One Who is Many - [Worm / Game of Thrones]

Organmonkey · Sep 3, 2021

I like the use of the original old gods instead of just the children of the forest. I always felt like that was something that wasn't explored as much as it could have been.

Ned seems pretty conflicted about things which is basically how he was during the original series but this time it's for different reasons.

Blood Raven being more upfront actually makes sense. The Witch of Dorne doesn't have to be tricked like Bran the Broken. He's also probably more comfortable dealing with her because both of his fellow magic users were somewhat similar to her in different ways. Bran really wasn't like the people he's used to working with and didn't start powerful enough.

Arya's just snooping around being underfoot right now but I think if she has a chance to actually talk with the "witch" she might get some perspective. Also since she's one of the stronger skin hangers her own power is something that will probably be noticed. (So something interesting in the books. All of the Stark siblings seem to show different levels of magical ability. My rough rankingpre power boosts from sacrifices, taboo breaking and special blind training would be
1. Arya
2. Bran
3. Jon
4. Sansa*
5. Robb/Rickon
Arya continues having her bond literally a continent away and starts to feels the sensations of the massive pack of wolves in addition to her direwolf. That's absolutely insane levels of power. She's also one of the three Starks to skin change an animal besides their direwolf with the cat. She has potential to be a witch on the level of Ophelia if not going off to be a faceless man.

Bran is harder to count because he gets more power boosts along the way but he's also the only one to skin change a person.

Jon has a seemingly unique ability to take on traits from Ghost. When Ghost hunts he can feel full. When Ghost is rested Jon can use more strength. It's odd and I'm not sure if it's his Targ blood or not. He also has a fairly deep connection with Ghost in general compared to a lot of the others and their dorewolves.

I actually put Sansa here because several times in the Vale she hears information people never told her including conversations she couldn't have been there for. That means either she's thinking in a strange way to avoid mentioning how she got the info or she's skin changing something unintentionally probably a bird and picking up information from it.

Robb and Rickon have their behavior affected and occasionally get hints from Greywind and Shaggy dog but don't seem to have a deeper connection or ability to skin change other animals.

In any case I can see Arya at least interested in learning to use her powers.

SinSinNombre · Sep 3, 2021

Organmonkey said:
...snip...

Was there really that much magic in the books? All I remember now (from the Stark kids specifically) is Bran & Jon warging their Direwolves and being massively disappointed that there wasn't another book to read. Thank you for the reminder.

Agreed it was nice to see the Old Gods! Especially to reveal they know Taylor Hebert and deliberately pulled her here.

Hopefully QA will calm down now that Best!Host is in town and Bran can catch up on sleep. It might be neat to see Ophelia taking Arya/Bran under her wing if she recognizes them warging, but I don't think the Lady Stark would appreciate it.

Gigifiy · Sep 3, 2021

SinSinNombre said:
Was there really that much magic in the books? All I remember now (from the Stark kids specifically) is Bran & Jon warging their Direwolves and being massively disappointed that there wasn't another book to read. Thank you for the reminder.

Agreed it was nice to see the Old Gods! Especially to reveal they know Taylor Hebert and deliberately pulled her here.

Hopefully QA will calm down now that Best!Host is in town and Bran can catch up on sleep. It might be neat to see Ophelia taking Arya/Bran under her wing if she recognizes them warging, but I don't think the Lady Stark would appreciate it.

Well magic was supposed to have died out that's what ~~Sozen's Comet~~ the comet was about when Daenerys hatched her dragons. So maybe the magic came back earlier or Ophelia is just magical FOOF and is hitting off of everything left around. Also, there is still the... cult? Coven? The mages that Daenerys runs into that want to turn her into a battery. So magics around, it's just hidden and the books only really hit on a few major pieces of magic like warging, clairvoyance, resurrection, curses and dragon hatching.

rad · Sep 3, 2021

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
On the left was a gaunt, but still regal man. He wore a tunic of woven oak leaves, had skin that was a rich, deep brown, and had eyes that shined a dull yellow with mirth. His crown was woven from branches of iron and weir woods and studded with amber and flint and obsidian and pearl, at his waist was a great knife of carved bone and a belt of deer skin and brass. It was clear though that he was fading. Thin, like a starved peasant, and with a deep sense of exhaustion to him. Still, he smiled when he saw her, opening his mouth and greeting her with birdsong.

To his right was a boy, or rather a youth. Young, hale, but not yet fully grown. His clothes were made of layered nettles, blues and greens and yellows and blacks, and his skin was a bright, pure white - like sun shining off of snow. So too did his eyes shine, a deep, rich blue, that had an inner light despite their darkness. Unlike his companion, he wore no crown, though she noted one made of ice spun like glass and set with sapphires and drops of gold and covered with the branches of a still living red twig tree. At his waist he wore no knife nor belt, but bore a shield of ironwood and carried a spear tipped with obsidian. His voice, when he greeted her, was like snowfall.

Huh, cool.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Realizing that the cold and the pain and death inside of her was being washed out, she rose, finally, warm and flushed with life once more.

So maybe the 'frostbite' she got on the way wasn't that but damage from her reincarnation? Maybe leftovers from her previous life. Maybe the QA that Bran sees is damaged in the same way.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Sometimes he left his innermost thoughts with them, always he left news of Jon with Lyanna.

Whelp, guess it is the canon explaination.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
In all seriousness though, my vision was rather clear. I need to go north of the wall. To the North-North, if you will, and I would like to request both an escort and a guide."

Eddard paused, moderately dumbfounded.

And problem solved for you.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"Would you go find my sisters? Let them know I need some clothes and where I am? You're more than welcome to attend to your prayers first, I quite enjoy the warm water."

Wasn't Sarella supposed to watch her this time? I have to think that she is getting fairly annoyed at this point.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Elia Sand

You are adorable. Which is the cause of many of the problems you have with your sisters.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"Cannot!"

"Can too!"

Ah, two tomboys learning to be friends in the time honored fasion.
Also, are Elia and Aria going to have a fight over who gets Gendry (after he possibly recovers from burns after getting bumped like that while working).

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Jojen

not a greenseer?

grzecho2222 · Sep 3, 2021

I'm waiting for the moment they show the drawing to Ophelia and she responds something like:
"Oh no, my edgy teenage OC is catching up to me!!!"

Organmonkey · Sep 3, 2021

SinSinNombre said:
Was there really that much magic in the books? All I remember now (from the Stark kids specifically) is Bran & Jon warging their Direwolves and being massively disappointed that there wasn't another book to read. Thank you for the reminder.

Agreed it was nice to see the Old Gods! Especially to reveal they know Taylor Hebert and deliberately pulled her here.

Hopefully QA will calm down now that Best!Host is in town and Bran can catch up on sleep. It might be neat to see Ophelia taking Arya/Bran under her wing if she recognizes them warging, but I don't think the Lady Stark would appreciate it.

Robb is implied to also warg his Direwolf several times but mostly use him as a way to test if someone has his best interest in mind or not.

Arya definitely does she has dreams were she is her Direwolf after they separate and may be picking her the targets the wolf pack goes after. More explicitly she sees through the eyes of a cat when she is blinded in her training at the house of black and white.

Jon definitely wargs Ghost and occasionally in fights he feels Ghost's rage or strength inside him. He also normally tastes blood when this happens.

Bran is Bran and has his whole mystical journey thing. Where he over time is breaking all the taboos mentioned in the Six Skins section and gets better at skin changing when he does. Bran becomes a worse person over time as he breaks these taboos. Hodor fearing him and him contemplating using Hodor's body to be with Meera.

The shakiest stuff is Sansa and Rickon since one is a child and one is based on lack of information not information.

Basically the further you go in the books the more magic there is and the less subtle it is.

stads · Sep 3, 2021

yay for QA making an appearance

nice chat with taylor about her reason for being here
will be fun to see her travel up north hope she take's bran with her

Here There Be Dragons · Sep 3, 2021

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"I had to lead your companion away from this place before she found you, if I had not it would have led him to you. Beware, young child, beware the Old Things that yet dwell in this world."

Mmm... not sure how QA would have led what is presumably the original white walker (whatever he's called) back to Taylor? Unless he's referring to someone else.

But it would seem that he's using Bran as a distraction, since QA has realized she can use him to search.

If that makes any sense.

Ljapaubeaves · Sep 3, 2021

Te beginning of this chapter was full of mystery and mysticism!
You gave me amazing pictures to imagine and many a future action to consider and be expectant of.

The middle was adorable and full of interpersonal talk, growth and fun.

The end was like cold water directly on top of my head after a warm shower. DAMN!! that was scary!

very well done and thank you! sheesh, i'm now very scared for Bran^^

Amdar210 · Sep 3, 2021

SinSinNombre said:
Was there really that much magic in the books? All I remember now (from the Stark kids specifically) is Bran & Jon warging their Direwolves and being massively disappointed that there wasn't another book to read. Thank you for the reminder.

Agreed it was nice to see the Old Gods! Especially to reveal they know Taylor Hebert and deliberately pulled her here.

Hopefully QA will calm down now that Best!Host is in town and Bran can catch up on sleep. It might be neat to see Ophelia taking Arya/Bran under her wing if she recognizes them warging, but I don't think the Lady Stark would appreciate it.

I could see Ophelia explaining that, while the powers they have are not inherently dangerous, they do have dangers if one is not trained to avoid them. Explain that since magic and Warging is instinctive and that they could become lost inside some animal if the ly aren't trained to stop that.

Yes Lady Stark, a woman I'm happy to hate on normally, is southron and is of the Seven. This she doesn't like magic, and sees it tied to the Stranger, who in turn is not too liked by followers of the Seven. But I'd like to think even a woman as dense and petty as her could at least hold her words to keep her children safe.

She might hate it, but a mother's love of her kids is NOT something to underestimate. Besides, I'd love to see if she could be made to get use to it. Perhaps even learn something herself if she has any ancestors from the North.

Do we know Lady Stark heritage and if she has any Northern blood in the last few generations?

rad said:
You are adorable. Which is the cause of many of the problems you have with your sisters.

The Cuteness is powerful. The Cuteness is strong. The Cuteness is sacred. The Cuteness must be protected, even if The Cuteness doesn't like it.

The Cuteness must simply deal with it, so say we all.

Here There Be Dragons said:
Mmm... not sure how QA would have led what is presumably the original white walker (whatever he's called) back to Taylor? Unless he's referring to someone else.

But it would seem that he's using Bran as a distraction, since QA has realized she can use him to search.

If that makes any sense.

Poor Bran. Having your brainmeat being used by an eldritch super computer from another universe that is probably older than your entire race. Having such a weird roommate upstairs must really suck.

However!

It is QA! Best! Shard!

You're opinion doesn't matter, cause if you disagree, she'll drown you in bugs! Just like she was taught by Best! Host!

