@MrDidact@kingkonrad Do you two have any tips for writer's block? I've been staring at the same damn word doc for the last two weeks, and my brain just can't write. I start to, end up not liking what I put down, and erase it all. I want to post, but to my lament, I am stuck with this blockage. Helps me comrades.
@Abefroeman It might help to take some time to relax and let your brain recharge. Or you could try bouncing ideas off of us, where are you stuck exactly?
@MrDidact Pretty much getting from point A to B. I am fretting because I've fallen behind. So, each time I write, it just seems off, like it is feeling a bit stale or not up to par. As for ideas, I am trying to break it into three parts, The West with Lord Lorimer, and the characters about him, the South with Ser Uther, and the East, with Ser Aerion and the others. I am trying to get it to come out in the correct manner, but, its like having a runaway dump truck, down hill, no brakes, towards a lake. I want it to be superb and groovy, but what I am getting is just, well, lifeless, like a boring bit of news. Idk, I am not trying to make excuses, but its like, WTF mate, why you know work brain. Hmm, I want to get caught up, I just need a little juice or something to recharge the ol noodle.
@Abefroeman I understand perfectly what you're going through and I still think that the best thing would be to either take a step back from things and relax your mind to get some inspiration or to hash things out with us. I'll be available if you want any input at all and who knows, maybe the season premier might give you a Game of Thrones jolt.
@Nightwing95 Yes the Stepstones will be the focus of the next big collab since most of the characters are there.
@AtomicNut You can put that scene as a new post, just set it up as a flashback if you want. Great work both of you by the way, excellent character moment for both Lysara and Rhaegar.
The mental image of Viserys being Rhaegar's wingman is just hilarious.
@Nightwing95 Yes the Stepstones will be the focus of the next big collab since most of the characters are there.
@AtomicNut You can put that scene as a new post, just set it up as a flashback if you want. Great work both of you by the way, excellent character moment for both Lysara and Rhaegar.
The mental image of Viserys being Rhaegar's wingman is just hilarious.
Uh, I already added that to a space on a previous post I had set up. But meh, better as a new post.
Recent History: Split between several sides of the war, and being unfortunate enought to support the wrong king during the tide of the war, House Florent was left in tatters and humilliated, as even Brightwater Keep had been granted to the Tyrell. However, in the brink of sheer dissolution, Brightwater Keep was rightfully returned to their owners, after the two long wars. The late lord Alekyne Florent managed, at the cost of his lifespan and premature aging, bring together the different quarreling factions within the house, and entrust it to his son, Alester Florent (named because of his grandfather). The house of Florent has seemingly crawled back to a position of power, but still the ravages of war are present in their numbers, a mix between R'hllor worshippers, traditionalists who do not want to let go of their grudges, Targayen supporters and those who want to turn a new leaf and even bury their grudges with the Tyrells. The house now boasts a reputation for hosting former war refugees and even outcast magic users as well as former Stannis supporters.
Family Members:
-Lord Alester Florent the Younger(20), ummarried -His sister, Lady Irise Florent(10)
-His kinsman Lady Mella Florent(26), priestess of R'hllor
-His kinsman Ser Colin Florent "Old Colin"(72) Castellan of Brightwater -his son Ser Merrell Florent(37), Knight of the Green Hand
Name: Alester Florent "the Younger" Aka "Les" Age:20 Appearance: Alester is a lanky man, with the characteristic ears of the Florents, and rather unimposing facial features. He cannot grow a beard, and he has prominent bushy eyebrows. His hair is dirt brown, and he usually keeps it short but unruly. His facial structure is rather thin. He does have some sort of pale blue eyes and a pronounced squint. He usually dresses rather well, and he wears a winter fox's pelt draped on his shoulders. He owns a rather functional plate with plain features save a prominent Florent coat-of-arms on the chestplate.
Role: Lord of Brightwater.
Equipment: A satchel with his diary and writing materials, his trusty full plate, a well made sword with a fox head in the pommel, a well crafted Oaken shield and the Valyrian Dagger Knightslayer
Skills: Alester was born with the curse of overflowing talent when he should have been mediocre so that his rule doing the impossible would have been short. A gifted polymath, in another day or era he would have become a mighty Hand of the King or King himself, but in the current form, every ounce of his talents is drained to keep House Florent together. A genius with the sword, but surpassed by those with less obligations and better trained, and a veritable scholar, but without the almost endless repository of knowledges of Maesters. Alester does know how administer his power and finances, as well as being a shrewd tactician. But above all of them, Alester knows how to hide his talents well, and exploit his inherent lack of charisma to let others think they're leading him. He is also hopeless when it comes to poetry and courting ladies, aswell.
