The year is 286 AC. King Jaehaerys II has just passed, leaving the throne without a rightful ruler. While his three children fight for the crown, Winter creeps closer, and unimaginable darkness looms.
Not all alliances will be so typical this time. In fact, many people have a crucial effect on the way this story is told. As for the ending, we only hope there are enough people left alive to tell it after its passed.
Events
Join us for our first event, the wake of recently deceased King Jaehaerys II.
Updates
AUG. 19: So we are now officially open to the public. We have a mini-event flashback thread going on, and our main event just began. Feel free to make a second canon if you can keep both of them active enough.
Don't hesitate in pestering staff with questions; it's what we're here for! Let's raise a glass and make a cheer toward a successful launch of Winds of Winter.
Beams of harsh sunlight slipped past closed shutters and fell upon dark tresses. The warmth of the late morning was already climbing high, and with a disturbing knock, Raien pulled himself from the soft pillows of his bed.
"My Lord a raven for you sir."
Deep groans were followed by mumbled words as he tried to comprehend just what was said. The concept of a message at this day was interesting, as not many knew he was here in Mereen, though he suspected it had something to do with his sister.
"A raven?... what?"
Groggy eyes lifted to rest on the dark skinned male that hovered over his bed; Jaqan, his assigned escort from the council leaders of Mereen. His first day, he made himself known to the ruling sect of the city, and despite their reluctance to his visit, when he offered them some portion of his money, -- their resolve was broken. So they gave him a suite, and a personal guide to ensure that the young dorne heir enjoyed his stay in the large city.
Enjoy it he did.
Spending a great portion of his days surrounded by brutes, and his nights in the presence of beauty, Raien has made quite a name for himself in the free city. He battled his way in the pits and in the beds of his opponents, always making sure to come out on top. But life would have him work his way back to westeros, for on that slip of paper was a bit of news.
"So the King is dead...."
With a long sigh, the young martell twisted his hips to slid off of the large bed, and slowly stood. With a quick tug on the sheets he startled dark haired exotic beauty so that she may leave quickly.
"Jaqan my man... I'm going home!"
With a pleasant smile, the Mereen man bowed and left quickly, aiming to get the young lord packed off. He bagged his clothes and remainder of his items, which was very little in retrospect of his status. It seemed that Raien was eager to leave, but fate would not have it that day -- for as soon as they met on the docks, Raien was treated to the news that his vessel and crew... had left.
They would need to find another ship and crew, but not that Raien had the money on him to pay for such a thing. If he wanted to get back to Kings Landing... he would have to come up with different means of procuring a craft.
It just so happened that there was a large enough ship at the next dock. One by one many different barrels and crates that he assumed was filled with goods were being carried on board and he grinned slyly.
Post by VAERYIA AGYARE on Aug 26, 2017 5:56:00 GMT
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The sun had only crept to hang from the center of the sky, signifying with its rays of sweltering heat that late morning was upon the inhabitants of Mereen. To Vaeryia and the crew of the Rotten Kraken, the placement of the sun also confirmed that their time to set sail was approaching with haste. The unruly sailors of the ship had been busy since dawn, loading countless crates and barrels full of the Emerald Trader’s goods and other needs she desired to bring along on their journey to Westeros. It would be a prolonged travel across the waters and she needed to be assured she was prepared for whatever trials they could potentially face.
Vaeryia was easily distinguished amongst the sailors, who were dirtied and possessed scars and injuries that attested to their experiences at sea. Generally, the men who she enlisted to accompany her also fell into the unsightly category. The crew from Mereen was no exception. She moved across the deck with an elegant gait, the sun illuminating her and the entirety of her charming features. It appeared as if the Lyseni woman was not crafted to be placed on a ship but the manner in which interacted with the sailors spoke against the assumption of her futility. Even the captain chuckled at her assertive demeanor, eyes following the pleasant sight of the woman wrapped in an ostentatious dress of deep crimson.
“I’ve employed the captain and his crew, so I’m the one you desire,” Vaeryia purred to Raien, appearing by his side to languidly drape a slender arm over his shoulder. A size gaze of molten golden observed the prince, noting that his attire spoke volumes of the wealth he presumably possessed. “This ship is merely full of mercantile goods bound for Westseros; how does its travel concern you?” Her Lyseni accent was melodic, the words practically flowing off her tongue as she inquired about the handsome man’s motives.
