PC

Reddit Account: choronga
Discord Tag: Choner
Name and House: Malwyn Blackwood
Age: 53
Cultural Group: Riverlander (claims First Men heritage)
Appearance: Average in height, perhaps slightly taller than the next man. His build is that of a man who has fought his entire life, toned yet lean. His face sports the marks of battle, a few scars cross it, and his many wrinkles are a clear show of his advanced age, even though he definitely does not look as old as he is. His auburn hair somehow as kept its color, yet his hairline has receded considerably. His eyes are those of a tired man, yet they hold a glint still.
Trait: Strong
Skill(s): THS(e), First Man Warrior (e), Reckless
Talent(s): Complaining, Drinking in moderation, Dice games
Negative Trait(s): N/A
Starting Title(s): Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, The Bloodwood, Ser
Starting Location: Opening Event
Biography:
Malwyn was born the second child to Lord Morgan Blackwood and Lady Jeyne Blackwood nee Frey in the year 29 before Aegon's conquest.
His early years were peaceful. He had proven to be able with the blade from a young age, and while his brother Desmond received the education worthy of an heir, Malwyn practice relentlessly, almost obsessively.
The two brothers got along fine, but their relationship strained as Desmond began to feel undermined by his brother, as he wished to excel in everything, and Malwyn's swordfighting was clearly superior to Desmond's. The heir had been pampered and now, he couldn't find himself happy with all the attention he had received, he wished for martial recognition as well.
It would never come.
Desmond was not a bad swordsman, just not a good one. He had a cunning mind for strategy, sharp at numbers, a good memory, as by only one-and-ten he could remember almost all of the Houses' banners, holdings and words from the Kingdom of the Isles and Rivers. However, his blade handling was never even close to his brothers' and the constant attempts were met with failure, which only further enraged the Lord.
A daughter was born to Lord and Lady Blackwood when Malwyn was seven years of age. Cynthea, they called her.
Desmond inherited early. Lord Morgan perished at the hands of Lord Lothar Bracken in the eleventh year before the conquest. The twenty year old Lord Desmond quickly married, having his first son, Brynden, just a year after.
After Brynden followed two more, daughter and son, Jeyne and Addam, then another one, Alys, in the year 1BC and two more after the Conquest, Edwyn and Theomar.
All these years, Malwyn had yet not married, two years younger than his brother. He had been betrothed, but a knight of House Hoare defiled Malwyn's soon to be wife, murdered the girl's brother and the woman took her own life before the bastard of the Hoare monster was born. This left in Malwyn a sense of pure hatred for his Ironborn overlords.
Then, the dragons came.
While many saw this as a threat, Malwyn saw any who could bring the Hoares to a kneel as friends, and when they eventually not only defeated them, but decimated their rotten House, Malwyn jumped to the chance to pledge his sword to Aegon the Conqueror.
He was made a member of the Kingsguard soon after he joined the side of their invaders, which was seen by his family as betrayal. Malwyn saw those who followed the Tullys' call for independence as nothing but fools. A man had come and released them from their Ironborn overlords, and the Riverlords paid that man with bloody rebellion.
Malwyn grew close to the new Targaryen King, due to him being his stationed kingsguard most of the time. The Knight managed to save Aegon from the goldcloaks once, but not twice, and after his death he became Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, as the attack on King Aegon had caused death of Corlys Velaryon.
It is Malwyn, with the help of Willem Ryger, that reveals the Tullys as culprits to Visenya Targaryen, leading to the destruction of the trouts. There were more conspirers, but the Bloodwood remained silent.
The following years were calm. The rest of the Blackwoods had made it clear that they wished for nothing more than the death of Malwyn, for he was a craven, a traitor and a kneeler. Malwyn didn't care, he still held love for his brother, even if it had never been mutual.
Around these years, a young boy of House Mallister became Malwyn's squire, getting knighted by the Lord Commander in the year 11AC.
In the year five-and-ten after the conquest, during a a hunt to celebrate the 18th nameday of Orys Baratheon's heir, bandits attack. It is a surprisingly well organized force and manages to take hostage many of important figures. Malwyn leads the defense, and is forced to take difficult choices. His hands are stained in blood in the end, innocents dead because the Lord Commander chose not to save them in order to save others. The King of the Woods died in the hands of Roland Arryn, and Malwyn fought alongside him.
A year after, Addam Blackwood died, killed in a border skirmish with House Bracken.
Two years later, a foolish Bracken decided that claiming that a Blackwood hill was theirs by right was a great idea. The boy, not older than eight-and-ten, brought a letter for the Hand of the King, and he was met with Malwyn, who laughed at the boy and insulted him plenty. The boy called for a duel, and Malwyn slaughtered him.
This incensed the two ancient enemies' feud. House Blackwood joined with the Mallisters of Seagard and the North. House Bracken had the Riverlords at their side. The two armies met at the Red Fork, and the two Lords dueled. Lord Bracken's leg was maimed by Lord Desmond Blackwood, but Lord Blackwood received a wound on his chest that never healed, and would eventually kill him in the year 24 AC.
Two years after the battle that never was, Cerion Blackwood, Desmond's heir, died from a hunting accident. Suspicious circumstances.
The war was halted by the Belaerys dragon of Aegon's Rest.
Malwyn wouldn't go home until a moon before Desmond's death, being called by Edwyn Blackwood, the Heir to Raventree Hall. There the two spoke, and Malwyn left without saying anything a night after he arrived.
Now, he's back at King's Landing, and someone has pissed on his tent.
Timeline:

