, it has been extremely encouraging and validating to read about how invested you guys are in this story, as well as the support for the idea of continuing this story in a non-interactive format. So encouraging that I have indeed decided to give this idea a shot instead of shelving Nymeria's War.
For full transparency, I haven't actually resumed writing NW yet, as I've concentrated on getting out the first chapters of The Age of Storm. And speaking of TAoS, the parts I've uploaded to fanfiction.net so far should give you a good idea of the length and format I'm planning to continue NW with. This will mean longer parts and hopefully improved quality, with the choices being cut and perhaps a bit longer waiting period between parts. That said, in the long run I actually expect this format change to speed up the process of getting NW to its conclusion, as I can progress the plot more naturally instead of grinding the pace to a halt to concentrate on the minutiae of the choices. Don't get me wrong, the choices have been a fun gimmick at times and there will probably be moments where I'll miss them, but overall I feel like they're just not worth risking the quality of storytelling for. I'll keep the character submissions open at least for a while still, in case some of you still had some character ideas you've been working on. Oh, and H&L parts will always be welcome, if any of you feel like doing them
So, I am planning to kick off this new format with a part from Femi. As a bit of a recap, she is the rebellious younger sister of Farrah of Ghoyan Drohe, and together with Lysera and Ayron she has been tasked with finding her brother Ammon, who is apparently involved with the conspiracy against Nymeria. In order to find him Femi has decided to meet a man called Turtle Prince in Planky Town, whom he expects to know her brother's whereabouts. On the way there Femi got into a bit of a heated conversation with Ayron, who ended up pressing her to answer whether in the worst case scenario she'd stay loyal to their mission or side with her brother instead. She refused to answer, which is where her next part will begin. As said, I have not yet began to write this part, and it is very hard to estimate how quickly I'll be able to get it done. However, broadly speaking you can expect it within a week or so.
Thanks once more for all the support you've shown, you are quite literally the reason this story is still alive
This is good news. I'm glad you are continuing the story.
Ah, I am so glad to hear this! Nymeria's War is too good to be cancelled, so I am honestly happy to hear you wish to continue it in a non-interactive format. Seeing all the characters we have grown to know and like as the story progresses, that will be amazing. And honestly, it feels great to know that our excitement for the story has ended up saving it. Admittedly, you are right, at times the choices will definitely be missed by me as well. I bet there will be moments and storylines where I'd wish I could influence the outcome, perhaps even in storylines where the outcome will be overall positive and I'll definitely will be left wondering how things could have been in the storylines where the ending might not be all that pleasant. In the end though, this really is merely a gimmick, one that is not worth risking the story itself for, because it is as I said, NW is so much more than our choices. Your writing has always been top notch and I have and always had full trust in your ability to tell a compelling story, even more so when left with complete freedom on how to proceed. Choices can be limiting, so I really am excited to see how the story will progress without them. I think this has been why I was so surprised by your initial announcement of shelving NW, because so far, I never got the impression that the choices held you back and had a negative impact on the storytelling. Considering how amazing and engaging this has been so far, I am honestly hyped to see where you'll take the story with these changes.
And hm, the submission is still open you say? I mean, I am very happy with Gwen, Naemon and Varyn, more than that actually, but if this is the last chance, I might have to think about submitting another character. I suppose I'll send you a PM once I have a better idea if I even want to submit another character at all. H&L parts are definitely something I keep doing though
Femi
Femi glared at Ayron and shook her head. “I’m not going to answer that,” she hissed with a spiteful tone, to which Ayron just nodded. “You don’t have to, your silence tells me enough,” he responded coldly. “Well, at least now I know not to trust you.”
“Come on Ayron, that was an unfair question,” Lysera argued with a sigh. “You are asking her to choose between a brother and two people she hardly knows.”
“I am asking her to choose between a traitor and the Principality,” Ayron corrected harshly, the look on his eyes indicating his mind wouldn’t be changed, not that Femi even cared to try. The old fool can think what he likes. Ammon was still her brother, and she refused to believe that they had to become enemies.
There was no further conversation that evening, and the next day they continued towards the Greenblood. Few hours past the noon they arrived to the village where Femi had left her boat. She was glad to see the villagers had kept their word and kept the boat safe and in good condition. With the help of Lysera and Ayron, Femi pushed the boat back to the water. It was a relatively simple poleboat with little ornamentation, but still well-crafted and comfortable, having a small hut in the middle that could fit three or four people in it at once.
Ayron made his way inside, while Femi and Lysera went to the rear to push the boat forward and steer it with the poles.