Biography: Alester, the only born children of Alekyne Florent (as his father was too busy trying to herd the bickering foxes), was put under strain even from an early age as a desperate attempt to make him the glue that bound the entire house together. His childhood wasn't even such, and he was constantly lectured and instructed. He nevertheless never bickered, nor lashed out once, for he was a perceptive child, and he was fully aware on how truly dangerous the house could become should he mistepped even once. The young Alester learnt to shut in his true intentions and emotions from an early age, only showing his true nature in front of his parents or the few servants he trusted. Dismissed as a weak and meek heir by many, few were too also those who paid heed to the young fox strutting around the keep, immersing himself in books in the library or watching the house men-at-arms and trying to emulate them.
Encumbered by the burden of duty, young Alester always wished to be an errant knight, having to answer no one and having no one at his charge, and on his tenth birthday, spurred by the jealousy he felt towards his newborn sister Iris, he plotted escaping the keep to live adventures in the Seven Kingdoms. And thus one day, he escaped the keep, by disguising himself as smallfolk servant. Of course, this kind of behaviour became more difficult in the long run, as he not only had to evade the men his father had sent to retrieve him, but also pretend to be a commoner. He was bound to fail eventually, and he did, after two days he was returned to the keep, and scolded. His father was furious at the betrayal, and unable to cope with the pressure, he eventually pleaded to his knees for the young man not to fail to become the cornerstone of the house. Seeing such a hardworking man crumble before his eyes shook Alester, and he understood how grave his duty was, and how he would have to face it rather than wishfully thinking in evading responsabilities. He would also never feel jealousy of his sister again, and understood his duties towards her.
However, at the same time, his short experience with the smallfolk removed a cloth of innocence before his eyes. Seeing how in the end, they were not so different, just perhaps uneducated an on the other side of the balance of power made Alester be fond of treating his servants well, and try to treat everyone with courtesy and attention, irrespectively of their station. This had the side effect of etiquette eventually loosening, and servants and other people in the keep casually calling him "Les". He however would never allow to be called Les by people whom he had any sort of reservation and disrespect. Likewise, he would always spare a smile towards his sister, not matter how tired he was.
On his fifteen birthday, Alester learned he would have yet another sibling soon. But that never came to pass, as the baby was born dead upon delivery, and his mother perished aswell. Alester was devastated, but not as much as his father, who started to shut himself in, and sooner than later, the young man had to resort to become a lord in all but in name as he tried to cover from his father's declining will to live and health, taking to himself the burden to educate Irise aswell. He also had to decline things like marriage proposals, knowing full well he would never be able to dedicate as much time as he did so. He also started to attend social gatherings as a his duty, and he also tried to appear compliant with the Tyrell rule. He however, secretly resented the fact that he and his talents were chained by his duties all the while people like Ellion Tyrell could get all the adventures and women he wanted.
But the world was never fair, and he could never put his own selfish desires to that of House Florent. Swallowing that fact, however made him cynical and bitter in the inside, and robbed that of his sleep. He became more and more insomniac and manic, training like possessed and devouring books like if there were no tomorrow, as a way to quell the rage that built inside him. Bitterly, he finally understood what was killing his father, and he would probably one day suffer the same fate.
Alester's role became more evident when Alekyne, prematurely aged due to the strain died just before Aemon's wedding, and the entire House had to make haste to proclaim the new lord and bury the old one. Alester recalled that there were more power hungry stares than actual tearful faces in his father's funeral.
Name: Mella Florent Age:26 Appearance: Mella, surprisingly does not resemble much a Florent at all, and her father, Axell Florent, even less. A woman of rather elegant features and tall, her chest is rather small and modest, but she has rather pronounced hips and well-shaped legs, which she doesn't hesitates to show off with her dresses. She has a oval face with high cheekbones, and full lips. Her eyebrows are rather fine, and her nose small. She does possess, however, the large ears typical of all Florents, whose tips poke out of a well groomed hair of the color of embers. Her bangs often cover one of her haunting green eyes at times. Mella dresses in red robes, like all priests of R'hllor, but she has a touch of elegance in the form of white fox fur in the sleeves, as well as a belt made with fox tails. She also wears exquisite red gloves underneath the sleeves. Her skirts are often parted to show her legs. Role: Representative of the R'Hllor Faction, Headache of Alester. Equipment: Mella carries several books with rites, as well as a small ornate brazier to perform divinations and other sorceries. Skills: Mella was born as a noblewoman, but she embraced the faith of the Lord of Light from a young age. Mella is rather persuasive and charismatic, and does have her fair share of forethought (although she is often too haughty to display much wisdom). She has an encyclopedic memory, and knows the various rites of the Fire Priests, which allow her to perform the magical feats her faith is known for. She is able to use the fire to perform clairvoyant feats, entice people with glamorous illusions, and even conjure small flames. Mella is also versed in the Old Tongue, which she learned from her own mother.