Ljapaubeaves said:
Te beginning of this chapter was full of mystery and mysticism!
You gave me amazing pictures to imagine and many a future action to consider and be expectant of.

The middle was adorable and full of interpersonal talk, growth and fun.

The end was like cold water directly on top of my head after a warm shower. DAMN!! that was scary!

very well done and thank you! sheesh, i'm now very scared for Bran^^

There! Right there! Writing like this is why I keep coming back to read this! I am simply amazed at this story!

....I do want Ophelia to bring back some Ice Spiders after she's done in the true North. I also want her to TAME THE KRAKEN!!!
...Not like that you fools! Just find a massive Kraken/squid in the deep sea and bring it home! Maybe even build a BIG harness and put a boat on it! Boom! Instant Awesome!

... See, now I'm paging through the asoiaf wiki looking for different animals I want her to claim! There goes like three hours of my time, again! Darn you!

ARa · Sep 3, 2021

Why Taylor, who lived in 21st century, fought parahumans, Enbringers and Scion, so readily accepts and do what some random prophecies, questionable entities who called themself gods and highly suspicious raven wants of her? Less say about her willingnes of going along with barbaric savages, who are people of Westeros and even her new family. Did she get some progressing form of autism from reincarnation? Really i understand she lived years in westeros, but her behavior is highly unlikely for even just random human from 21st, its unbeliveble for person so strongheaded and willful as Taylor and not to mention about her desires to right all wrongs in the world. Its like she just roll over and go with the stream. I see nothing of Taylors personality in Ophelia, its just some random OC.

Syqadelic · Sep 3, 2021

Ah yes, Ophelia!Taylor x QA truly is OTP. Imagine what her father would say!

"You seduced an eldritch abomination from beyond the ken of reality? Good job, I knew you took after me!"

Jon Lennox · Sep 3, 2021

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Doran, while quite happy to indulge Ophelia so long as she remains an asset to the family, has requested she hold back on any truly revolutionary inventions until Dorne itself is secure against outside influence.

The question, though, is whether she's introduced the custom of eating meat between two slices of bread, and named it after herself.

Scrimshaw_NSFW · Sep 4, 2021

M.Hatter said:
QA: I'm looking for Host she looks like this.
*Shows intimidation pose #7 in Host's last saved state
Bran: *Sobbing uncontrollably
QA: Wait that's probably not accurate.
*Adds more blood and swaps to intimidation pose #12

To be honest, I'd be fucking terrified too XD

Gigifiy said:
AHHHHH!!! I need Queenie to find Taylor! MY OTP!!

Well, uh, not sure how we can get them together... but we'll try? It's just gonna probably be a sexless marriage what with QA being a giant crystal super computer. But sure. We'll try.

Organmonkey said:
I like the use of the original old gods instead of just the children of the forest. I always felt like that was something that wasn't explored as much as it could have been.

Ned seems pretty conflicted about things which is basically how he was during the original series but this time it's for different reasons.

Blood Raven being more upfront actually makes sense. The Witch of Dorne doesn't have to be tricked like Bran the Broken. He's also probably more comfortable dealing with her because both of his fellow magic users were somewhat similar to her in different ways. Bran really wasn't like the people he's used to working with and didn't start powerful enough.

Arya's just snooping around being underfoot right now but I think if she has a chance to actually talk with the "witch" she might get some perspective. Also since she's one of the stronger skin hangers her own power is something that will probably be noticed. (So something interesting in the books. All of the Stark siblings seem to show different levels of magical ability. My rough rankingpre power boosts from sacrifices, taboo breaking and special blind training would be

Arya

Bran

Jon

Sansa*

Robb/Rickon

Arya continues having her bond literally a continent away and starts to feels the sensations of the massive pack of wolves in addition to her direwolf. That's absolutely insane levels of power. She's also one of the three Starks to skin change an animal besides their direwolf with the cat. She has potential to be a witch on the level of Ophelia if not going off to be a faceless man.

Bran is harder to count because he gets more power boosts along the way but he's also the only one to skin change a person.

Jon has a seemingly unique ability to take on traits from Ghost. When Ghost hunts he can feel full. When Ghost is rested Jon can use more strength. It's odd and I'm not sure if it's his Targ blood or not. He also has a fairly deep connection with Ghost in general compared to a lot of the others and their dorewolves.

I actually put Sansa here because several times in the Vale she hears information people never told her including conversations she couldn't have been there for. That means either she's thinking in a strange way to avoid mentioning how she got the info or she's skin changing something unintentionally probably a bird and picking up information from it.

Robb and Rickon have their behavior affected and occasionally get hints from Greywind and Shaggy dog but don't seem to have a deeper connection or ability to skin change other animals.

In any case I can see Arya at least interested in learning to use her powers.

The gods are very vague, very poorly defined area. Which is ok, to a degree, but since we're hitting the magic side of things harder we feel like we need to clearly establish what they look like at each stage of their development, how they function, and give a suggestion of what their powers might be.

Ned being conflicted and butting heads with people seems to be the main cut of his character. I'm not saying he's trying to get ahead of this trouble, but I am saying it can be a real pain in the neck to have to play catch up.

Oh, I promise you that Brynden still has games to play. Lots and lots and lots of games, lol.

We're actually addressing the issue with distance there by the use of a familiar. It'll be more explained when we reach that point, but for now it's gonna help cover up that little wriggle. Power levels are probably going to have the siblings... mostly equal, before sacrifices and rule breaking gets involved. Arya is going to be a bit less of an invincible Mary Sue than she was in TV show and no one is going to have that much plot armor.

Ultimately, it's strongly likely that all of the kids will learn magic to one degree or another. At the very least their bonds with their wolves will be emphasized.

SinSinNombre said:
Agreed it was nice to see the Old Gods! Especially to reveal they know Taylor Hebert and deliberately pulled her here.

Hopefully QA will calm down now that Best!Host is in town and Bran can catch up on sleep. It might be neat to see Ophelia taking Arya/Bran under her wing if she recognizes them warging, but I don't think the Lady Stark would appreciate it.

Lady Stark is going to be causing a little trouble. But such is the nature of things! Do remember what Brynden said - the two gods we saw were young compared to the true "old gods", but yes, they were part of it. And QA is still searching I'm afraid.

Gigifiy said:
Well magic was supposed to have died out that's what Sozen's Comet the comet was about when Daenerys hatched her dragons. So maybe the magic came back earlier or Ophelia is just magical FOOF and is hitting off of everything left around. Also, there is still the... cult? Coven? The mages that Daenerys runs into that want to turn her into a battery. So magics around, it's just hidden and the books only really hit on a few major pieces of magic like warging, clairvoyance, resurrection, curses and dragon hatching.

Magic was said to have died out in Westeros. Do remember that we see the red priests, pyromancers, shadow binders, aeromancers, alchemists, warlocks, Valyrian magic performed by Euron with his horn, the priests of the drowned god are potentially magical, and the Maegi of the lamb people. To be honest, it was rather omnipresent, just not in focus.

rad said:
Huh, cool.

They're the Kings of Oak and Holly.

rad said:
So maybe the 'frostbite' she got on the way wasn't that but damage from her reincarnation? Maybe leftovers from her previous life. Maybe the QA that Bran sees is damaged in the same way.

That is one interpretation, yes.

rad said:
Whelp, guess it is the canon explaination.

It was never going to be different, or, rather, the other potential options would have made for a worse story. However, that doesn't mean everyone knows the truth, lol.

rad said:
And problem solved for you.

The will of the gods is mysterious.

rad said:
Wasn't Sarella supposed to watch her this time? I have to think that she is getting fairly annoyed at this point.

She's struggling a bit. Especially since Ophelia didn't come back to their room, instead going to visit Cersei, and then disappearing anyways.

rad said:
Also, are Elia and Aria going to have a fight over who gets Gendry (after he possibly recovers from burns after getting bumped like that while working).

Lol. Maybe in a few years. Arya is a bit too young for that and Elia is more focused on swords.

rad said:
not a greenseer?

Oh? Who said he wasn't?

grzecho2222 said:
I'm waiting for the moment they show the drawing to Ophelia and she responds something like:
"Oh no, my edgy teenage OC is catching up to me!!!"

Hah. That honestly sounds like a rather mature response XD

stads said:
yay for QA making an appearance
nice chat with taylor about her reason for being here
will be fun to see her travel up north hope she take's bran with her

Bran may not be broken, but he is still a very young boy. Some of the children might visit the Wall, but no more.

Here There Be Dragons said:
Mmm... not sure how QA would have led what is presumably the original white walker (whatever he's called) back to Taylor? Unless he's referring to someone else.

But it would seem that he's using Bran as a distraction, since QA has realized she can use him to search.

If that makes any sense.

QA is a foreign invader, wildly running around asking people if they've seen her host, and desperately trying to make contact with "her Taylor". We've shown the spirits of some of the White Walkers in the vision and there was a good reason why they knew how to find Ophelia there.

Ljapaubeaves said:
Te beginning of this chapter was full of mystery and mysticism!
You gave me amazing pictures to imagine and many a future action to consider and be expectant of.

The middle was adorable and full of interpersonal talk, growth and fun.

The end was like cold water directly on top of my head after a warm shower. DAMN!! that was scary!

very well done and thank you! sheesh, i'm now very scared for Bran^^

Thank you very much. And don't worry, Bran will get better! Probably XD

Amdar210 said:
I could see Ophelia explaining that, while the powers they have are not inherently dangerous, they do have dangers if one is not trained to avoid them. Explain that since magic and Warging is instinctive and that they could become lost inside some animal if the ly aren't trained to stop that.

Yes Lady Stark, a woman I'm happy to hate on normally, is southron and is of the Seven. This she doesn't like magic, and sees it tied to the Stranger, who in turn is not too liked by followers of the Seven. But I'd like to think even a woman as dense and petty as her could at least hold her words to keep her children safe.

She might hate it, but a mother's love of her kids is NOT something to underestimate. Besides, I'd love to see if she could be made to get use to it. Perhaps even learn something herself if she has any ancestors from the North.

Do we know Lady Stark heritage and if she has any Northern blood in the last few generations?

The Cuteness is powerful. The Cuteness is strong. The Cuteness is sacred. The Cuteness must be protected, even if The Cuteness doesn't like it.

The Cuteness must simply deal with it, so say we all.

Poor Bran. Having your brainmeat being used by an eldritch super computer from another universe that is probably older than your entire race. Having such a weird roommate upstairs must really suck.

However!

It is QA! Best! Shard!

You're opinion doesn't matter, cause if you disagree, she'll drown you in bugs! Just like she was taught by Best! Host!

There! Right there! Writing like this is why I keep coming back to read this! I am simply amazed at this story!

....I do want Ophelia to bring back some Ice Spiders after she's done in the true North. I also want her to TAME THE KRAKEN!!!
...Not like that you fools! Just find a massive Kraken/squid in the deep sea and bring it home! Maybe even build a BIG harness and put a boat on it! Boom! Instant Awesome!