“So, does the boat have a name?” Lysera asked casually, and Femi frowned. “No,” she said calmly, raising her eyebrow. “Never really even though about that, to be honest.”
“Well maybe you should consider it,” Lysera suggested with a playful tone. “You could name it after someone’s who’s important to you, maybe someone you miss?”
“Juni,” Femi blurted out, immediately turning her gaze down in regret and grief.
“Someone you lost?” Lysera asked gently, and Femi nodded. “My mother,” she muttered quietly. “She died on the Summer Isles, fever took her,” she explained with a gulp.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Lysera spoke with a compassionate tone, and Femi could only give her a meek nod. For a moment neither of them said anything, and they just glided in silence past the green and fertile countryside surrounding the Greenblood.
“I’m sorry about Ayron,” Lysera finally spoke up again. “He means well, and he’ll accept you in time.”
“Only if I let him kill my brother, it would seem,” Femi responded with a bitter tone, but Lysera shook her head. “Trust me, none of us wants to kill your brother,” she assured, and it sounded sincere. “That’s the reason why we need you Femi, to convince Ammon that his cause isn’t worth dying for.”
Femi nodded wordlessly, even if she knew all too well how stubborn her brother was. Taking back Rhoyne would be easier than changing Ammon’s mind.
It took them another hour before they finally reached Planky Town. Seeing the wooden piers, platforms and bridges that creeped over the waters of Greenblood from both sides of the river brought a small smile on Femi’s face. This place was the closest thing to a home she had, a tiny sparkle of the great civilization the Rhoynar had once been. Dozens of boats were moving in and out of the town, and many more were anchored by the planked piers. Many of them were simple and modest like Femi’s, while others were painted in vibrant colors and decorated with elaborate sculptures.
“You should go inside,” Femi said quietly to Lysera, who gave her a questioning look. “It’s better if we’re not seen arriving together,” she explained hastily, and with a nod the young warrior woman made her way inside the hut.
Femi docked her boat on the southern side, on a shadowy spot next to some warehouses. She glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to her, and opened the door of the hut. Lysera was sitting on the carpet, while Ayron was standing up by the small window with a frustrated expression on his face. “We’re in Planky Town,” Femi announced needlessly with an apathetic tone. “I’ll go talk with Turtle Prince now. If you want to look around, wait a couple minutes before leaving. And… try not to draw too much attention, this town is filled sympathizers of the conspiracy.”
“Shouldn’t we be coming with you?” Ayron questioned sternly, and Femi gave him an indifferent glare. “Sure, if you want to lose any chance we have of finding Ammon,” she sneered, to which the old cripple reacted with an irritated frown on his scarred face. “By myself I may be able to get something out of the Turtle Prince, if I go to him with the two of you he’ll say nothing. In fact, he’ll probably set his thugs after us,” Femi explained with a sigh, which was followed by a tense moment of silence.
“We understand,” Lysera finally said, giving Femi an approving nod. “Go now, we’ll stay and watch the boat.”
With a thin and hesitant smile on her face Femi closed the door of the hut, and climbed out of the boat. She walked along the pier to the east, past the warehouses and towards the floating market that was the heart of the town. On the other side of it was the harbor for ships coming from the sea, and the small lighthouse overlooking it. However, Femi took a sharp turn to right just before the market, and made her way through a narrow alley to the dusty streets of the town. The buildings closest to the river were mainly built from timber, but walking away from the water sandstone and mudbrick quickly became the prevalent materials. Planky Town was young and still growing, with several new buildings always under construction.
Femi approached a two-story building with a small porch and two palm trees in front of it. It was made of sandstone, its corners were painted red, and above its wooden door hung a turtle’s shell that was over four feet wide. In one of the great Rhoynar cities of old it would’ve been among the more modest buildings, but here surrounded mostly by small huts it looked quite impressive.
On the porch next to the door was sitting a slender young man with curly black hair and plain face. He was dressed in a simple red wool tunic paired with a dark leather vest, and next to him was a finely crafted halberd leaning against the wall. Femi recalled having seen this man few times before in Turtle Prince’s company, but couldn’t remember his name.
“Afternoon,” she said calmly as she approached the porch. Instantly the man shifted his eyes to her, a slightly startled look on them. “Oh, you,” he mumbled, moving his hand back from reaching towards the halberd.
“Yes, me,” Femi responded dryly. “Is Turtle Prince home?”