• 31BC: Desmond Blackwood is born to Lord and Lady Blackwood
  
• 29BC: Malwyn Blackwood is born to Lord and Lady Blackwood
  
• 25BC:
  
• 22BC: Cynthea Blackwood is born to Lord and Lady Blackwood
  
• 11BC: Lord Morgan Blackwood dies at the hand of a member of House Bracken, Desmond Blackwood becomes Lord of Raventree Hall.
  
• 10BC: Cerion Blackwood is born to Lord Desmond Blackwood
  
• 7BC: Jeyne Blackwood is born to Lord Desmond Blackwood
  
• 6BC: Addam Blackwood is born to Lord Desmond Blackwood
  
• 5BC: Malwyn's betrothed is assaulted by a Hoare, the woman's brother killed. The girl takes her own life after the event. Malwyn is left distraught
  
• 1BC: Alys Blackwood is born to Lord Desmond Blackwood
  
• The Conquest:
  
• Malwyn pledges his sword to Aegon the Conqueror after the burning of Harrenhal
  
• House Blackwood remains neutral, but is close with House Tully during their call to independence.
  
• 1AC: Edwyn Blackwood is born to Lord Desmond Blackwood. Malwyn Blackwood becomes a Kingsguard
  
• 4AC: Theomar Blackwood is born to Lord Desmond Blackwood. Malwyn Blackwood manages to fend off an assassination attempt on the life of King Aegon I.
  
• 6AC: Tristan Mallister becomes Malwyn's squire.
  
• 7AC: Another attempt, this one successful. Aegon Targaryen, first of his name, is killed. Malwyn becomes Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. He helps in revealing the Tullys as culprits, and is shunned for it.
  
• 15AC: The Kingswood Catastrophe happens. Malwyn does his best but gains the hatred of many who believe him guilty for the death of their loved ones.
  
• 16AC: Addam Blackwood is killed by a bracken in an ambush
  
• 18AC: The Riverwar. Lord Desmond Blackwood is gravely injured. He manages to survive but never properly heals, constantly fighting infection.
  
• 20AC: Cerion Blackwood dies in a hunting accident. Edwyn becomes Lord Regent, as his father's condition only worsens.
  
• 24AC: Malwyn Blackwood goes to Raventree Hall, as his nephew calls for him due to Lord Desmond's ever worsening condition. He leaves the night after.
  
• 25AC: Present. Someone has pissed on me tent
  

AC

Reddit Account: choronga
Discord Tag: Choner
Name and House: Edwyn Blackwood
Age: 23
Cultural Group: Riverlander (claims First Men heritage) Appearance: Of average height, slender, with a face often described as "maidenly" by those who seek to mock the Lord of Raventree Hall. His voice is surprisingly deep, with a whispery cadence. His face is lacking a beard, not because he has not attempted to get it to grow. He has jet black hair, as befits a Blackwood.
Trait: Ruthless
Skill(s): Ranger, Schemer, Devious
Talent(s): Poetry, Archery, Gambling
Negative Trait(s): N/A
Starting Title(s): Lord of Raventree Hall, Wielder of the Weirwood Bow, The Raven
Starting Location: Opening Event

NPCs

• Davos Blackwood: (Master-at-Arms) The captain of Raventree Hall's guard
  
• Cynthea Blackwood: (Magnate)
  

Hello
I'm researching various Abrahamic religions, and I want to understand the methodologies behind Jewish sources and the conclusions derived from them.
Although I'm not Muslim (I'm Catholic), I'll use an example from Islam to illustrate what I'm looking for, as it seems externally similar to Judaism and I have some knowledge on the subject.
In Islam, there is the Quran, which Muslims believe is the revelation from God to the Prophet (p) through the angel Gabriel. Apart from this document, there are compilations of books called Hadiths, which are stories from the Prophet (p). These books contain a variety of content since they are not of a single nature; they are usually divided into sections but often consist of paragraphs that can say several things.
In a Hadith, you might find a story of the Prophet (p) or previous stories, exegesis of the Quran, predictions, commandments of the Prophet (p), etc. The sections do not affect the numbering; some books go from 1 to +7000 Hadiths. As I mentioned, you can find a wide range of topics without a very strict order, and usually, Hadiths don't depend on the surrounding narrations. For example, Hadith 5 doesn't depend on 6, and 6 doesn't depend on 7, etc. Typically, all the context is contained within each narration. In some cases, they combine Hadiths that are just variations of the same narrative with some details by adding a letter to them; for example, if Hadith 7a mentions drums, Hadith 7b might mention flutes, but the rest is exactly the same.
These Hadiths are verified for authenticity by a chain of transmitters. For example, a friend of the Prophet (p) tells a story to another person, who tells it to another, and so on until a Hadith compiler writes it down in his book. To verify the authenticity of a Hadith, the biographies of the transmitters and the continuity of the transmissions are carefully checked.
Beyond the Hadiths, there are other early Islamic books, such as biographies of the prophet (p) and/or his companions with a different structure from the Hadiths, exegesis of the Quran (tafsir), and so on. Modern authors also write books about these topics, like contemporary tafsirs, compilations of different hadiths, laws compilation, etc.
There are consensus systems among scholars, universities, and influential figures like Al-Albani. Regarding divisions, I don't know much. As far as I understand, the divisions were not made for purely theological reasons but also for pelitikal ones, with Shi'ites having their own chains of transmission, and so on, similar to the Ibadis; and their hadiths doesn't apply to one division to another. Hadith libraries can become immense but usually only a few books (such as Muslim and Bukhari for Sunnis and Kafi for Shiites) are counted, the rest are used little to nothing
Also there are Quranists who doesn't believe in all of this and only have their Quran with their own intepretation.