... See, now I'm paging through the asoiaf wiki looking for different animals I want her to claim! There goes like three hours of my time, again! Darn you!

Thank you very much and sorry for eating up so much of your time! As to Catelyn having magic blood, yes, actually. The current generation of Tully's are descended from the Whent's who are descended from the Lothstons. Her blood in particular will be needed soonish.

ARa said:
Why Taylor, who lived in 21st century, fought parahumans, Enbringers and Scion, so readily accepts and do what some random prophecies, questionable entities who called themself gods and highly suspicious raven wants of her? Less say about her willingnes of going along with barbaric savages, who are people of Westeros and even her new family. Did she get some progressing form of autism from reincarnation? Really i understand she lived years in westeros, but her behavior is highly unlikely for even just random human from 21st, its unbeliveble for person so strongheaded and willful as Taylor and not to mention about her desires to right all wrongs in the world. Its like she just roll over and go with the stream. I see nothing of Taylors personality in Ophelia, its just some random OC.

I think you somewhat misunderstand both the context and consequences of her choices. First of all, Taylor - now Ophelia - has spent almost as much time in this new world, with its new morals and culture and norms, as she had in her old life. She wasn't an old woman who was suddenly given a new body, but a very young one that died after unquestionably going insane by partially merging with an alien supercomputer.

Now, there are two other key factors to consider. 1: her mother was a literature teacher. 2: what happens in pretty much every classic story when the hero tries to fight a prophecy?

We actually intended to explain this later on, in a scene with Marwyn, but I suppose I'll explain it now. Ophelia has essentially zero information. All she knows is that some form of higher being has a plan for her, that it involves fighting some form of great, ancient evil, and that she's important enough to have had her very existence brought into this world - meaning they're not just going to let her go. This means her options are to play along until she has more information and influence, like she tried to do with the Undersiders/Coil, or run away to another continent. And the latter is no guarantee of escape. Do remember that she was Gangpressed into the Chicago Wards for 2 years, that she spent more time as Weaver than she ever did as Skitter, and that Taylor, for all her talk of higher morality, was a very pragmatic individual.

The Dornish are one of the most progressive of the kingdoms, the Martells in particular have no great evil members this generation, and outside of wartime the small folk are mostly free and mostly left alone in Dorne. The Ironborn have been suppressed almost the entirety of her life, she has never seen a major conflict, and has never met the Dothraki or been to any of the great slave cities in Essos either.

As far as Taylor could see, Dorne was safer and less corrupt than Brockton Bay.

Westeros is less fucked than Worm's canon. It's less grimdark. And it's a literal medieval stasis fantasy world.

On top of that, this is a post GM Taylor who sacrificed her mind and body to stop Zion. She was tired, broken, and sullen for years. And even then she's still done what she can to bring bits of the modern world to life, some of which was stopped by Doran because he feared retaliation for rocking the boat too much. So unless you're suggesting she should have become a warlord, used her powers to usurp her family, conquer Westeros through magic - and probably die horribly in the process, and then impose her modern morality on an entire continent through force of arms then I'm afraid I don't know how else she'd have done anything to civilize her "barbaric savages" of a family.

Syqadelic said:
Ah yes, Ophelia!Taylor x QA truly is OTP. Imagine what her father would say!

"You seduced an eldritch abomination from beyond the ken of reality? Good job, I knew you took after me!"

Two votes for it. Hmm. This is really important to you guys. Guess we'll need to have the hero save the princess after all XD

Gigifiy · Sep 4, 2021

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Well, uh, not sure how we can get them together... but we'll try? It's just gonna probably be a sexless marriage what with QA being a giant crystal super computer. But sure. We'll try.

Ahh, I didn't mean literally but don't let that stop you lol just the two of them together is Turner and Hooch, Luffy and Zoro, Rick and Morty, Kenpachi and Yachiru. A perfect pair that works perfectly together lol

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Magic was said to have died out in Westeros. Do remember that we see the red priests, pyromancers, shadow binders, aeromancers, alchemists, warlocks, Valyrian magic performed by Euron with his horn, the priests of the drowned god are potentially magical, and the Maegi of the lamb people. To be honest, it was rather omnipresent, just not in focus.

I actually forgot all of those. Granted, I haven't read the books since the last one released so it's been a literal decade.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Two votes for it. Hmm. This is really important to you guys. Guess we'll need to have the hero save the princess after all XD

This is QQ, we're all Tentacle monster Paladins here.

Organmonkey · Sep 4, 2021

I just remembered magic isn't even actually gone in Westeros. Besides stuff like skin changing and greenseering the alchemists are still around just politically out of favor. When magic was lower they could still do it it was just slower and less potent. In addition some poisons are actually explicitly mentioned to need magic to work in certain ways. Like how the mountain's death by poison was extended beyond what it should have been. Also more than one character has prophetic visions for example Patch Face. It's not that magic isn't around it's just that the magic that is around isn't respected.

Karahar · Sep 4, 2021

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Magic was said to have died out in Westeros. Do remember that we see the red priests, pyromancers, shadow binders, aeromancers, alchemists, warlocks, Valyrian magic performed by Euron with his horn, the priests of the drowned god are potentially magical, and the Maegi of the lamb people. To be honest, it was rather omnipresent, just not in focus.

Магия не вымерла, она просто истощена без подпитки. Появление драконов просто включило питание колдунства. Магия не появилась. просто стало достаточно энергии для её более регулярного использования. Ну и уровень подпитки рос вместе с драконами.

Magic is not extinct, it is simply exhausted without nourishment. The appearance of dragons simply turned on the power of witchcraft. The magic didn't appear. it just became enough energy for its more regular use. At the same time, the level of nutrition grew along with the dragons.

Shoiran_Toushin · Sep 4, 2021

ARa said:
Why Taylor, who lived in 21st century, fought parahumans, Enbringers and Scion, so readily accepts and do what some random prophecies, questionable entities who called themself gods and highly suspicious raven wants of her?

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Now, there are two other key factors to consider. 1: her mother was a literature teacher. 2: what happens in pretty much every classic story when the hero tries to fight a prophecy?

wasn't Taylor also gung ho on by Dinah's "you have two years until Jack Slash starts Armageddon and even then it just changes the sequence of events" Prophesy told to her by a third party and later Dinah's message of "Cut Ties" that triggered her Surrender and the Murdering of Tagg and Alexandria?
how is that different from... well what is happening here, in one hand you have little kid spewing random things fed to her Brain by a Weird Alien Supercomputer and Taylor completely believing that and becoming obsessed with Stopping Jack Slash, Surrendering herself and leaving the Undersiders at the words of Dinah Alcott's who had about three conversations with, and it was one of the few reasons she had to Shoot Aster, the other was... pretty much obvious.

and in the other you have very powerful beings doing shenanigans that shown that yes this shit IS real, we don't care if they or we call them Gods, Spirits, Entities, Shards, Whatchamacallits, Random Powerful Beings, Space Bats, Space Whales, Reality abominations, Demons, Daemons, Fae, Fey, Fair Folk, Awakened, Ascended or Blorgkhs, if something that Bends Reality wants to be called that or people want to call them that and is much more powerful than you and yours, you call them that, and try to verify the information and to become less able to be roflstomped into the ground when the inevitable but sudden confrontation for whatever reason happens, because thus far they have actually SHOWN that they are in fact REAL and have Real Power, now whether they are what we would call "Major God" God (as in the Almighty or however anyone wants to call the source of all things) and not on the level of modern belief about a Mythological god/Deity/Great Spirit? that is for us to wonder.

nevermind the kind of Shit she did from literal bible plague, Bugs Everywhere ready to bite, the shitstorm with the Christners, the asphyxiation of Alexandria, hos she dealt with Valefor, Lung, etc... everything culminating with her convincing Amy and Riley/being convinced along with them to Jailbreak her connection to QA... and she ended up breaking her mind and "assuming direct Control" over any and every 'useful living resource' she could get her control on without being too much trouble/effort...
remember that Worm for being in the 21st century? is full of barbarich shit, such as the Fallen, Eagleton, Nilbog, the Slaugherhouse 9/9000, Cities that are pracically controlled or defined by Criminal Gangs, the Teeth, Heartbreaker, nevermind the CUI or Moord Nag.
so what makes these 'westerosi barbarians' worse than the people she lived with, fought with, suffered from, killed and mind controlled?

Also? she was waiting for the 'other shoe to drop because it would be 'implausible that she reincarnated in another world for free', there must be some reason because there is no way that she earned a second chance or anything like that or that reincarnation was the norm or that it was a glitch in the system, there must be a reason for Why She was Reborn...

nevermind the fact that Taylor never had a 'hero complex' of 'Must fix the world', the only reason she wanted to be a 'hero' was moral superiority and outside validation to avoid the self destructing downwards spiral that her life became after her mother died and Emma became so damaged that she turned on Taylor and made her life miserable with ever escalating success, destroyed her sense of self and self worth in many levels, and Taylor actually spends all of the series Escalating in order to avoid having t think about the choices that she has done or the people she hurt/didn't spend time with, to the point where she was in the situation of "well, this is over, there is nowhere to run, no Monster to slay, Nightmare to run from, city to fix", she accepted a Gun Lobotomy while contemplating about "we are all small in the end" because while she tried her best, she never had a plan, it was just luck that she went from crisis to crisis and it worked for her and the Worm Earths.

and in Ward? talking about Taylor is pretty much the same as the modern day Antichrist.

wat, is she supposed to be the Salaryman from Saga of Tanya the Evil/a Little/Young Girl's War Record and Piss of a Reality Manipulator because of Stubbornness? because even that guy acknowledged that while he didn't believe that the ROB was GOD, it was indeed a ROB and named it Being X who could also be either The Devil or his/Her Personal Devil.

Daemonflayer · Sep 4, 2021

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
QA is a foreign invader, wildly running around asking people if they've seen her host, and desperately trying to make contact with "her Taylor". We've shown the spirits of some of the White Walkers in the vision and there was a good reason why they knew how to find Ophelia there.

Describe the shards how you like, but subtle isn't exactly in their definition - their primary communication method involves discharges of energy that could scour a chunk of a continent, after all.

a very young one that died after unquestionably going insane by partially merging with an alien supercomputer.

This bugs me. Shards are alien, yes, but they're no more "computer" than any other living entity is.

Guess we'll need to have the hero save the princess after all XD

So Ophelia needs to save Bran?

Gnarker · Sep 4, 2021

Heh. Poor Ned. His befuddlement at Suddenly Naked Taylor is great.

Though I'm still a bit surprised that she made a sword for her father back in King's Landing, and not a spear or similar polearm, seeing as those are both his and the house's signature weapons.