A ship bound for Westeros, and not only that, it was sanctioned by an unrivaled beauty that he had yet to find in the world. It would seem that fate had truly gave him a blessing ontop of his curse. What was a ship of salty men compared to one that carried the finest good in the land.
Lips spread into a warm smile, and hand raised to push aside the dark strands of hair that fell over his eyes. He stepped closer to the port side of the ship and gave a respectful bow in good manner.
"It would seem that luck is with both you and me today, My Lady. I seek passage to Westeros... as my crew and board had met a most recent demise."
He circled closer, stepping on the wooden bridge that connected dock and ship. He moved slowly, his smile still present on his face and his eyes resting on the finely dressed maiden. His hands were free from his waist and he was not followed by the onlooking Jaqan, who did not wish to make the situation unsettling.
"With whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?" he so boldly asked, unfamiliar with the woman and the product that she urged to move across the sea. "It is not everyday that I come across something so rare in my travels," he said before stopping a few meters shy of the woman.
Post by VAERYIA AGYARE on Aug 27, 2017 1:20:49 GMT
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Her golden stare was fixated upon the man, studying him closely to learn as much as she could without posing any questions. His appearance gave away far more detail about him then he could have assumed. Eyes trailing up and down the frame of the man, Vaeryia felt satisfied with the conclusions she reached about the identity and notoriety of the stranger interested in seeking passage onto her ship.
“You’re Dornish,” she remarked to him, a pleased smirk broadening on her lips as she spoke her assured assumption. “I can tell from your skin and the silks that cover your body. But you are far more becoming than the average Dornish man.”
The bow he executed was met with no more than a respectful nod from Vaeryia, who strongly believed that words spoke volumes over well rehearsed actions. Anyone with half a brain could comprehend that a certain sequence of actions could guarantee the good graces of someone who relied heavily on manners. “Luck is with me, you say? For having someone seeking passage on my ship with no suitable reason why?” Her words were spoken in a clipped tone but she had yet to signal to the sailors to properly handle the trespassers. Vaeryi was still intrigued by the reason for boldly making their way onto the ship.
“Vaeryia Agyare of Lys. Who are you, intrepid stranger?” she inquired with an arched brow. He had made his way onto the deck of the ship, where Vaeyria stood immediately before him with a bright stare and quirked lips. “A beautiful woman? You look like the sort who beds plenty of them. I’m sure I am not what you would call a…” The blithe woman made her way over to him, standing directly in front of him to lean into him. When she opened her mouth to speak once more, her lips were only a head tilt away from is. ”Rare commodity.”
Dark brows raised in surprise, followed by a hand to rest behind his head. The fact that she could so quickly identify his origin had meant that he was not the first dornish man she had come across, that, or a mere lucky guess. Nonetheless he was rather intrigued, and taken aback, by her bold behavior; she seemed the type of woman that commanded the attention of those in a room, even without a word leaving her lips. That type of girl -- was dangerous.
"You should not think so poorly of yourself, my lady. As if I could so easily find a jewel such as yourself among a ocean of coarse stones."
His voice was clear, as if he was an actor reciting well rehearsed lines, or a desperate man that recited his love poem to himself in practice.
"Oh forgive me, where are my manners..." he said with a chuckle, immediately placing one hand on his hip and the other on his chest. He didn't back down from the woman, his amber eyes resting on hers and his lips folding into a sly smirk. His introduction was slow, as if each syllable was meant to impress the beauty, and his eyes all but spoke the term 'checkmate'.
"Lord Raien Martell of Dorne, it is my honor to make your acquaintance, My Lady."
His right hand would slowly move to grasp her's, in hope that she would allow him to softly plant a kiss upon it before he continued.
"I had hoped that I would be allowed to accommodate you for my presence upon this destined vessel. But if that is to much to ask, please speak my dear."