“We are Orphans. None of us are home, sister,” the man responded, his tone calm but the look on his eyes sharp. “You know what I meant,” Femi replied impatiently, and a slight grin formed on the man’s face as he stood up from his chair. He grabbed the halberd and approached Femi, studying her face with his eyes. “Why are you here?” he finally asked. “In need of coin again, is that it?”
“Who were you again?” Femi asked with a condescending tone. The man’s grin faded, replaced with an almost disappointed expression. He moved the halberd slightly closer to Femi and spoke up. “My name is Jarak,” he said tensely, and now Femi flashed him a playful smirk.
“Well then, Jarak, mind answering my question?” she chirped, but Jarak kept on his steely expression. “If you answer mine,” he insisted. “Why are you here?”
“Fine, I’m looking for Ammon,” Femi answered frustratedly. The answer seemed to satisfy Jarak, as the expression on his face mellowed and he moved his halberd away. “Figured Turtle Prince would be the first person I should ask,” she added with a sigh, and Jarak nodded. “Good thinking,” he complimented calmly, and led her inside.
The ground floor of the house was one big open room, including a large wooden round table in the middle. The floors were covered with fine carpets, there was a wooden bookshelf with dozens of books, beautifully crafted and painted vases stood by the walls, and green glass had been used on the three latticework windows that offered a view to the small walled garden behind the house.
However, Jarak led them up the stairs to the upper floor. There was a wide corridor with doors to three separate rooms, and at the very end an archway out to the balcony overlooking the garden. Two more armed men stood in guard of the archway. These two were clad in scale armors and wore pointed halfhelms with nasal and cheek guards. They were armed with halberds similar to that of Jarak’s, and round red iron shields depicting a green turtle were strapped to their left arms.
The guards let them pass without questions, and so they stepped out on the balcony. There Turtle Prince was sitting on his comfortable armchair, a wine carafe and small glass on the table next to him. He was a plump and unattractive man on his late forties, with pasty skin and thin brown hair that was starting to recede. In his small brown eyes was usually a disinterested and haughty gaze, and below his broad nose was a thin mustache. He was dressed in green silken robes adorned with gold, and in his fat fingers were four golden rings in total.
“It’s been a while, Femi,” the Turtle Prince spoke with his indolent voice, taking a sip of the wine as he finished speaking. “Turtle Prince,” Femi greeted him with a respectful nod. “I hope you’re not holding grudge over that busted job a few moons ago,” she said with a nervous smirk.
The Turtle Prince let out a lazy chuckle and shook his head. “All is forgiven, mylady,” he said, and while his lips formed a thin smile his eyes remained cold and emotionless. “I’m assuming you’re looking for another job?”
“Actually no, not this time,” Femi responded, her tone more serious now. The Turtle Prince narrowed his eyes, a mildly intrigued gaze in them. “I’ve come because I need your help to find my brother,” she explained with a subtle gulp. “I thought you might know where he is. He is an ally of yours, is he not?”
“I might know where Ammon is,” the Turtle Prince admitted nonchalantly, pouring more wine to his glass. “Why do you seek him?”
Femi was stunned for a couple of seconds, cursing herself internally for not thinking up what to say beforehand. “I… I miss him,” she finally managed to mutter, and though not the full truth it wasn’t a lie either. For a brief moment she could see something resembling sympathy in Turtle Prince’s eyes, before he turned them away and gulped down his wine. “Last time I saw Ammon I gave him my word that I wouldn’t reveal where he was going to anyone,” he spoke quietly, a hint of uncertainty in his words.
“He probably didn’t expect me to come looking for him,” Femi replied with a sigh, feeling bad for knowing she was only looking for Ammon now because Farrah had asked her to. “But wherever he is, I need to speak with him. It has been way too long.”
“Family is important,” the Turtle Prince said with a small nod, a contemplating expression on his face. “Fine then. Your brother is in Godsgrace, has been for the past three weeks.”
“Do you happen to know why he is there?” Femi asked carefully, and the Turtle Prince gave her a stern glare. “Don’t concern yourself with that too much, sweet girl,” he said, his tone calm but definitive. “To find him, go to a tavern near the eastern gate called ‘Maiden’s Kiss’. A Rhoynar man named Yaren is a regular there, green eyes, long black hair and goatee, a scar on his forehead. Tell him I sent you and he’ll take you to Ammon.”
“Thank you for doing this,” Femi said with a relieved tone, and the Turtle Prince gave her a stiff nod. “I have great respect for your brother, and I know he cares for you,” he said calmly, taking in a deep breath. “In return for this favor, I have just one request for you.”
“Yes?” Femi asked with a raised eyebrow, slightly concerned that she wouldn’t like this request.