Looking for novels, autobiographies/biographies, literature/literary histories or essays/articles and letters with depth and romance/existencialism/humanistic in philosophy (possibly of observation / of art). Thank you in advance!!-z
Also: landscape of ideas/geographies/people/Planet

I had been posting here for a long time as “roacsonofcarc.” The other night some kind of digital upheaval threw me off my desktop and wiped out my all saved passwords. I talked Reddit into letting me back in, but for some reason my identity changed.
For my first post under this new name, here are some of Tolkien's possible connections to one of my favorite authors: Geoffrey Chaucer.¹ In his The House of Fame, an eagle carries the poet (in a dream) to the palace of the goddess Fame. On first being picked up, Chaucer faints. When he comes to:

And here-withal I gan to stere,/And he me in his fet to bere,/Til that he felte that I had hete,/And felte eke tho myn herte bete./And thoo gan he me to disporte,/And with wordes to comforte,/And sayde twyes, "Seynte Marye!/Thou art noyous for to carye,/And nothyng nedeth it, pardee!/For, also wis God helpe me,/As thou noon harm shalt have of this;/And this caas that betyd the is,/Is for thy lore and for thy prow.

The sense of this, for those who can't deal with Middle English, is that the eagle tells Chaucer not to be such a pain, because nobody is going to hurt him. The cream of it is the adjective “noyous,” which as you might suspect means “annoying.” (One of the things I like about Chaucer is that he makes himself the butt of all his best jokes.) When I reread the poem a few months back, this reminded me of Bilbo being airlifted to the Carrock:

Bilbo opened an eye to peep and saw that the birds were already high up and the world was far away, and the mountains were falling back behind them into the distance. He shut his eyes again and held on tighter.
"Don't pinch!" said his eagle. "You need not be frightened like a rabbit, even if you look rather like one. It is a fair morning with little wind. What is finer than flying?"
Bilbo would have liked to say: "A warm bath and late breakfast on the lawn afterwards;" but he thought it better to say nothing at all, and to let go his clutch just a tiny bit.

Though Bilbo is riding on his eagle's back, while Chaucer is carried in its claws. Next, here is a line from Tolkien's best-known scene of courtship: “And Eowyn looked at Faramir long and steadily; and Faramir said: 'Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Eowyn!'” I don't think it is a coincidence that Chaucer wrote that “pitee renneth soone in gentil herte”; in fact, he liked the line so much he used it three times – in the “Knight's Tale.” the ”Squire's Tale,” and The Legend of Good Women.
And then there is the lightness of the linden tree.² The first preserved version of the story of Beren and Luthien is a poem that appeared in 1925 in a magazine published by Leeds University (where Tolkien was teaching), under the title “Light as Leaf on Lindentree.” That exact phrase does not appear in LotR, but Aragorn's song at Weathertop includesHe heard there oft the flying sound/Of feet as light as linden-leaves. “ The lightness of linden leaves is also alluded to in Legolas's “Song of Nimrodel": And in the wind she went as light/As leaf of linden-tree.
Tilia cordata is a European species, and I don't know what about its leaves makes them light. But the association is old. It occurs in Chaucer in the “Envoi” to the “Clerk's Tale,” which advises wives to Be ay of chiere as light as leef on lynde, “Be ever in behavior as light as a leaf on a linden tree.” And here is one of the best things in William Langland's Piers Plowman (a poem I mostly find drab compared to Chaucer):

Love is plonte of pees, most precious of vertues/For hevene hold it ne mighte, so heuy hit first semede/Til hit had of erthe ygoten hitsilue./Was never lef uppon lynde lyghtere ther-aftur./As when hit hadde of the folde flesch and blode taken./Tho was it persaunt and portatif as the point of a nelde/May none armure hit let ne none heye walles
Love is plant of peace · most precious of virtues./For Heaven might not hold it · so heavy it seemed/Till it had of the earth · begotten itself./Never was leaf upon linden · lighter thereafter,/As when it had of the field · flesh and blood taken,/Then was it pricking and piercing · as the point of a needle,/That no armour might stay it · nor any high walls.

(Langland is writing about the Incarnation of Christ. Michael Drout's J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia notes both of these, at p. 525.)
Finally, in “The Window on the West,” Faramir says of Boromir's horn:

The shards came severally to shore: one was found among the reeds where watchers of Gondor lay, northwards below the infalls of the Entwash; the other was found spinning on the flood by one who had an errand on the water. Strange chances, but murder will out, ’tis said.