Biography: Axell's parting shot even before he left this world by choking on a chicken bone could have not gotten any better even if he planned it. Begetting a child by House Redbeard and then abandoning this world, he ensured the orphaned child, Mella, to be both a legitimate member of Florent as well as a faithfully indoctrinated priestess. The priests wasted no time in filling the easily impressed brat that she had a special lineage, from a King Beyond the Wall no less, and that her father had become a Hand of the Queen (even if self appointed) as well as resenting that it was Alekyne the one taking the reins of the house, for he appeared meek and pliable. Thus, young Mella never had a good disposition towards her elder cousin and would incense the faction of her brothers and sisters of faith with outrageous comments.
Alekyne wished to punish her, but being close kin, he was all but powerless. Meanwhile, Mella had taken a liking to the R'hllor faith, very much like her own mother, and began to take the path of a priestess even at an early age. However, Alekyne did get a small victory, when he managed to make her change his newborn son's diapers and act as her nanny as a creative punishment. Having to do the role of a servant managed to curb the haughtiness of the young kid, but would eventually bite Alekyne in the back as Mella would then use this event as leverage to get things granted by Alester much later on.
Mella blossomed spectaculary as a teenager, becoming one of the fairest people of the Keep. This empowered her and made her feel like the mouthpiece of R'hlllor in the frequent gatherings. Few if any dared to rebuke that fact, she truly had a sweet way with words and an intoxicating charisma. However, she soon found that while charismatic, this did not make her the actual ruler of the keep.
It was just a phrase spoken out of place, on the death of her cousin, Lord Alekyne. Even though she was half distraught herself. Alester simply seemed to rebuke the comment, but then grabbed the priestess by the neck, and squeezed the air out of her throat, words whispered like daggers. He had no intention to become a kinslayer nor let the blood flow, but she had better wisen up or else, he claimed to say as he tossed her to the ground, adjusting his clothes. Mella, even though she had been overcome by fear saw a chink in the armor.
A chink she could exploit, and perhaps make Alester a great follower of R'hllor by igniting all his rage inside towards the heathens of the kingdoms...
Name:Colin Florent, AKA Old Colin Age:72 Appearance: An old man whose age is shown rather strikingly, he has a few strands of white hair in his balding head, and a haggard white beard. Couple with vivid blue eyes and the archetypical Florent ears, his face seems a bit caricaturesque of an old man, but despite this, he still has great pride in his strides. Despite his age, he maintains a good excellent shape, except perhaps for a limp in his left leg due to the war ravages and the missing middle finger of his right hand. He wears a well-worn Florent armor nearly all the times, and he almost never parts with his sword.
Role: Still the Castellan of Brightwater.
Equipment:A well crafted cane, a masterwork sword, and a full plate with floral symbols as well as a fox face engraved on the chest. He rarely carries his shield, unless there's a dire warning of battle, and he owns an old horse.
Skills: Colin is a tough uncompromising man, who has survived the war from the wrong side essentially being defiants to all things to come. Cunning and vindictive, he spends his remaining days defending and making sure Brightwall keep is kept in perfect condition, and as such he's good at administration, logistics and instructing the knights. Age has caught up to him, but he's still rather capable at fighting if he's pressed.
Biography: Colin Florent was the younger brother of Alester Florent Senior, and he has served him and his sucessors as Castellan of the Keep. An stubborn man, his ordeals under Garland Tyrell's florent and posterior appropiation of said Florent possesion have made him even more stubborn and determined, but also rather cynical and dismissive of their liege lords. He doesn't dabble in politics usually, as he could probably not resist choking any Tyrell at arm's reach, and is content with doing whatever keeps him alive.
Managing the keep.
Colin, in recent years, has begun to show a certain soft spot for Alester, and he's one of the few people who can steal sincere words amidst all the verbal abuse that Colin has to deliver, and while he does not approve of some of his policies, like being on good odds with the Tyrells or maintining those crazy R'hllor worshippers, he nevertheless suports the young lord.
Name: ser Merrell Florent, AKA the Green Fox. Age:37 Appearance: Merrell is a rather well-behaved fella which is of average height but rather well built, witha fair face that is starting to show the signs of age with expression wrinkles and some gray hairs. He has dark green eyes, hidden by rather bushy eyebrows, and keeps his hair somewhat long and gruffy, in order to hide his Florent ears. He rarely parts with his Greenhand armor, which he has customized with a simple somber painting of the House Florent sigil.