Post by VAERYIA AGYARE on Aug 27, 2017 3:52:09 GMT
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She knew Dornish men well, dealing with them frequently throughout her travels in their country. They were people who loved as hard as they fought, a honorable enough type of lifestyle to the Lyseni woman. Her molten gold stare appraised the traveler once more to confirm he was of a higher breed than the sort of Dornish she usually encountered. Vaeryia would have even went as far to assume he was some type of nobility.
“Lyseni slaves should never accept the title of ‘lady,’ even if they have somehow found themselves as free people,” she vaguely spoke to him, the cadence of her words teasing but the overall notion ringing with authenticity. It was a subtle manner in which she injected pieces of his backstory into the banter currently unfolding.
Her stare overflowed with bemusement, the highborn before her a specimen that was steadily growing more valuable each time he spoke. “I’m speaking to a prince but you didn’t care to inform me of your status when climbing aboard this ship? How interesting.” He was suave, exactly how she expected him to carry himself. Charming looks and a lineage of nobility transformed even the sorriest of souls into the most sought after bachelor. Raien, though, was different. The tantalizing spark in her stare confirmed as much as she kept hold of his hand, pulling him further onto the deck of the ship while motioning to his companion with a nod of her head. “Welcome aboard the Rotten Kraken, my prince. It’s a dingy ship and the sailors are vulgar, but hopefully my presence will redeem this situation, even if only the slightest bit.”
Even with all his recent time in Essos, the man knew little about the customs of each of the free cities, even though their laws were parallel in comparison. So when she commented on a slave's title, he could not help but show some intrigue to how open she would be at revealing her hand. Normally a slave would never say they were so, -- at least none of the slaves he had the pleasure of knowing.
In response he only let out a small chuckle and followed her by the hand onto the ship deck. It was no Royal procession, but he didn't need it to be, as if he was not used to traveling uncomfortably already; To think it had been nearly four years since he had left home, and whether he found what he was searching for in Essos was still a mystery.
"You will find that I care little about the titles of men."
Kings, Lords, Ladies, Slaves... he gave them no second thought. They were all given titles, either by wedlock or birthright -- none of them earned with blood or steel. So they had no meaning to him personally, as Raien put little faith in the concept of a reputation.
"Your presence here has already lifted my spirits my dear. I am beginning to appreciate the disappearance of my paid ship and crew."
Giving a swift gesture, Jaqan meandered onto the ship and handed the leather bag of essentials off to Raien. Through squinty eyes he meekly gave the prince a bow before attempting to take his leave, which was thwarted with a quick snip by the dornish lord.
"Wait Jaqan, one more thing," he said before pulling at the gold coin purse at his hip,"Purchase a few good vintage for the men here, and one for myself." Raien finished as he threw the man the purse, "Make it fast, I'm sure the lady here wants a quick departure... Oh and a few birds for dinner too... you can keep what is leftover."
Giving the woman a glance he followed suit with a delicate smile, "You will get your's when I safely make shore in Westeros, my dear."
MADE BY NOVA
Last Edit: Aug 28, 2017 0:05:07 GMT by RAIEN MARTELL
Post by VAERYIA AGYARE on Aug 29, 2017 0:08:10 GMT
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“You are a rare type of man than, prince. It’ll be an honor to have you along on this voyage, I can feel it in my bones.” There was a lilt to her words, as if ever time she spoke it was not meant to be simple speech. A Lyseni songbird who never actually sang a proper tune.
He was intriguing soul, that much was undeniable. Then again, some of the most vivid men she had ever encountered were Dornishman. But they did not have the nobility coursing through their veins instead of ichor. Her gold gaze would not be letting him out of her sight any time soon and it seemed that Raien would be keen on doing the very same.
“What about the company of the sailors? They are fine men and I’m sure they’d love to exchange a tale or two with you,” she quipped to him, glancing over her shoulder to flash a taunting stare of gold to him.
Vaeryia had let to relinquish her hold on his hand but she did come to stand by his side, eyes alight as they watched Jaqan. He was Mereenese, it was evident to the Emerald Trader and that led her to believe he was a guide of sorts to the prince. Her assumption was confirmed when he attempted to scamper off the ship but his trek was halted by the commands of the prince. She watched the exchange, bemused, but her hand intermittently squeezed at Raien’s, applying enough pressure to assure him that it was entirely intentional.