“Murder will out” is one proverb that Tolkien did not make up; it is commonplace in English literature. Chaucer surely didn't invent it either, but this is another phrase that appears three times in the Canterbury Tales. Here it is in the “Nun's Priest's Tale”:

Mordre wol out; that se we day by day./Mordre is so wlatsom [disgusting] and abhomynable/To God, that is so just and resonable,/That he ne wol nat suffre it heled [hidden] be,/Though it abyde a yeer, or two, or thre./Mordre wol out, this my conclusioun.

Tolkien knew the “Nun's Priest's Tale” by heart. In 1938 he dressed as Chaucer and recited it from memory before an Oxford audience. See Letters 32, pp. 39-40, and the Carpenter Biography at p. 214..
1, Sorry if I have posted some of these before. Gandalf too experienced some memory loss while on hiatus.

1. According to the OED, the name of the tree was originally the “lind,” or sometimes the “lime.” “Linden” was originally an adjective, like “dwarven.”

Reddit Account: The-Lightbringer
Discord Tag: Indigo
Name and House: The High Septon
Age: 26
Cultural Group: Andal
Appearance: Rumor tells that no mortal eyes have glimpsed the face of the man once known as Septon Amory. He garbs himself in liturgical vestments of silver and pure white embroidered with thread-of-gold, the sleeves and skirts of his robes covering everything underneath. On his right hand he wears a doeskin glove, and his left is always carefully bandaged with clean strips of white linen. A single ring adorns his finger, the heavy silver and gold piece that bears his signet. Instead of a crystal coronet, he wears a simple cloth headdress of the same make as his other garments. The most striking and visible feature of the High Septon are his eyes, a piercing shade of blue, deep as the sky in summer, seen through the ornate silver of the mask that veils all else from view.
Trait: Mastermind
Skill(s): Covert (e), Sabotage (e), Ravenmaster
Talent(s): N/A
Negative Trait(s): Maimed (Left Arm)
Starting Title(s): His High Holiness, Father and Shepherd of the Faithful, Voice of the Seven, Supreme Leader of the Faith Militant, The Ecumenical Arbitrator of the Will of the Father, and so on.
Starting Location: Opening Event
Alternate Characters:N/A