Role: Greenhand knight.
Equipment:A masterwork sword, a full Greenhand plate with a somber House Florent sigil on it, as well as a shield with an equally small nod to his House on it. He is the owner of a rather fickle spotted mare. He also carries a wineskin whenever he goes, to have a small drink everytime and now and offer others aswell.
Skills: Merrell Florent is a placid, tranquil man, which is rather slow to anger and patient. Even in the most dire circumstances, he rarely breaks decor and acts sensibly.Merrell is also an experienced even though not excessively talented knight, and he usually accepts being second fiddle without much fuss. His experience and cool disposition make him an excellent tactician and strategist, although he can't do rouses speeches as well as others. He is also, like his father, very logistics-wise, and almost never forces nor overstretches the army under his care, trying to keep them running efficiently as best as he can. A self-confessed wine lover since his knightship in the Arbor, he's rather wine cultured.
Biography: Merrell Florent saw the war from the perspective of house Redwyne, at the Arbor. Initially, he could do very little but watch helpless as the war tore his parent House. He nearly drunk himself to death as a teenager for that very fact. During said brush with Death, his thoughts somehow began to make sense. It was stupid to fight and rage against what one had no control over. Instead, one should seek an even mind, and try to control the things one could to assure a better future.
After his stint, he became a rather dilligent, calm man, who was knighted eagerly by the own Redwynes before being sent back to his house. Finding it in shambles, Merrell spared no effort in being one of the conciliators, and one of the few people who tried to mend the dysfunctional family together. Alekyne, seeing the healing potential this could pursue, convinced Merrell to become one of the GreenHand knights under Garland, in order to smooth the otherwise rough relations with the liege house. But Merrell was not fooled by this being a pretense of recognition towards the Tyrells, merely a convenient thing to uphold now that peace and reconstruction were needed.
Merrell Florent has since then, devoted himself to the tasks of being one the spokepersons of the Florents among the Tyrell, and following Alekyne's death, he sought to be also a man of confidence of the young heir, seeing the potential the young lad could bring to the Florents.
@MrDidact Hey boss, since there is a literal wall of text and events happening, since I've been afk, is it possible for me to have been doing other things while the majority of the folks were doing their adventures in the brothel/other locations in the Stepstones? I will bring everything together, but maybe for the sake of mental sanity, it'd be a bit easier if I could perhaps be disconnected from the Tavern and other localized events. Just a thought, though I am willing to tie in Aerion and my other two comrades if that is what is most conducive to the storyline/events.
@AtomicNut It all looks good, the only thing is that for Mella Florent, I'd like at least a line for why Axell's betrothal to Gerrick Kingsblood's eldest daughter fell through. Or you could change her backstory to make her the daughter of said fiance, and have her be trained as a fire priestess because of Axell's fanaticism. This could also let you tie in some northern storylines with that wildling connection, especially since House Redbeard boasts of having descent from a King Beyond the Wall.
@Abefroeman If it'd help you out to do so then by all means go ahead, we can tie you back in once you're properly up to speed.
@AtomicNut It all looks good, the only thing is that for Mella Florent, I'd like at least a line for why Axell's betrothal to Gerrick Kingsblood's eldest daughter fell through. Or you could change her backstory to make her the daughter of said fiance, and have her be trained as a fire priestess because of Axell's fanaticism. This could also let you tie in some northern storylines with that wildling connection, especially since House Redbeard boasts of having descent from a King Beyond the Wall.
@Abefroeman If it'd help you out to do so then by all means go ahead, we can tie you back in once you're properly up to speed.
-Eye twitches- Alright.
Edit: Done. Mella is even more dangerous now. Happy?
Awesome postage. If anyone wants to collab with me, I think my thought train has run a little dry, particularly pertaining to characters and immediate development. I want to throw something in with Merlin, but keep stuttering, same with Alerie too (she feeds off intrigue). @MrDidact I might be interested in one with you, as well as @NecroKnight too. Lemme know guys.
Awesome postage. If anyone wants to collab with me, I think my thought train has run a little dry, particularly pertaining to characters and immediate development. I want to throw something in with Merlin, but keep stuttering, same with Alerie too (she feeds off intrigue). @MrDidact I might be interested in one with you, as well as @NecroKnight too. Lemme know guys.
Well- I got a pack of foxes. Lord Alester is in KL dropping off her sister and Merrell is probably right next to Garland much to his annoyance.