Scrimshaw_NSFW · Sep 6, 2021

Gigifiy said:
Ahh, I didn't mean literally but don't let that stop you lol just the two of them together is Turner and Hooch, Luffy and Zoro, Rick and Morty, Kenpachi and Yachiru. A perfect pair that works perfectly together lol

Lol. We hear yah. Just, uh, do be careful. At least one of us is enough of a pervert to have been not so quietly pulling for a harem ending. They really don't need the fuel XD

Gigifiy said:
This is QQ, we're all Tentacle monster Paladins here.

A very good thing to be! Though I do wonder what kind of touch powers they have.

Shoiran_Toushin said:
wat, is she supposed to be the Salaryman from Saga of Tanya the Evil/a Little/Young Girl's War Record and Piss of a Reality Manipulator because of Stubbornness? because even that guy acknowledged that while he didn't believe that the ROB was GOD, it was indeed a ROB and named it Being X who could also be either The Devil or his/Her Personal Devil.

The nature of the gods is actually going to be something we touch on relatively soonish. And, for once, we're writing a GOT story that doesn't shit on the Seven and their worshippers.

Daemonflayer said:
So Ophelia needs to save Bran?

Hey, just be glad we didn't turn all the Starks into girls of various archetypes for Ophelia to romance! Though, well, Bran is Bran... so his curiosity can be a bit, well, dangerous. So probably!

Gnarker said:
Heh. Poor Ned. His befuddlement at Suddenly Naked Taylor is great. Though I'm still a bit surprised that she made a sword for her father back in King's Landing, and not a spear or similar polearm, seeing as those are both his and the house's signature weapons.

We didn't realize that was going to happen until we wrote it! Though, ultimately, we think it helps elaborate on his character and how, even as a grown man, he's still a bit of the Quiet Wolf. Swords in Westeros are a status symbol, spears, for a number of reasons, are not. Moreover, a spear may be Oberyn Martell's preferred weapon, but it is a weapon of war - not a sidearm. There's also the fact that spear would have used less Valyrian steel by far, meaning somewhting would have had to be done with the rest of it and we couldn't think of much besides creating a crap ton of valyrian steel spears for the Snakes and that seemed... boring. If somewhat practical. Instead, Oberyn gets to get his ass kicked more until he grows as a warrior!

Gigifiy · Sep 6, 2021

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
A very good thing to be! Though I do wonder what kind of touch powers they have.

The best kind, Lay on Tentacles.

Shoiran_Toushin · Sep 6, 2021

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
The nature of the gods is actually going to be something we touch on relatively soonish. And, for once, we're writing a GOT story that doesn't shit on the Seven and their worshippers.

well, what i tried to mean by that comment was that, unlike Salaryman who did manage to piss off a ROB because of Hyper-rationalizing Stubbornness on his side and... really bad arguments on the side of the ROB, Salaryman didn't doubt the Power of Being X or its abilities to manipulate reality, he just didn't agree with its claims of being the Almighty and ROB didn't really responded to his arguments beyond "because i said so, and now i am going to proceed and make you be reborn with your memories intact in a brand new world and a brand new body kthxbai", neither Taylor nor Ophelia are the kind of persons who would get into a fight (even a verbal one) over 'terminology' with someone who was OoM Stronger than them if they didn't have a chance to pull out a win or an escape, because i was going with the "Taylor/Ophelia would not get into a fight over a naming convention with a Reality Manipulator unless they are in the same ballpark of power".
or how both of her lives have conflicting beliefs (mostly on how each of her worlds had different beliefs and how was she educated in base of both) and how those have indeed produced and formed her current beliefs about the Nature of Reality.

and for once i am interested and can't decide what would be more interesting for me to read about:
a 'seven faced' God
Seven Gods
Seven Fragments/Aspects of a Greater God
or... no God, no Great Heroes that later were depicted as Gods, but the Unconscious Collective Will of Mankind that people that people Anthropomorphized into Seven Distinct Avatars because of course it is easier to 'be good and tell others to be good' if a System of Beliefs is involved rather than from enlightened self interest...

masterofmadness · Sep 6, 2021

Okay I lost my review before and I had to rewrite it so forgive the lateness. But here it is my Ch14 review even if it is a few days late!

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
The wind was cold - biting - and cut through flesh to seek deep into her bones and it roared so loud her bones shook and her own heartbeat was drowned out of her ears. Raising one hand, the warlord felt the earth itself spin under her. A great flurry of white, raging snowflakes filled the world as her breath came out in sharp, painful puffs of frost.

Well it looks like we have a vision scene! Rather inevitable with the magic and history Winterfell has I guess.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Gone, even, was the egg she kept with her at all times.

NO! WHERE IS BENEDICT! PROTECT THE EGG BABY!

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Reaching out, her hands disappeared into the blizzard but, knowing she was soon to die, she forged ahead. Shivering, shuddering, teeth chattering, the nude witch cursed the fact her visions seemed to delight in returning her to her natural state. Even worse was that it seemed to have removed her resistance to the cold and the heat alike, leaving her little better than a normal girl and for all her power she had no means to command the weather.

Not like this, at least.

So she kept moving.

Her will was hardly being tested, the full body sensation of pins and needles was steadily intensifying to a combination of numbness and ache but that was nothing compared to losing an arm.

Even as her fingers turned a blue-grey, she pushed ahead.

Even as the ice under her feet tore her soles to bloody shreds, she pushed ahead.

Eventually her hair froze too, strands locked into clumps, turning frigid and brittle.

Once she snapped a clump off by stumbling, stepping on it, and pushing forwards. And still she kept moving. By the time her fingers and ears and nose and lips were totally numb she had started to feel warm, flushed with heat and oh so drowsy.

Hypothermia, eventually, became a pleasant way to die. So for hours, perhaps days, perhaps years she marched forward, freezing just a little more.

Well ship congratulations on making me feel like I am in a blizzard while in a heaterd room with a blanket. Oh and the body horror too! So nice to hear all about a person's body being totally destroyed.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Standing on a cobblestone path, there were two rows of statues, one on each side of the path all of whom bore swords of iron and knives of obsidian, and behind them was a freely growing winter garden. Hardy blue spruces formed walls of nettles and pine, with red twig trees growing around them, intertwining in a riot of color. Below them were holly trees, below them were firethorns, winterberries, and snowberries. All of this formed a vast wall of boughs and bark, unbroken, and seemed to hold back the storm.

Looking behind her, Ophelia saw nothing, the white expanse ending just behind her as the freezing, cutting cold almost seemed to rage and reach for her - hungry and desperate.

Shivering, though the temperature had become merely freezing, she forced her battered body to look away from the wall of death.

Instead, as she walked along the path, she took in the vast, sprawling garden that filled up the space between the tree line and the statues. There were camelia flowers and hyssop and coneflowers and iris and lily-of-the-vallies. There were cat mints and acer shrubs and onions, scallions, leeks, parsnips, and more. Beets, broccoli, radishes, and turnips seemed to grow wild too - along with a dozen or more other winter crops - and a hundred other types of flowers had woven together between the few shoots of grass that could find purchase.

Snow had fallen on the field, but only lightly, a dusting to sweeten the vegetables, and not enough to strangle the flowers.

Without a doubt, it was a truly beautiful sight.

Ah now this is a Godswood! The primal beauty of nature in the frozen lands of the North and its bounty! I know it is a vision but it is still cool.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
The Martell witch knew that, had this not been a vision, she would have been dead. Tendrils of dead flesh crept up the sides of her calves, everything below them already frostbitten. Her arms were almost nearly as bad and she dared not look at her breasts for more than a second. Somehow, after the time she'd just spent with Cersei and Tyene it seemed all the more macabre and terrifying.

I am not sure if you trying to make me feel disturbed but if you did then you succeeded, hard to read this passage and worse to picture it in my mind.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
All of them were both alike and different, most shared many features, some only shared a few, but it was clear that it was a statue - man and woman alike - of every Stark that had ever lived. Not the babes, those she did not see, though she thought she heard giggles from time to time. Soft words in a language older than man and the sounds of children at play in the trees - made all the more eerie by the fact that it was the only noise she could hear at all.

So this is the Godswoods of the Starks. All of them going back six thousand years! Damn.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Once again something appeared in the distance. This time it was a wall of stone, with an iron barred wooden gate sat in the middle. Idly, Ophelia noted that it looked like the wall around the Stark's Godswood. If it was a thousand years younger and was covered in frescoes of scenes long since past. From hordes of wildlings, to giants and mammoths, even an ice dragon that seemed to rise up from a frozen lake. All of that and more was worked in colored pieces of stone, set in an unbroken tale of war and heroism and glory and death and horror - ending with Bran the Builder raising the Wall.

With how many of the seemingly legendary figures dying in agony, she wondered exactly how true these scenes were.

Given what they were fighting I am guessing the scene of agonizing death are proof of greater acuracy not lesser.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Sitting up on a high branch was a raven with three eyes. It was large, though not impossibly so, and seemed to carry an aura of age around it. Not so heavy as that of the trees, but older than she who had lived twice by far.

"Follow, follow!" It croaked out.

And so Ophelia did.

YES FOLLOW! I have been waiting for a talk with the three eyes raven since the start.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
On the left was a gaunt, but still regal man. He wore a tunic of woven oak leaves, had skin that was a rich, deep brown, and had eyes that shined a dull yellow with mirth. His crown was woven from branches of iron and weir woods and studded with amber and flint and obsidian and pearl, at his waist was a great knife of carved bone and a belt of deer skin and brass. It was clear though that he was fading. Thin, like a starved peasant, and with a deep sense of exhaustion to him. Still, he smiled when he saw her, opening his mouth and greeting her with birdsong.

To his right was a boy, or rather a youth. Young, hale, but not yet fully grown. His clothes were made of layered nettles, blues and greens and yellows and blacks, and his skin was a bright, pure white - like sun shining off of snow. So too did his eyes shine, a deep, rich blue, that had an inner light despite their darkness. Unlike his companion, he wore no crown, though she noted one made of ice spun like glass and set with sapphires and drops of gold and covered with the branches of a still living red twig tree. At his waist he wore no knife nor belt, but bore a shield of ironwood and carried a spear tipped with obsidian. His voice, when he greeted her, was like snowfall.

Somehow, she understood that he too was greeting her.

So these are the Old Gods or at least two of them. I mean they are apparently the nameless Gods of almost everything in nature so they should e pretty numerous but you usually onyl see the Weirwood since they are quite literally the face of the Old Gods.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Snow spun and the trees reached and before her she was shown many things. First was that of a war, between First Men and Children, then of a peace born from mutual need as a great evil marched south. It was a man no longer, but something terribly beautiful. Woven from ice and flesh, bound together with the Children's magic, but gifted with Man's cunning and cruelty. All life died as he marched south

Laying there in that snow, she watched as time and time again the elven snow beasts rose and fell, coming and going like the tide, and how each time they rose they came a little closer to victory. How just a few more fell to stop them. How they were just a little more clever.