“If your brother decides to reveal to you what he is doing in Godsgrace, do not interfere, no matter how concerned for him you may be,” the Turtle Prince spoke sternly, his words leaving no room for doubt that he was being serious. “For if you interfere with his plans in any way, I will be forced to consider you as my enemy.”
“You needn’t worry about that,” Femi managed to say thinly, and the Turtle Prince smiled coldly to her. “That is all,” he said, turning his eyes away from her.
With an anxious feeling Femi made her way out of the house, more conflicted than ever before. Now staying loyal to Farrah and Nymeria wouldn’t only mean betraying Ammon’s trust, but also crossing one of the most influential men in Greenblood. If she were to do what Farrah had asked of her, she could never go back to the life she had, and she would be forced to rely on Nymeria’s protection. Is that a sacrifice I’m willing to make?
I'M glad you are back. Femi is certainly facing a dangerous dilemma. Clearly there is a growing conspiracy against House Martell, but I wonder what are their objectives, especially after Varyn killed several of it's members.
Well, it is a conspiracy against Nymeria, so at the very least we can assume the main objective is removing her from power. Inside the conspiracy are surely a variety of types though, from people who just oppose Nymeria's ongoing conquest and want her to instead concentrate on protecting Greenblood, to more radical types who want to assassinate Nymeria and usurp her position as the ruler of the remaining Rhoynar. And of course, we know some Westerosi who oppose Nymeria's rule over them could be involved as well.
First of all, I am so glad the story is back! The new format did not feel strange at all and the quality itself is of course great as always. Here I really enjoyed the lawless atmosphere in Planky Town. It was quite a difference to the usual way things are portrayed in Nymeria's parts of Dorne. I really gotta wonder just what Ammon is doing in Godsgrace though. I doubt it is anything good, else the Turtle Prince wouldn't have been that cryptic about it.
Related to that, there is one new aspect I just now noticed. I mean we have talked before how removing the choices is unfortunate, but necessary, that it means cutting an expendable element to increase the quality of writing and to effectively save the story as a whole. But after this part, I realized that it also adds a pretty significant aspect to the whole experience. While the story always had thrilling storylines and tense moments, we always had the chance to influence things. For example, a majority of readers picked options that prevented Gwen from falling for the Great Other's lies and it eventually saved her life. However, that was due to our choices and it has been pretty clear that no danger for her survival came from herself. That has changed now. Before, our choices offered some safety, some predictability to tense momwnts. Now, we can no longer be sure how the PoV characters will react and that adds a whole new layer of intrigue to several already thrilling moments to come, no doubt about it. For example with Femi, had NW continued in its old form, I am absolutely willing to bet our choices would have directly decided if she ends up stopping Ammon, how she will do this or even if she will rather join him. Now, we don't know what she will decide for and it arguably makes her storyline only more exciting. Next to all the other stuff, I am now also intrigued to learn how she will act and I am absolutely certain that she won't remain the only PoV where the lack of choices and influence on the characters' decisions will make things more exciting to read
Glad to see this will continue, but Wildling there's one thing you still need to clarify. Are character submissions still open or with this new format in place are they now closed?
Ah, it does feel good to continue this story, even if it took a change of format to rekindle my excitement
And yeah, while being within the authority of the Principality, Planky Town doesn't really have a real governing body atm. And while most people there are honest folk just doing their best to make do, the circustances do give a lot of power to shady figures such as the Turtle Prince. I'm glad I managed to give this vibe despite Femi's visit there being relatively short. And yeah, it's a safe bet that Ammon is up to no good in Godsgrace.
That is a good point indeed. The choices by their nature do sometimes make it a tad more predictable what might happen in the next part. And I'd also add that this way when the characters do make important choices it'll be easier for me to present those moments in a way that feels organic. Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts on this part
Yes, as for now the character submissions are still open. I might close it later down the line, but for now if you (or anyone) still have character ideas you want to shoot at me you can do so. I can't 100% guarantee that every character will make it into the story, but I will do my best to find at least a small role for every submitted character
It is definitely nice to see a new NW part! There is so much of this story left to be told and I am definitely glad you have decided to continue writing it
Now for the part, Femi really has quite an intriguing storyline with so many risks coming from her choice to find her brother that it definitely looks like her life will change massively in one way or another. It is pretty clear to see that Ammon is up to no good and most likely playing a role in this conspiracy so I have to say I am curious to what path Femi will end up taking here. I also have to say that the Turtle Prince is a pretty interesting character and I am definitely interested in seeing how much of a role he plays moving forward. Great part!