Family Tree

N/A

Biography

A son was born in the year before the Conqueror’s arrival to the Lord of Riverrun’s younger brother, who served as a household knight and steward of the keep. Known by all as a proud and shrewd man, he worked diligently in his efforts to maintain the finances and prestige of their house. Not long afterwards, a sister made her appearance, and the riverlords rejoiced for their many blessings. Taken on by his uncle as a page and cupbearer at the age of six, the boy began the long journey towards knighthood. He served Lord Tully’s food, cleaned his armor, fed his hounds, and held a sword for the first time, albeit a training weapon. Whenever his services were not needed, he learned heraldry and horseback riding, attending his father and the other men on hunts within the Whispering Wood.
One of the boy’s earliest glimpses of memory was fire and blood. Buildings crumbling, dust choking, fire scorching, and the heavy, beating wings and terrible roar of a furious beast. When the septons arrived to bless the remains of the deceased, they found him tucked in a corner of the ruined stables, clutching at the corpse of his nameday gift, an orange tabby kitten. The hair had been singed from his small head, his skin was blistered and weeping, and the fingers of his left hand were fused together by the heat. Taken to Stoney Sept by his saviors, he spent many long, terrible weeks in a milk of the poppy-induced sleep at the hands of the healers, who fought tirelessly to keep the Stranger away. When he woke, he blessedly remembered nothing of the ordeal.
The kindly Septon Ambrose oversaw the boy’s continued education – reading, writing, numbers and history, all with a focus on the workings of the Faith. Amory, as they called him, was a quick and attentive learner. He made many friends amongst the wandering septons, sitting rapt at attention whenever they told stories of the realms beyond the borders of their humble home. His true identity was kept as a closely guarded secret by those who found him, for fear of bringing dragonfire down upon their heads. At five and ten, Amory set aside his brown cowl for robes of white, the youngest ever ordained septon (to anyone’s knowledge). He took to wearing a carved wooden mask to hide his scars from the world, though he’d long forgotten where they even came from. Traveling the riverlands from village to village, he held sermons on the goodness and grace of the Seven and healed the smallfolk of their spiritual ailments, performing marriages, blessing infants and forgiving sins. As a wandering minister, he became immensely popular, garnering much fame and attention and often being asked to visit various towns and villages.
While delivering sermons south of the Trident, Amory was called back to Stoney Sept where Ambrose lay upon his deathbed. The truth was revealed in the dying gasp of the old man; he was really Tristram Tully, the last of a fallen house. Utterly shaken by the news, he spent seven days and seven nights struggling with his beliefs while holding vigil within the sept for all that he’d lost – his family, his adopted father, and his name. He tore his robes and his hair, scourged his back bloody and raw, and prostrated himself before the gods. By the end of it, his faith had not fled but grown even deeper, for though he could no longer stand against the Targaryens in the name of House Tully, he firmly believed that the Seven would guide him on the path to retribution. On the morning of the eighth day, he emerged from the sept and made preparations to leave the village of his youth behind. He would travel to the Westerlands, where rumors told of a new militant order of the Faith on the rise.
There, he made the acquaintance of knights such as Ser Morden ‘Morningstar’, who became his traveling companion, and Ser Alesander, an aspiring captain within the Warrior’s Sons. Just two years after arriving at the temple, his popularity in the West had grown to heights rivaling the riverlands. While wandering with his constant shadow, he spoke out against the treatment of the smallfolk by the upper class during times of war: the fires set in their villages, the looting of their homes and the rape of their women. How, during times of peace, they were forced to hand over their hard-earned food for the lord’s granary and their coin for the king’s taxes. The rich in their castles lived in great excess and benefitted from the suffering of those who worked the land and lived simple, honest, godly lives. He paid for any provisions requisitioned from families out of his own pocket, and such was the fame and magnanimity of Amory that eventually the folk came running out to meet him whenever he arrived to give a sermon, acclaiming his name and offering gifts.
Whenever Septon Amory left the Westerlands behind, he was accompanied by a sizable flock of supporters, Warrior’s Sons, Poor Fellows and peasants alike. His teachings proved to be substantiated when the lords of the Reach answer with violence against the crowd. As the ground ran red with the blood of the martyrs, the High Septon himself was pressured to denounce the slaughter of the septons and their followers. Mercenary companies were unleashed by various lords to quell the unrest, which only served to harden the hearts of the smallfolk and the Faith Militant against them. Continuing on toward Oldtown, Amory was granted refuge at Holyhall for a time, where he befriended the bastard grandson of Lord Graceford. The two remained in touch even after the septon’s departure, and exchanged many letters.
Upon arriving at the city, a meeting was arranged with the High Septon himself, along with members of his council, and representatives from various lords. They offered to build Amory his own sept, tempted him with mountains of gold, and even promised a position within the Most Devout if he would control his fanatical followers and stop railing against the nobility, all to no avail. He could not be bribed, claiming to see the Faith as it truly was at that time – corrupt beyond redemption, and maintained that he had been chosen by the Seven as its savior. In his own words, the ‘wicked would fall before the righteous, and all creation would tremble before the standards of the faithful.’ Able to do very little against his growing influence, the High Septon was forced to concede, granting the Warrior’s Sons a portion of the land held by the Faith within Oldtown to build a chapterhouse.
Remarkably, things seemed to settle after that in spite of Septon Amory’s words. He busied himself with overseeing the building of the chapterhouse, and took to wandering the Reach as he had previously. The smallfolk were found to be as malleable as any he’d encountered thus far, and it wasn’t long before he had become a figure of great eminence among them. A year passed, and then another, and still a third, after which the uprisings all but seemed a thing of the past. The Warrior’s Sons kept themselves busy with expanding their holdings and influence, and Amory’s decree became little more than an afterthought. All was truly well, until the High Septon suddenly became ill after a meeting attended by members of various orders. Although a robust and healthy man, he began to waste away over the course of days, with the maesters of the Citadel and numerous holy men doing what they could to treat a perceived stomach illness. Eventually, his speech became too slurred to comprehend, and he died on the seventh day.
After a period of mourning and funerary rites, the Most Devout began the selection process to determine which of them would become the new High Septon. Before the voting could conclude, the Warrior’s Sons arrived at the steps of the Starry Sept with a figure both familiar and altogether new at their head. Septon Amory had shed his humble appearance as an adder sheds its skin, exchanging his wooden mask for one of silver and his plain linen robes for richly embroidered vestments. He was thusly appointed as the new High Septon by the Most Devout out of fear of his power and influence. His first act was to renounce the false gods of the East and to affirm that, as decreed by the laws laid down within the holy texts by the Seven, incest was an abomination. An excess of wealth was then transferred to the Westerlands for the upkeep of the temple garrison there. Many more drastic changes would take place after the new High Septon’s rise to power.
The first of these was the formation of the Knights Inquisitor, tasked with rooting out and punishing heretics within ecclesiastical courts. With the Faith Militant spreading to other kingdoms, the order was desperately in need of cohesive leadership. Ser Alesander, now Warden of the Temple, was anointed a third and final time and raised to the position of Grand Captain of the Warrior’s Sons. The Exemplary Soldiers of the Holy Brotherhood of the Sword were chartered, with seven of the greatest champions of the Faith chosen to serve as pillars of authority and shining examples of virtue. They pledged their swords not to the will of man, but to the gods themselves. Members of the Most Devout found embezzling money or otherwise participating in corrupt practices were ousted from their positions, which were then filled by the High Septon’s loyal followers. A lengthy meeting with Lord Hightower soothed any tensions that remained between the Reachlords and the faithful, and established much favor between them.