Well shit. I am curious exactly what 'Woven from ice and flesh, bound together with the Children's magic, but gifted with Man's cunning and cruelty.' truly means. Is it just a comparison of power or any they literally connected to both somehow.

No matter what it looks to me like the White Walker might be even more dangerous then Scion for Ophelia. Sure they probably aren't equal raw in power but they are apparent smart which is often far worse.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
She understood that they were telling her this for a reason.

Taylor understood why she had been given a second life.

"So what must I do? Where must I go? And how long do I have?"

Turning to the crow, the two men waited for it to speak. Fluttering to the ground, it took the shape of a man, though an old and weak one, and spoke with a human tongue.

"Fight. My grove in the True North. And not long. Maybe a year. Maybe a decade. Maybe a century. To the Night's King, to his… makers, it is all the blink of an eye."

As he spoke that title, the winds held at bay by the Godswood roared, suddenly pushing inwards and cutting at the beings within. Only at the roar of the two spirits did it retreat, a hundred inhuman faces staring out of the raging winds and clawing cold, but Ophelia knew that much of the life within had died.

Got to give props to Ophelia or perhaps is it better to say Taylor here! No hesitation in answering the challenge to saving the world once more. She probably has no shortage of desire to not face the pain she did like last time she had to do something like this but she is not flinching.

Bonus point for being genre savvy too. She is just skipping the whole trying to reject destiny part of the typical fantasy apocalypse tale to get to the facing the inevitable part. Probably for the best I mean it never works out well for anyone does it?

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"Brynden Rivers."

"Aye." He nodded. "You are Taylor Hebert, now Ophelia Sand. My replacement."

Her eyes softened.

"I was born to take up your task when you die."

Hard as stone, he too nodded.

"You or the boy Bran. You would be better, stronger in ways the child could not be." Looking up at the stars, he shook his head.

Their you are Bloodraven!

Very logical that the Old Gods set up Ophelia's birth, would probably be too much for it to be a coincidence so someone had to be behind it. That said I could see him lying here too. I would not put it past Bloodraven to sweep up some other magical powers' chosen one in order to get a better successor when he dies. For all we know Mother Rhonyne brought her to be her chosen one but Bloodraven has no problems being a thief.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"I had to lead your companion away from this place before she found you, if I had not it would have led him to you. Beware, young child, beware the Old Things that yet dwell in this world."

No shit. Bryden I know you are used to dealing with a society with much in the way of genre awareness but Ophelia's first life mom was a literature teacher. She doesn't need to here about the fact she should beware any old thing in the fantasy world. just how to avoid them or fight them if she must.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"No, girl, these are born of the Starks. Their bloodlines for five thousands years and all the blood spilt by them and bred into them. They are protectors of this place, as much as they can be. Think of them as nameless gods of the trees."

So these are very specifically the old gods of the Stark bloodline, is this perhaps analogous to some degree of ancestral god? And if so then what is the relation to the Targ ghosts? Is this what they could of would have grow into in thousands of years given time? And how much magic power or time does a dynasty need to form one of these? Do the Lannister or Baratheons have their old version even though they no longer worship them or are the Targs and Stark spcaily since they are more magical in their connection to fire and ice?

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"One to rule the summer, the other to rule winter." He looked up at the sky. "Had Man been less foolish, we might not have needed to fight the wars we do now." Looking back down at her, he smiled. "Be glad the gods of your own blood did not appear, for the Flayer God is not a pleasant or gentle thing. He would have taken you by force, body and soul, but in these walls he is not permitted."

Shivering, the image of a monster in the shape of a man appeared. Something of ice and blood and cutting steel. She bowed her head in thanks to the two Old Gods before her, however young they might actually be.

So we have in text confirmation that Ophelia has Bolton heritage, presumably via her mom. Good to have but sadly I don't think this will ever be solid enough proof of her heritage to go up to Roose and call him Uncle while you ask for a hug.

Also we get a glimpse of the Flayer God of the Boltons. Presumably this in a way the same as the Kings of Oak and Holly, Ancestral Gods but since the bolton are monstrous psychos their ancestral spirit is a horrifying reflection of that. A reminder that the Old Gods are not good or evil but simply are. It does raise question about if the beast of harrenhal is similar though, if given time will it become like the flayer god. And if so then is not just any one line of people what makes an Old God but just a legacy or story and the magic to form it?

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"I must go. My grove is being attacked." Turning to look at her, he seemed to think for a long moment before speaking. "If you wish to save the lives of a hundred thousand men, women, and children, earn your allies here, then march North as swiftly as fast as you can. However, without the king's blessing upon you, those under my protection will still die waiting to cross the wall. So don't come until you are absolutely ready. For now I yet hold back the dead."

He was gone, disappearing into nothing, and a black shape vaguely like a crow flew high, high into the evening sky and disappeared.

Right so she is going to need to convince Robert to help her on a recue mission. Also the Hundred thousand people is an interesting figure, If he was talking about what the others might do if left unopposed it should be higher then that. But it would work as how many people are North of the wall so perhaps part of the journey is convincing the Wildlings to go south of the wall so they don't end up more wights.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
As they took her to a pool the moon had fully risen and the King of Oak placed his finger in the water, a trickle of immense, ancient power slipping from him as it began to gently bubble. Once life giving heat spilled from it the King of Holly lowered her into it with all the care taken with a babe, being both respectful of her dignity and mindful of the rot in her limbs. Pushed fully beneath it, she struggled for a moment and then went still. Realizing that the cold and the pain and death inside of her was being washed out, she rose, finally, warm and flushed with life once more.

Looking around, she found herself awake and fully refreshed.

Hurray! You aren't a walking corpse! Though it is very concerning that if you were purged of that since it means it was not a representative but a corruption. That if it had overwhelmed you it would have ended with you as a Wight or night queen of some kind. Which only didn't happen even in Winterfell because Old Gods spent power weakening themselves to undo it.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Looking around, she found herself awake and fully refreshed.

Nude, of course, and in the heated pools in the Godswood of Castle Stark. It was early morning and, looking at her body, she found even the bruises inflicted upon her at Harrenhal gone. Her body was not free of scars, a few here and there lingered, and the skin around her fingers had the barest hint of green, but other than that she was fully restored.

"Well. Fuck. There goes my vacation."

I don't believe it we have seen a true miracle of the Old Gods! They did the impossible and made her realize this is no vacation any more! Didn't believe it possible.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"You know, the only thing that would make this better is… damn. They really are gods."

One of the foxes she had under her sway had found a bottle of berry wine. Bringing it over to her, she found it both sweet and chilled to perfection.

Taking a deep breath, the young woman tried to do something she hadn't managed since she was Taylor.

Relax.

The world wasn't ending today after all.

Make that two miracle because booze are always a miracle!

I am also not sure if the attitude of 'well world is not ending right this moment guess I will drink while I can' is a sign Ophelia is dealing with this very well or very badly.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
However, he had much to think on and little sleep the previous eve. In fact, one could say that many were the nights which he spent awake - wondering if there was something he had failed to do. Something that could have been done to prevent so many deaths. Chief amongst them were his father's and sister's, though many other names and faces would feature in these moments of melancholy too.

'The old gods take Brandon though.' Snorting, the grim fate of his brother turned almost light. 'That idiot didn't even wait for me to raise a few of the men of the Vale in our support before he ran off. If the Wolf's Blood hadn't charged ahead without his pack, then the Mad King would have had swords from four kingdoms confronting him. Not a lone wolf pup who thought his teeth bigger than they were.'

Often were the times Ned wished his brother was alive. That's not to say he thought of his brother every day, or even those he lost. He was not a man ruled by melancholy. But he did pray for them. He did write to those who were survived by kin from time to time.

However… every so often… he would find himself in the Crypts of Winterfell and there he would gaze upon faded, dead statues. And feeling one of them himself, he would stand there in silence for an hour or three, only leaving when his prayers and vigil were complete. Sometimes he left his innermost thoughts with them, always he left news of Jon with Lyanna.

I don't think you can defined anyone by a single thing that happened to the but if I had to pick one thing that really matters the most in making Ned the man we know it is the loss of his family. He sometimes curses them for their foolishness sometimes yet always end up wishing they could be back more then anything. He even puts everything in jeopardy to protect the last member of that family he has in Jon.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Ned desperately wished his brother had been alive.

'Maybe he would have an easier time keeping Robert from acting out.'

Ha! Good one Ned! I know you feel inferior to you big bro at times but no way. The two of them shared too many vices to ever have him really restrain Robert. Frankly if you or Jon couldn't do it I don't know who could.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Foster brother or not, Robert had grown even more rambunctious than Ned recalled.

Of course, he had never been the picture of temperance, yet the years had worn down what little self control the man had in matters of vice and indulgence. To the point that he wondered if the man was trying to hasten his own demise with recklessness.

Then he saw the man pop one of the mixtures prepared by Oberyn's daughter and wake up the next day hale and hearty.

Truly, the gods had seen fit to play a new cruel trick upon him.

It was little wonder that Robert had been indulging. With medicine as good as that, what little restraint his sworn brother had snapped in half like a twig. With no consequences to punish him for his excess, Robert was now very much testing the limits of Ned's patience. Loyalty or no loyalty.

'That fat excuse of venison cheated.' Rubbing his eyes, the Warden of the North should have known something was amiss when his friend had goaded him into a simple wager during the banquet. Something from their old days in the Vale, when the two were still hopeless youths daring each other to sneak past Jon Arryn to visit the inn or, in Robert's case, the brothel when the man could easily see through them.

And of course Ned had fallen for it.

The consequences of which he was now suffering.

God it is good to see Ned begin shown as something other then a dour mope concerned with duty. People sometimes forget under that skin their is still a Northern Lord in their ready to chug a brew and throw down.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
But this morn there was also something… more.

Something almost invigorating which set his blood aflame and sharpened his sight, the by now familiar silence fading as a faint buzzing grew the deeper he walked into the woods. Most curious was a sense of familiarity that brushed against him.

Acknowledgement, perhaps, but Ned wasn't one who made declarations regarding his beliefs often.

The Old Gods were just that. Old. Unknowable forces of the trees and stones and rivers which the grandparents of his grandparents had treated with as much respect as he himself did. But it was a careful respect, politely maintained from a distance.

Like a bear which stirred within its cave. One could feel the breathing of the great slumbering beast if they walked closer to the den, but so much as a single step could rouse it and see you turned into a snack before it went back to it's rest. And as all great beasts of the North, something old and terrible stirred behind the faces carved in wood.

Yes, Eddard would respect them, respect the North as he had been taught to.