Raien stood close enough to her to allow her to lean towards him, her lips hovering closely to his ear for a moment. He surely felt her warmth breath for those few seconds before she whispered in a smoky tone, “I’ll be getting what is mine tonight, my prince. Surely that isn’t an offer you would want to refuse.”
Jaqan had promptly stepped away, promised to return with the Lord's demands, and he was left in the hands of the more than capable Miss Vaeryia; in which the maiden ensnared his attention with a firm squeeze of his hand. She pulled herself closer to him, the warmth of her body catching him off guard as she whispered in his ear, and Raien grew more tense with each word.Eyes moved to rest upon her own as he pulled back from her advance, and swiftly his lips curled into a smirk as he came to understand her given terms.
"Of course. It would be rude of me to refuse any given hospitality."
Relinquishing her hand, Raien chuckled softly to himself and walked past her, picking up the small bag he had dropped on deck. Jaqan would return with his desires in an hour and they could quickly be on their way to Westeros.
'Perhaps I should have sent a raven first..'
It had been quite sometime since he was home and the Dornish Prince found himself reminiscing about the past as he moved his things beneath the deck, finding a solid crate to store them on. They still had some amount of time before they would sail, much less the lengthy trip to Westeros alone. He was going to become quite comfy with the sailors aboard the ship -- and perhaps the temptress that guided them.
Returning to the deck he pulled down the cotton garb from his shoulders and let it rest at his hips. The warmth of the sun upon his skin was followed with a smile as he walked forward. "A challenge of strength to pass the time?" he boasted before pointing out one of the more masculine men aboard. A simple game of arm wrestling to start the party.
Post by VAERYIA AGYARE on Sept 1, 2017 18:47:10 GMT
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She hadn’t expected to have a prince board her vessel as it traveled from Essos to Westeros, but the turn of events thrilled her nonetheless. He wouldn’t be leaving her sights during their progression across the Narrow Sea but he seemed to be aware of the expectations she laid out him in a husky whisper. Raien could have refused her sultry intentions and she would have gracefully stepped back, respecting the wishes of the royalty on the Rotten Kraken.
It was all the more of a thrill that his intrigue settled upon her, just as her’s had done with him.
“A true and proper guest. I shouldn’t have expected anything less from royalty,” she melodically quipped to him, sending a swift wink his direction before he made his way past her.
Prince Raien of Dorne had climbed up to the top of her list of valuables stowed away on the vessel.
Disappearing below the ship deck, Vaeryia was left to the company of the sailors bustling about her. Her blithe footsteps danced across the wooden planks, her worries no longer placed towards assuring that the goods were promptly stored before they set sail. They were now given an ample amount of time to load the vessel as the sailors would be rewarded for their efforts when the prince’s escort returned. At the very least, they would enjoy a hearty meal too. She would too, she thought with a devilish grin as she stood at the further most point of the bow to glance out musingly at the calm waters.
A few minutes of solitude graced the Lyseni woman before she turned back to the happenings of the crew. Raien had remerged, more of his bronze skin revealed and her golden gaze shamelessly admired his form. A teasing laugh was pulled from her as she caught his question, coming to linger a few feet away from the sailor he had gestured towards. “Ortun? He shattered the arm of the last man who challenged him to a feat of strength. But please, I would love to watch if you’re feeling gusty.”
Post by RAIEN MARTELL on Sept 3, 2017 15:47:44 GMT
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Looking to Vaeryia in surprise, his eyebrows raised as he stopped short of his chosen contender. Raien's eyes looked him up and down as he sized his opponent; sure the lad was large in size, but to destroy a man's arm? -- Bullshit. His lips spread wide as he grinned and rolled his shoulder.
"Are you a betting woman?" he asked in a playful tone before moving to pull a crate between the two men. He knelt down at the wooden box, his eyes mimicking the fiery breath of the sun as he readied himself. "Uhh rules... rules... Gah just don't cheat! Alright mate?"
"Care to name the stakes? If I win....," he said as he glanced up at Vaeryia,"--You give me a kiss." His grin widened as he gave his terms. In his short time that he has spent in her company, the women has all but wrapped him around her finger, and this was his way to even the playing field.
"And if I were to lose?" he asked, seeking his true opponents desire.
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