Timeline

1 BC – Born at Riverrun.
5 AC – Becomes a page for his uncle, Lord Tully.
7 AC – His home and family are destroyed by House Targaryen and he is found by septons who nurse him back to health. Septon Ambrose begins tutoring him.
14 AC – Ordained as a septon.
17 AC – Septon Ambrose tells him the truth of his origins on his deathbed before passing away. He travels to the Westerlands to join the fledgling Warrior’s Sons.
19 AC – Leaves the temple and travels to the Reach with a large following. Skirmishes erupt between the holy men and the nobility.
20 AC – Founds the Oldtown chapter of the Warrior’s Sons.
24 AC – Annointed as the High Septon.
25 AC – Travels to King’s Landing for the festivities.
Name and House: Morden ‘Morningstar’
Age: 32
Cultural Group: Andal
Appearance: Outwardly, the sworn defender of the High Septon is a plain-looking man. Fair of skin, with a chiseled face, brown hair, and two bright, attentive eyes, and he stands well above average height. His armor is steel and bronze with very little embellishment, and he carries an enormous mace in the place of a sword. On his shield is the device of the Warrior’s Sons, and from his shoulders hangs a cloak striped with the seven colors of the Faith. Inwardly, the septon-turned-knight is a man of great faith and piety, deeply linked to the knightly code of honor. The man shows absolute loyalty even to his enemies, while charity and help are the rules of his life. He considers excessive violence abhorrent, does his utmost for the weak and vanquished, and burns with furious anger in the face of all cruelty and injustice.
Trait: Hale
Skill(s): Blunt Weapons (e), Brute
Talent(s): N/A
Negative Trait(s): N/A
Starting Title(s): Septon Knight, Defender of the Faith, Sworn Shield of His High Holiness
Starting Location: Opening Event
Alternate Characters: N/A

Family Tree

N/A

Timeline

7 BC – Born to a smallfolk family from the Westerlands.
3 AC – Sent away to study at the local sept by his mother, who can no longer afford to feed him and nine other siblings.
5 AC – Taken on as a squire by the septon knight Ser Edmure the True, continuing his studies as both a holy man and a soldier.
9 AC – Anointed as a septon.
11 AC – Assists Ser Edmure in saving a family of farmers from bandits and is knighted for his bravery.
15 AC – Joins up with the Warrior’s Sons under the direction of Septon Karron.
17 AC – Meets Septon Amory and acquires Jeb Adaron as a squire.
22 AC – Knights Ser Jeb for outstanding skill and valor in a melee held at Starpike.
24 AC – Amory receives the mantle of High Septon and Morden is appointed as his faithful shield.
25 AC – Accompanies the High Septon to King’s Landing for the feast in honor of the princes.

Supporting Characters

Septon Ilyn (Questioner) – A confessor in the personal service of the High Septon.
Symond of the Seven-Pointed Star (General) – A champion of the Faith who serves as the commander of the Warrior’s Sons in Oldtown.

A month ago I posted about Austria Hungary joining the Entente if it went down a royalist path. I am currently reading The Last Hapsburg, a biography of Karl written from interviews with Zita. In the chapter on the Sixtus Affair is an English translation of the letter Karl wrote in theory to his brother in law Count Sixtus but intended to be read by leadership of the Entente.
I will cite a relevant paragraph from the letter below:

France too has shown the greatest strength in resisting invasion and a magnificent vitality. We are all bound to admire without reserve the traditional valour of her gallant army and the willing spirit of sacrifice shown by the whole French people. I am especially gratified to note that, although for the time being we are in opposite camps, my Empire is not divided from France by any real differences of outlook or of aspirations; and I am justified in hoping that my own warm sympathy for France, supported by the affection which she inspires throughout the Monarchy, will prevent the recurrence, ever again in the future, of a state of war for which I can disclaim all personal responsibility.

DD1 - $1,000 - PASSPORTS - A white cross and writing in 5 languages are on the cover of this European country's passport
DD2 - $800 - CHAPTERS IN BIOGRAPHIES - In "Prairie Fires" about this author: "Pioneer Girl", "As a Farm Woman Thinks"
DD3 - $1,200 - TOUGH 6-LETTER WORDS - Veal is etymologically related to this word for calfskin used for writing
Correct Qs: DD1 - What is Switzerland? DD2 - Who was Wilder? DD3 - What is vellum?
View Poll

Here are today's contestants:

• Rachel Shelton, an attorney from Lexington, Kentucky;
• Nick Coombs, an auctioneer from Chicago, Illinois; and
• Grant DeYoung, a grocery clerk from Prescott, Arizona. Grant is a two-day champ with winnings of $46,401.