This is a great depiction of the mind of a worshiper of the Old Gods. I will show some bias by saying that Gods like the Seven are the kind of Gods humans invent to give themselves comfort, their is a guarantee of safety from a benevolent power above you. The Old Gods are the Gods of the world as it simply is, the stream or trees can provide aid to you but so too do they exist and act on their own without import of humans sometimes to their determent without care. The proper response for a man in such a world is to be respectful of that power and give respect but also to slightly fear it for it could harm you if you are not careful.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"Winter is Coming." He repeated softly, wondering for a moment if it seemed like the snowflakes shimmered in agreement. After all, the words weren't a warning, but an inevitability. An absolute that could only be accepted.

One could prepare for the cold and the lack of food. They could gather lumber and remain watchful of plague and the beasts of the North. Yet Ned felt that this would not be the only challenge he would have to contend with, come the long winter he knew would follow a long summer. Even that the maester's agreed with that much and Luwin, who normally disdained magic, had confessed to seeing unnatural signs in the movement of the birds and also in the reports of disappearing fish. He had claimed that either it was a sign of a truly horrific storm, of which there were neither clouds nor winds nor unusual lights and weather formations out to see, or something entirely less normal.

Something the maester had convinced his lord that should not be permitted south of the Wall.

It was a concern that could not be dismissed, not when Benjen's letters spoke of mysterious horrors lurking beyond the wall. Of vanishing corpses and empty forests and a cold beyond anything he had ever felt before. Because the man was stone cold and sober, firm and with his wits about him. Most of all his little brother wasn't a liar.

Even for the sake of a good story.

Well this is a big change. We already knew about it but I should say again this level of general awareness at the highest levels of the North something is going on up North is very different. A lot is going to depend on what exactly happens when Ophelia goes North and how much Ophelia can bring back to show but the defense against the others are already much better then they ever were in canon.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
But Eddard couldn't afford to jump to the worst possible conclusions, not when he needed to still appear to be in command of his senses. Perhaps the vanishing bodies and the scarcity in animals were signs of another wildling raid. Perhaps someone had managed to organize and unite them, hence the fewer sightings by the Night's Watch. And perhaps the horrors his brother described were a byproduct of forbidden arts long forgotten by their people.

If Dorne could have a Witch, then so too could the ancient savages and cannibals north of the North. And the wonders of the girl child from Dorne aside, the Stark patriarch had most certainly seen her spells the night before, his concerns were in grain, gold, and good men.

I like the logic here in regards to magic from Ned.

In canon because of the raw scarcity of magic it was logical for people to believe that if it did exist it didn't in their lives enough to ignore it save superstition. But here? Ophelia is obvious enough abut her magic it is rather impossible to deny it at least exist in some form. So it is logical to assume of one exists their could be others who might be causing the problem you facing but at the same time you don't take a leap of faith on that big an issue you on investigate and prepare. The same can be said of his focus on logistic over any spells, he is a Lord his tools are those things and no matter what they are needed. So leave the exact detail of magic to the side for now, if it turn out to be so he will find men who truly know it to advise him on how to deal with it.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Offering up a small prayer, he gave thanks to the Old Gods that the Umbers were simply as blunt as Robert's warhammer and that he only had to grapple with one Bolton and a misbegotten bastard.

Frowning, he considered what to do with Ramsay Snow for a moment.

Murder, of course, was the easy option - probably the smart one too. If half of what he'd heard then it would be justice for a great many people as well. But the thought sat poorly in the lord's mind. Killing a child based on rumors smacked of the Old Lion and that alone was to force him to forge ahead.

And it also appears he is aware of Ramsay's nature as well or at least some rumor of it he has not yet investigated fully since he has more pressing concerns.

In terms of what he should actually do sadly the whole situation is way more complicated then it seems since Ramsey is sadly the last living son of the current lord since his heir's death. If he goes then the lands of one of the most important house in the North is up for grabs so who gets it? It would be a mess of claims of every northern lord like the Hornwood in canon but worse without even an old women to marry for legitimacy. Their is even an extra kink in that Ophelia is apparently a Bolton too. Logically it must come from her mother so the best assumption is she would be Roose's illegitimate niece which is not nothing but still tenuous and their is no way to prove this connection unless Bloodraven at some point openly says 'oh yeah every lord of the North? This girl's more was a Bolton BTW swear on the Old Gods'. Even then Ophelia wouldn't want the Dreadfort so back to square one.

Best option I could think of is 'politely' talking to Roose to inform him that one way or another Ramsay is not being the next Lord Bolton so he better get a new heir lined up pronto if he doesn't want a dead house on his hands. Given who this is Roose might even respect that instead of killing him.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"Good morning, Lord Stark."

Or… perhaps they would tell him why there was a Dornish girl in the middle of the godswood.

"You are naked." He noted dully.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
The witch nodded solemnly.

"Unfortunately the gods did not seem fit to apparate my clothes alongside me for this jaunt."

Apparate?

Damn it Ophelia! I thought I told you to stop ruining the language of Westeros!

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"You're welcome to join me and test it yourself, if you'd like, but I strongly suspect your lady wife might object." The humor in her tone was obvious, but, curiously, it almost seemed serious. "Look at me, Ser."

Shaking his head, he refused.

"Not when you are unclothed, my lady."

Snorting, the Dornish Woman stood up.

"I am aware. And no, Lord Stark, I am not trying to seduce you."

"Of course not." He protested softly. "I would never imply such a thing."

"No. But you've had more than one naked woman throw herself at you. Now, if you don't want to offend my Dornish sensibilities, you'll look me in the eye when we speak. I refuse to speak to a man who can't meet my eyes for fear of seeing a bit of fat and skin"

God this has to be the strangest attempt to establish dominance in GOT history, 'Look at me and my wet naked body when I am talking to you Lord Stark, unless you are a chicken?'.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"I think I can imagine what they are." Already, he began to undo the clasp of his cloak.

"Joining me after all Lord Stark?"

The Northman gave the witch the same look he used to cow his children when they were doing something foolish. She laughed and slipped back into the water.

"Only my cloak is being removed, fair lady."

Ned Stark is a proper gentlemen! Though this is usually not how one gives his cloak to a lady to deal with a puddle.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"Blame my father's blood for that joke. In all seriousness though, my vision was rather clear. I need to go north of the wall. To the North-North, if you will, and I would like to request both an escort and a guide."

Eddard paused, moderately dumbfounded.

"Without a doubt, the Wall is no place for a woman, the wild lands even less so. What they would do to you would be unspeakable, should you be caught."

In this case, the "they" in question went unspecified for very regrettable but equally obvious reasons.

"Yet I must go. Your own dead kin have told me I must go and so I shall. And while I may rely on tricks more than once, this is no Mummer's dragon."

Yeah I don't blame Ned here at all since he is not wrong. Dany Flint is more then enough to worry anyone and The Night's watch has plenty of rapist who are have been sent somewhere cold and officially without women. If she wasn't a witch who will have armed people with her to guard her it would be a tragedy in the making.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"Perhaps." He closed his eyes, walking closer and laying his cloak down at the edge of the pool. Still in every other layer, from his high collared tunic to his tucked in trousers, to his gloves and scarf and boots, he turned away from the frustrating young woman. "But I would ask for something in return."

"Ooh. A deal with a witch. How dangerous." The teasing was back in the girl's voice and he appreciated the levity, though wished it wasn't directed at him. "Tell me and I will consider it."

"Something is terribly wrong up there, more now than others. I suspect… trouble." He turned away from the lounging girl, walking over to one of the weirwood trees and sitting down with his back against it. "You are a witch and have the king's confidence. Meaning he will likely send some of the best in the realm to watch over you."

"Ah." There was a long moment of silence where the girl soaked and the man would swear her eyes had gone milky white. Eventually, though, her voice resounded. "So whether it be a wildling horde or something less natural, I would be well equipped to investigate it."

When she put it like that his guilt returned full force and, had it not been his desperation for information, he would have withdrawn the offer then and there.

"Then it shall be done." There was a little splashing and Ophelia swam to the edge closest to Eddard. "I suspect it is the gods will, one way or another, and will do my best."

"Thank you."

He hated how his stomach roiled at the thought of sending a child into such a dangerous situation.

Well this is a bit of good luck on Ned's part as much as he partly doesn't want it for good reason. He gets an experienced magic user to investigate the problem and a reason to get the king behind you on it too. Almost like it was exactly a certain Greenseers plan huh? This is not even a deal so much as too people working together.

I do wonder to the reaction will be if rumors of this get out though. Probably a mix of worry and reassurance for the Northern lords overall. On one hand if a witch is being contacted by the Old Gods to go North with a royal contingent something is probably very wrong. On the other it also means you know the best people are actively on it and the Gods are with you in stopping it. Though whatever actually gets out with be some mix of rumor as Ophelia is not exactly doing a public service announcement.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"It's not done yet, my lord." She was so soft spoken in reply, nothing but kindness in her tone. "But remember, you do not have the luxury of softness. A million souls may depend on your judgement and you must make the hard choices. Never forget that your privilege is to fortify you for this burden." The witch snorted. "As a horny mummer once said, heavy is the head that wears the crown."

Nodding, the Quiet Wolf agreed.

"Wise, for someone from Dorne."

That earned him a high, clear laugh.

"Perhaps. Though they were only Dornish in spirit. Now, my second request."

Yes the mummer who said this is definitely horny and Dornish in spirit.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"Would you go find my sisters? Let them know I need some clothes and where I am? You're more than welcome to attend to your prayers first, I quite enjoy the warm water."

Sighing in relief, Eddard Stark was all too happy to agree.

You shouldn't be even if you avoid the crazy blondes you still need to deal with the arguments over who messed up by not watching their sister after last time. It certainly won't lessen your hangover.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"Hmm? Who's that?"

Elia stepped out of the shadows of the small forge, enjoying the way she'd made the blacksmith jump. And definitely enjoying the warmth of the room as it melted the snow from her green and brown cloak.

"Heya Gendry."

Immediately, the young man relaxed.

"Oh, it's you. Close the door though, don't need anymore of that snow getting in here"

That got a tilt of the head before, at a gesture, she moved off to comply. The room itself was a bit stuffier now, but it wasn't too bad, and was shaped a bit like an old stable, made out of mudbrick and a bit of stone, and housed a large number of old barrels, odds and ends, and the currently burning blacksmith's forge her older, taller friend was working at.

So Elia has chosen to bother Gendry in her free time? Could be doing worse I guess. Lets see how he is doing with the whole 'finding out you have a king for a dad' thing.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"Alright. Stay. At least you don't touch things. I had to stop Joff, er, the prince-" That earned him a giggle. He chose to do the responsible thing and stick his tongue out at the girl poking fun at him. "Yeah. My half brother. I had to stop him from setting the hem of his tunic on fire and the youngest Lady Stark-"

"Call her Arya." Nodding, the young bastard found a mostly clean chair and plopped down in it. "Otherwise she'll just needle you until you do.

That got her a snort of laughter.

First name basis with Joffrey? I guess that is a good sign. I suppose he isn't threatened by him at all and is in a good mood from recent fatherly approval. Oh and Arya is insisting on a first name basis too. GendryxArya confirmed everyone. Though I do imagine it is awkward going from blacksmith apprentice who has spent his whole life only knowing nobles for talking about their orders to getting to first names with princes and lords.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"Of course. What do I look like? A Northman?"

This particular statement got her an exasperated sigh.

"Since we're in the North and you still made that comment, I think the cold might have gotten to your brain." Already preparing her puppy dog eyes, her pouting offensive was blocked by the blacksmith's raised hammer. "But I know you. So the secret's pretty funny. Jon, the Stark bastard, came to Master Mott and commissioned a sword to be made, Needle it's to be called, after Winterfell's blacksmith mentioned something about having to work on the queen's wheelhouse."

Oh Mott is making Needle? That is nice, it will probably be better then the original with a master like Mott doing it even if it is just so he doesn't have to bother with an annoying project he doesn't want to do.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"I take it there was something you wanted to actually talk about? All the times you came to see me on the trip you asked about the swords my master made or the armor of the knights I was helping to repair."

Frowning, the preteen couldn't keep the sulk out of her voice.

"I can't just come see a friend?"

He glanced up for just a moment, gave her a look like she was insane, and then returned to his task.

"You forget I know your sisters."

Ouch! Elia and the Snakes getting the burn from the blacksmith! To be fair he has been a bit of a victim of their schemes by getting thrust into the spotlight forging a Valyrian steel sword for the king. It will probably work out better off then otherwise as being a royal bastard if not a currently acknowledged one yet will result in far better opportunities for him then his old life eventually.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"Well it's not like they ever let me do anything fun. It's always 'Elia, you're not old enough to distract the maester' or 'Elia, you're too young to go see the giant castle'. But I'm old enough to babysit the royals when they're not at their lessons."

Elia you do realize most of these are deadly acts of intrigue right? No wait I forgot you are Dornish so you do you are just too crazy to care.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
. "As to your sisters, well, I don't want to say anything bad about them. But you do know they take… a few risks, yes?"

"Like how Ophelia plays with dangerous animals that could kill her with a scratch, Tyene likes to toy with the affections of other people, Nymeria messes with the minds of married nobles and especially their pretty wives, Sarella likes collecting both old books and people's private journals despite being told not too, Obara spends more time wrestling and fighting than she does thinking, and Father finds it funny to poke and prod the tempers of dangerous and powerful people." Taking a breath, she finished up. "Yeah. I know."

Well at least you are self aware of your family and how crazy they are. That is something at least even if it doesn't counteract their addiction to gambling with their lives.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
'I mean, it's not like Ophelia doesn't do pretty much whatever I ask her to, but only when she already knew everything would be alright.' Her thoughts weren't settled yet and she didn't expect the blacksmith to have all the answers. 'Sarella always loves to bring me along when she can, but I tend to get bored, leave, and then miss all the crazy fun stuff when things get set on fire.'

Ophelia and Sarella remain the best of the snakes after Elia. Sarella letting her sister go with her on her adventuring binges that is it not her fault that she doesn't stay around long enough for the 'fun' parts and Ophelia being her second mom.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"I think everyone is glad that you didn't decide to take after Lady Tyene."

Making a face, the girl tried to communicate how crazy that particular idea was.

"No, just… no." She wasn't supposed to be old enough to know exactly what it was Tyene did and even Elia knew the blonde got into more trouble than any amount of excitement was worth. "And it's not even because she likes to kiss pretty boys and girls. But she's scary. Though I do know she loves me." Pausing, a bit of hesitation welled up inside of her. Yet, trying to act just like her idol, she took the Bold course of action. "Once she told me that Ophelia loved me best of all and that she was jealous. But that she would never allow me to be hurt, so long as she lived, because I was precious to her and Ophelia both." Not sure how to totally express what she was trying to say, she ended up shrugging. "She's not quite right, Tyene, but she tries to care in her own way. I think I even trust her, but maybe that's because I didn't know her before 'Phelia."

"Your sister Nymeria warned me that, if Tyene ever offered me a kiss, to refuse politely."

Tone neutral, words just loud enough to be heard over the steady ding, ding, ding of his hammer, face marked with sweat and smoke, the blacksmith spoke truly.

"Yeah. That's probably for the best."

I do wonder how so many people still get tricked by Tyene at all when the family is so open about warning people she is crazy. I mean if any of the Sand Snakes say they are nuts then you should listen to that red flag.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Of the older Snakes, Obara was the one she found the most in common with.

Sure, the eldest sister was something of a grouch. Not doing much outside of training herself or training others. But she at least had the same affinity for combat that Elia was enamoured with since she could walk. Out of all of her siblings, it had been Obara that most agreed with her desire to become a knight, the rest seeing it as a bit silly for one reason or another, and even had helped their father train her.

She was Lady Lance after all - a nickname she hoped to one day deserve.

Maybe then she would stop being just 'Elia'.

Elia, who wore the name of a dead woman, the one her parents couldn't speak about without tasting bitter loss. Elia, who wasn't ever allowed to do something dangerous because another Elia died before her. Elia, who was small and weak and fragile and not trustworthy because she was still too young.

She hated it.

Hated that above everyone, Elia Martel's spectre hung over her the most.

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't right.

And more than anything she wanted her sisters to realize she was ready to well and truly be one of them. Not just the tagalong kid from one of Ophelia's tales.

This trip was her chance to prove it. To show everyone what Elia Sand could truly do when she was relied upon. And if she had to watch a bunch of younger kids mingling and playing around to get that chance? Well, she would just have to tough it out and put on her phoniest smile.

Poor Elia, I think every child her age wants to stand out and be more independent around her age but it is even worse for her because of her overshadowing of Elia tragic fate. Still I respect her approach to it nonetheless, as much as she complain she is not being stupid about it and acting out in spite but toughing it out till she does get the chance.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
What was it that Sarella said again?

'No pain, no gain.'

Sarella! Don't help Ophelia commit and spread her word crimes!

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
The Stark children, however, were complete unknowns and she had to make sure to know them well. Her sisters would surely reward her if she came back bearing juicy secrets and knowledge about the future lords and ladies of Winterfell. Though something told her that, that wouldn't be the thing she needed to really get them to count on her.

Arya Stark reminded Elia a lot of herself, enough that she had felt the younger girl was a bit of a kindred spirit. Not as a schemer and warlock, but great in the ways that were good, noble and strong both in body and spirit, kind and just and wise, and, above all else, free.

It was such a shame that her family wouldn't let her pursue that passion. Elia had been able to take up the lance because nobody really cared about what the Sand Snakes did. As far as the Seven Kingdoms were concerned, they were just lucky bastards who got to do what they wanted because their father had a soft heart, not that anyone would dare say it to his face.

Their father was known for three things after all: Having a lot of lovers, siring a lot of daughters, and killing a whole lot of men.

It was that reputation alone which prevented most from so much as looking at her sisters the wrong way. Because Oberyn Martell's ability to hold onto grudges and visit painful retribution onto those who slighted him was legendary.

"I have to say, it's nice being a bastard. At least one of Father's. I know pretty much no one is as lucky as we are, but I do have to say it's rather annoying being famous. Perhaps it would have been nicer if the rest of my family knew how to keep their heads down."

Yeah it has been said before but the Sand Snake sort of hit the lottery in term of freedom. A prominent enough dad they can do almost everything but none of the responsibilities coming with being a lord while at the same time having a reputation from that father that protect you for most trouble.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Elia did enjoy the added freedoms and wealth and the ability to do what she wanted. What she didn't enjoy, however, were the constant questions.

"What is it like living in Dorne? Do you guys have witches there? I heard there was a witch there. Have you met her?" Huffing, the preteen did as all young children do and expressed a rather amusingly intense burst of frustration with a single sound. "Seriously, you would think all everyone knew about the Martells was that we had magic users in our House."

Gendry snorted at that, not offering more of a comment, and satisfied himself with attending to a particularly stubborn bit of iron.

"There was no way I was that bad when I got to King's Landing or I wanted to speak with you. And now it seems like no one ever stops asking so. Many. Questions. You'd think Northerners didn't need to breathe!"

It would have been impressive if it wasn't driving Elia up the wall.

"It's hot. There's sand. It's coarse and gets everywhere. Yes, there is a witch back home. Yes, I've met her."

Come on now Elia Arya is just curious! If you really want her to stop bugging you about it that bad just exaggerate so much she realize you are screwing with her. It turns out all the Sand Snakes are witches you included part of your powers are getting little annoying Northern girl to go away!

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
So had Arya, for that fact, her mother just wouldn't let her know yet. It had been funny how Nymeria of all people had assuaged the fears of Lady Stark by having Sarella perform her tricks.

"It must be so exciting. I couldn't imagine living like that. Going wherever I wanted. Sounds like a dream."

Elia squeaked when she spun around, finding an annoyed looking Arya stark looking at her from the door of the forge. Gendry, for his part, tried and failed to hold back a laugh.

"Did I not warn you against talking about Northmen in the North?"

Busted! Also the solution that Catelyn came up with was to let her meet Ophelia but not ell her she is witch of dorne? Does she really think that will work? Like eventually someone will tell her and she will connect the dots then be pissed off at her mom then be even more motivated to spend time with a witch to spite her more. Then again I don't think Catelyn even really figure about a way to deal with Arya's rebelliousness other then 'scold for not being lady like, fail to change things and repeat'.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"If you say so. But it's not like your other sisters have much in the way of trouble. Nymeria even got to eat with the king." Huffing a bit, the Stark child crossed her arms. "My Nymeria has to stay in a cage until everyone leaves."

Elia: We have to do that sometime with our Nymeria too sometimes but only when it involved the Fowler twins.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"I guess we just think different."

"Don't think so. I wanna go out on adventures and have sword fights. You want to have sword fights and become a knight like your sister, right?"

"Arya, Obara isn't a knight. And I'd rather joust than have duels every day."

"Sounds boring. Duels sound much more interesting than trying to push someone off a horse."

The nerve of this brat!

"You're mad. Jousting is way harder than that."

"Sure it is. You hold a stick, run at someone, and if you're lucky you don't fall off."

"Well, you won't be pushing over anyone with those sticks of yours." The dornish girl huffed, pointing at the Stark's rather… unimpressive lack of muscle.

Which of course, got the appropriate reaction.

"I totally can!"

"Cannot!"

"Can too!"

"Cannot!"

"Can too!"

"Uh huh. What will you do, recite House Words at me until I fall over?"

That earned Elia a shove. Which sent her stumbling backwards. Right into the back of the resident blacksmith.

Gendry: "And that kids is how I met your mother!" If you are wondering if is is Arya or Elia I am referring to the answer is simple... Yes.