Jeopardy!
I'M A FUN GUY // PASSPORTS // WORDS FROM FILM // BASEBALL'S 25-GAME WINNERS // ENTER THE LITERARY CHARACTER // FRANKLIN
DD1 - $1,000 - PASSPORTS - A white cross and writing in 5 languages are on the cover of this European country's passport (Grant doubled to $6,400.)
Scores at first break: Grant $1,800, Nick $1,600, Rachel $2,600.
Scores entering DJ: Grant $8,000, Nick $3,600, Rachel $3,800.
Double Jeopardy!
STATE NAME STUFF // CAST MEMBERS IN THE REBOOT // "GN"OWLEDGE // TOUGH 6-LETTER WORDS // CHAPTERS IN BIOGRAPHIES // WE ARE FUNGI
DD2 - $800 - CHAPTERS IN BIOGRAPHIES - In "Prairie Fires" about this author: "Pioneer Girl", "As a Farm Woman Thinks" (From third place, Rachel lost $7,000 on a true DD.)
DD3 - $1,200 - TOUGH 6-LETTER WORDS - Veal is etymologically related to this word for calfskin used for writing (Grant added $5,000 to improve to $18,200 vs. $11,600 for Nick.)
Grant found two DDs and scored on both of them, but came up just short of a runaway into FJ at $19,800 vs. $10,400 for Nick. Rachel tried to go from third to first on DD2 with an all-in wager, but missed and never got back into the game, finishing DJ at $0.
Final Jeopardy!
BOOK & MOVIE TITLE REFERENCES - The title of this 2001 book, also a 2003 film, formed a partial border between Boston, Chelsea, Medford, & Everett
Only Grant was correct on FJ, adding $1,001 to win with $20,801 for a three-day total of $67,202.
Final scores: Grant $20,801, Nick $999, Rachel $0.
That's before their time: Grant and Nick eagerly went for baseball clues, but they missed the lefty pitcher who put up incredible stats while playing for the woeful 1972 Phillies, Steve Carlton.
Correct Qs: DD1 - What is Switzerland? DD2 - Who was Wilder? DD3 - What is vellum? FJ -What is "Mystic River"?

I-130

• Cover page
• Form G-1145
• Check
• Two passport type photos of Petitioner
• Two passport type photos of Beneficiary
• Form I-130: Petition for Alien Relative
• Form I-130A: Supplemental Information for Spouse Beneficiary
• Copy of US Citizen (Petitioner) passport
• Copy of US Citizen (Petitioner) birth certificate
• Copy of the Beneficiary’s Passport (biography page + visa page + stamps)
• Copy of the Beneficiary’s birth certified certificate + translation
• Copy of marriage certificate + license
• Supporting evidence of a bona fide marriage

I-485

• Cover page
• Check
• Form G-1145
• Two passport type photos of Beneficiary
• Form I-485: Application to Register Permanent Residence
• Form I-864: Affidavit of Support: Sponsor's 2022 Tax Return Transcript and U.S. passport
• Form I-131: Application for Travel Document
• Form I-765
• Form I-693: Medical Examination
• Copy of the Beneficiary’s birth certified certificate + translation
• Copy of the Beneficiary’s passport (biography page + visa page + stamps)
• Copy of EAD
• Copy of Beneficiary’s most recent I-94
• Copies of Beneficiary’s issued I-20’s and DS-2019
• Copy of Marriage certificate + license

I-765

• Cover page
• Check
• Form G-1145
• Form I-765: Application for Employment Authorization
• Copy of beneficiary previously issued EAD Card
• Copy of beneficiary most recent I-94
• Copy of beneficiary Passport Biographical Page + Visa + Stamps
• Two passport-style photos of beneficiary
• SIGNATURES

I-131

• Cover page
• Check
• Form G-1145
• Form I-131
• Copy of beneficiary previously issued EAD Card
• Copy of beneficiary most recent I-94
• Copy of beneficiary Passport Biographical Page + Visa + Stamps
• Two passport-style photos of beneficiary

Form I-864

• Cover letter
• Form G1145
• Form I-864
• 6 months of pay stubs for petitioner
• 2021-2023 tax transcripts for petitioner (no W2 or 1099 or copy of tax return)
• Copy of petitioner’s passport
• Copy of petitioner's birth certificate

PC

Discord Tag: 7up
Name and House: Ronnel Arryn
Age: 33
Cultural Group: Valeman
Appearance: Cheekbones poised like a falcon perched, an aquiline nose after a raptor's beak, a stature rivalling a mountain's (if it were the size of a tall man), and blue eyes the same color as the sky. Aside from a propagandist's parallels to whatever sigil their patron displays, Ronnel Arryn errs from the example of the aloof falcon. Once possessed of a heedless will, a brashness and an impatience, those qualities have been tamed in turn by fatherhood, husbandhood, and rulership—though those traits still persist, merely tinged by the manner that an elder brother might take with the younger. His hair has shifted from dirty blond to sandy brown with age, and a trimmed beard covers his jaw.
Trait: Inspiring
Skill(s): Blunt Weapons, Cavalryman, Tactician, Cunning (e)
Talent(s): Falconry, hunting (non-mechanical 🤫🧏‍♂️), dragonriding
Negative Trait(s): N/A
Starting Title(s): Lord of the Eyrie, Lord of the Vale, Defender of the Guarded Domains of Arryn, Warden of the East, Warden of the Green Fork, First and Last of His Name, the King Who Flew, Rider of Vhagar (sometimes), and the Last King in Westeros
Starting Location: Feast
Family Tree

AC

Name and House: Marq Hardyng
Age: 32
Cultural Group: Valeman
Appearance: A broad and ruddy man, blonde, brown-eyed, and bearded. Marq Hardyng wears his duty on his sleeve; that duty mostly being hunting with his milk brother.
Trait: Hale
Skill(s): Swords, Investigator (e)
Talent(s): Tourney lore x3
Negative Trait(s): N/A
Starting Title(s): Scion of House Hardyng
Starting Location: Feast