Seriously though this is the start of a beautiful friendship, beautiful like a wildfire or tornado but beautiful in its own way.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
For starters, Bran didn't have any aptitude for the fine arts. Something he had never really considered important. Why would he when there was a whole world outside to explore? Unfortunately that mindset had cost him when he found himself needing to draw a picture for the first time in his life.

"I think it looks nice."

The older girl, Meera, smiled lightly, just like she had on the night of the feast.

Her brother snorted, just a hint of bittery mockery in the sound.

"What did he draw, Meera?"

She tilted her head.

"That's the castle isn't it? Seen from above? You can kinda see the walls around the smaller circles, and I guess that wedge over there could be a moat, you can even see the little waves."

"Winterfell doesn't have a wet moat, Meera."

Her mature response was to stick out her tongue at her brother.

"Well, it totally could!"

"It's a face." Bran's own face fell, fingers flexing around the quill, defeat once more creeping up on him. Hardly a new feeling, but one he'd hoped his new… friends would have been able to vanquish entirely.

Ha! Sorry Bran you aren't meant to be an artist I suppose. No shame really, I certainly can't draw more then a stick figure.

Good to see the Reed here too! Bran could use some friends and they are good ones.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
More importantly, he'd been trying to draw the face of the woman from his nightmare. The one who had attacked him at the tower. Dangled him over the lip of that old, shattered tower without even a hint of effort, wondering whether it was worth the effort of bringing him inside or not.

Even now, he could see her standing there.

The sickly skin.

The green eyes.

The long, raven black tresses cascading over her face.

He just couldn't tell anyone about it. He couldn't write about it. He couldn't even draw it!

'Well, it's not like I was a great artist anyway.' The scrawl he'd presented to the siblings wasn't that much worse than his usual attempts at drawing or painting. In fact, both he and Rickon were still banned from so much as touching paint after they, and their direwolves, had made a rather… impressive mess. Across the entire east wall, top to bottom. Bran still didn't know how he'd done that if he was being honest.

Honestly the more you hear about Taylor from this perspective the worse it sounds. He doesn't even know about the fact she mind controlled a crap ton of people to kill what is basically a god.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"Can't you just ask someone to draw it for you?"

"He said he can't describe it. Like one of those curses from dad's stories."

Bran nodded, though he didn't criticize the suggestion. As it stood, he was a bit worried that the odd siblings would leave him if he allowed his confusion to manifest too directly. The less said about his night terrors, the better. It had already taken Jon chewing out some of the other boys his age to stop the title "Ser Bran the Chicken" from making its rounds.

He couldn't say anything, even hint at what he had seen. His tongue would end up glued to the top of his mouth when he tried and his fingers cramped when he tried to write out the words. And, of course, everyone assumed he was making stuff up about the nightmare.

So this is what it means to have hidden QA in practice. I know it had to be done lets it draw in worse things but I don't blame Bran for want to 'break his curse' either.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"If he can't draw it and can't even tell us how that girl looks, how are we supposed to find out what she looks like?"

Jojen stared at her.

"How do you even know if it's a she?"

"Like this." she turned to look at him. "Bran, was the one who attacked you a man?"

Bran shook his head.

"See?" Meera smiled triumphantly, showing the same spirit she'd used to bull him over, pepper him with questions until he submitted, and convince him to let her and her brother help..

Jojen, for his part, only stared.

"Didn't you just say that he couldn't tell us anything about it?"

At once the older girl and younger boy blinked in realization. They had completely overlooked that. Rather, he had been so focused on finding a way to tell them what he knew that he didn't think about telling them what he didn't know.

I have to say this is a great way to get around the restriction. Not only is it a clever subversion with breaking it it works from a story perspective since it lets some info get out but not enough to have him find Ophelia is connected just yet.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
He'd ask Sansa for help with that, but she was ignoring him. She always ignored him when he tried to tell her about the dream. Just like how mother would just smile and say that he was scared over nothing. Even when he could feel… whatever that was digging its claws into the back of his head, feel that unclean breath on his cheek, see the bloodshot pupils, smell the stench of an unwashed body and old blood.

Bran couldn't forget.

He couldn't stop seeing it.

Hearing its words every night.

Wow QA really is pretty Eldritch to the perceptions of someone on Westeros. I can't wait for Ophelia to have to describe what it is an make it worse!

I want you to imagine an ... Entity of incredible size and power enough to destroy worlds. This Entity is not of our world it is alien by nature a thing which travels the space between the stars for endless eons. But its power and size is so great it cannot control in all, it must divide itself, form Shards. It gives these Shards a Hierarchy, a Kingdom within itself with some becoming noble or even queens. What you saw in your dreams was Queen administrator one of this highest of those nobles who as the name say administrated other Shards. But what does any King or Lord fears more then its most powerful vassal? So that Enitity cast her down, crippled her till she could administrate nothing but bugs and insects. That is what you deal with and how she was when I meet her. Betrayed and alone as I was.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"So, how does this look?" Jojen passed him a sheet of parchment. The older boy turned out to be a godsend, actually knowing how to draw a straight light and a circle. Much to his sister's embarrassment, who looked to the side with cheeks set aflame.

As it turned out… her drawings were worse than Bran's.

Make of that what you will.

"It's not very similar."

Sure, Jojen had gotten the length of the hair and how wavy it was. But the shape of the girl's face was all wrong. She didn't look at all like a Northerner, and Jojen had only ever lived around people from the North so it wasn't like he knew what different faces could look like. If anything, it made things more difficult.

I suppose that makes sense hard to draw something from yes or no questions at the best of time especially something that you are missing a lot of context for.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
He'd have to ask Old Nan or Maester Luwin about it later. But for the moment he was just glad their father had brought them along. It was a once in a king's lifetime event after all and meeting the other noble children of the North would be good for them, so they alleged their father said.

I mean he is not wrong at least from a reasonable man's perspective. I suspect that if the Others move in force with the Kingdoms aware this time you might see a why Winterfell was built to host 100,000 people if needed. War tend to require the occasional mass rallying of nobility in this period.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
"It's just a rough start. We'll eventually get it done." Meera whooped in joy.

"And then what?"

Before promptly deflating.

"What do you mean?"

"Assume we get this done right, what are we going to do with it? Ride from town to town, village to village looking for this mystery girl? Even if she is messing around with Bran's dreams, do we even know where she is?"

The young Stark felt a defeated sigh escape him.

That's right.

Good point and even if that does look enough like Taylor to be recognized by Ophelia they have no idea she is the one that needs to see it. The best reason I could think of for them to seek her out is deciding to talk to the Witch Of Dorne about his curse which would hopefully be recognized by her.

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
But even so. He couldn't let it go.

Because every night, when he heard that thing speak inside his head he could make out how… desperate it was. Asking him for something he couldn't understand. So he had to assume that what it was asking for, what it was looking for, was the girl it was showing to him.

So he would find her.

Maybe then he would have some answers.

Maybe then he could sleep without being haunted.

Careful Bran curiosity is natural in a child but when dealing with magic and things from beyond the star it often leads to tragedy.

Scrimshaw_NSFW · Sep 10, 2021

Gigifiy said:
The best kind, Lay on Tentacles.

We approve~

Shoiran_Toushin said:
well, what i tried to mean by that comment was that, unlike Salaryman who did manage to piss off a ROB because of Hyper-rationalizing Stubbornness on his side and... really bad arguments on the side of the ROB, Salaryman didn't doubt the Power of Being X or its abilities to manipulate reality, he just didn't agree with its claims of being the Almighty and ROB didn't really responded to his arguments beyond "because i said so, and now i am going to proceed and make you be reborn with your memories intact in a brand new world and a brand new body kthxbai", neither Taylor nor Ophelia are the kind of persons who would get into a fight (even a verbal one) over 'terminology' with someone who was OoM Stronger than them if they didn't have a chance to pull out a win or an escape, because i was going with the "Taylor/Ophelia would not get into a fight over a naming convention with a Reality Manipulator unless they are in the same ballpark of power". or how both of her lives have conflicting beliefs (mostly on how each of her worlds had different beliefs and how was she educated in base of both) and how those have indeed produced and formed her current beliefs about the Nature of Reality.

We can dig it!

masterofmadness said:
Okay I lost my review before and I had to rewrite it so forgive the lateness. But here it is my Ch14 review even if it is a few days late!

We'll be replying properly in PMs, since we don't wanna ping the thread too many times. Thank you very much though! As always, these kinds of reviews help keep us going!

Sartek · Sep 15, 2021

Can someone give a really short quick summary of what this story is?

Tags say pretty much nothing and the first post jumps right into the story.

Pylon · Sep 15, 2021

Sartek said:
Can someone give a really short quick summary of what this story is?

Tags say pretty much nothing and the first post jumps right into the story.

Taylor reincarnated as an OC Sand Snake, and has grown up with them. As of story start she has already gathered a reputation as a witch and alchemist of some note in the seven kingdoms, and stands accused of poisoning Jon Arryn. Worth noting that she is, in fact, a witch and alchemist of some skill. The story (to put it very simply) follows her family's journey to King's Landing to clear her name and the adventures that follow on from there. Damn good read thus far, cannot recommend enough.

ATP · Sep 15, 2021

Pylon said:
Taylor reincarnated as an OC Sand Snake, and has grown up with them. As of story start she has already gathered a reputation as a witch and alchemist of some note in the seven kingdoms, and stands accused of poisoning Jon Arryn. Worth noting that she is, in fact, a witch and alchemist of some skill. The story (to put it very simply) follows her family's journey to King's Landing to clear her name and the adventures that follow on from there. Damn good read thus far, cannot recommend enough.

Basically this.Good story,but she is so overpovered that it is hard to find her human enemies which could threathen her,hence Lannisters was turned into comic relief.

Scrimshaw_NSFW · Sep 15, 2021

Wait till you guys see what we did with Euron.

The_Bajar · Sep 15, 2021

Scrimshaw_NSFW said:
Wait till you guys see what we did with Euron.

While not in the top three of most hated characters (as in characters we love to hate), seeing Euron go down is always fun. The top three, in my opinion would be Joffrey, Littlefinger and then a toss up between the Mountain that Rides and Ramsey Snow

One Who is Many - [Worm / Game of Thrones]

Versed in the lewd.

Please take your time

Not too sore, are you?

Getting sticky.

Know what you're doing yet?

Versed in the lewd.

Experienced.

Dragons Lie in Wait

Making the rounds.

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Getting some practice in, huh?

Versed in the lewd.

Your first time is always over so quickly, isn't it?

Making the rounds.

Not too sore, are you?

Versed in the lewd.

Your first time is always over so quickly, isn't it?

Getting sticky.

Certified Arachnos Arbiter

Versed in the lewd.

Making the rounds.

Not too sore, are you?

Getting sticky.

Not too sore, are you?

Making the rounds.

Not too sore, are you?

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Well worn.

Making the rounds.

I trust you know where the happy button is?

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