Biography

Little of the Last King’s early years are of much import; Ronnel Arryn was born to King Joffrey I and Queen Sharra Arryn. His few memories of his father were that of a pallid man, wan and sickly but still a king who bloody well fought the illness that plagued him.
Or perhaps those were just fanciful tales, an imagined story that supplanted the truth of the matter.
Joffrey Arryn did at least survive, if he did not fight. Ronnel’s siblings, Jonos and Roland, would be born in succession. The falcons grew in number, Joffrey’s ailment ceased, and—the gods took him away and brought Arwen Arryn into the world.
Shortly after his sister’s birth, Sharra Arryn dressed her son in royal regalia and placed a crown on his head, assuming rule as sole regent while the boy distracted himself with toys and games. He would be nursed with Marq Hardyng, and he and his milk brother grew to be quick friends.
The Queen Sharra could not rest. There were new contenders on the horizon, greater than what meager assaults the Hoares could occasionally muster against the Bloody Gate: the threefold conquerors atop their dragons. Where the ravens sent by Aegon were met with scorn by Durrandon and hubris by the Hoares, Sharra offered alliance. Her hand in marriage and the left bank of the Green Fork to be annexed into the Guarded Domains.
The dragons rejected the offer, and instead, a Velaryon fleet was sent to take Gulltown and establish a foothold. They were repelled and the Targaryen ships were sunk for that transgression, but Vhagar’s fire consumed the Grafton fleet with them.
Ronnel knew what war was. It was like those tales in storybooks, that of the Griffin King and the Winged Knight, the legends of the Battle of Sevenstars. He, Jonos, and Marq fashioned themselves as Jaime Corbray or Luceon Templeton and fought each other over who could best live up to Artys Arryn’s example. When the Gates of the Moon swelled with men-at-arms, knights, and levied smallfolk, the three would find the most fearsome looking of them and challenge them to duels. Once he heard of dragons, though, Ronnel was consumed. He begged his mother to let him lead a parlay under a peace banner just so that he could see them, but Sharra sent him off to the nurses or left him to kick rocks in the courtyard.
The banners gathered, and the defenses were headed by Lord Rodrik Hardyng. Orders were given, the soldiers were drilled. And Vhagar’s wings cast a shadow so large that it engulfed the Bloody Gate whole. Shouting on the ramparts and in the valleys, but high above in the Eyrie? Ronnel, then just eight, was in awe at the sight.
Sharra could only muster a smile when she returned to find her son on Visenya’s lap. An accord was struck, on Ronnel’s terms this time: he asked to fly on Vhagar and his mother would surrender the crown to the Targaryen Queen. The mercy that Visenya afforded was well-taken, though in Sharra’s mind, the threat of dragonfire crystallized.
A marked shift came then. There were no battles to be won, no politicking to be done that outweighed the import of her sons and her daughter. The Queen-Regent, now the Lady-Regent, empowered her son’s advisors and devoted her time to looking after her children. When Visenya returned after burning House Sunderland whole and gave reprimands, Sharra frowned and offered blunt words in turn, which the Queen acquiesced to. Their relationship thawed hence, though Ronnel had never wavered in his admiration of the Targaryen. A Winged-Knight-Come-Again. Perhaps he could ride a dragon of his own one day.
Ronnel was a rowdy lad and by the time he was of squiring age, he was content to leave the rule of his lands to his mother and whoever she picked as an advisor. Lords such as Lyn Egen, Willem Ryger, and Rodrik Templeton would come to advise the young lord or hawk with him. Lord Mathos Grafton became the most prominent of that cadre, his wisdom in old age allowing him more room for criticism. Ronnel wanted to while his time away with falconry and training, while the old lord reminded him of the issues that Targaryen reign brought.
At four-and-ten, Ronnel stole away from the Eyrie and gathered what boys and knights he could to face the mountain clans. He knew what war was; it was the Root Father and his savages, stealing and laying waste to the lands he was sworn to protect. It was in the throes of battle that Ronnel would be dubbed as a knight by some unknown dying man. The knighthood was left unmentioned, though the purpose he found for his rule—no, his guardianship—lingered.
In his victorious return to the Eyrie, Ronnel would be clouted on the ear for the stunt then barred from leaving for months. Visenya Targaryen landed once more in the Vale. This time, she took it as a home, and she was welcomed with open arms. Aegon’s heir was born in the Eyrie that year, dubbed as Laenor Targaryen and soon practically adopted by the Arryns as their younger sibling. Sharra would grow close to the dragon queen in the years to come.
A year later, Ronnel was sent to King’s Landing to squire for Orys Baratheon. Only a few months elapsed before he grew incensed with the Hand over one thing or another, and the squireship ended when the Arryn came to blows with his knight-master. Ronnel was sent back to the Vale, where he earned his spurs once more. Publicly this time, before a crowd of tourneygoers and then holding a vigil with oaths modeled after those of the Winged Knights.
Though he gave off the impression of a true knight by that time, he was more preoccupied with wine and women and the hunt than statecraft. In any room he entered, he laughed the loudest, boasted the loudest, fought the hardest, always with Marq at his side. Nothing but a scolding from his mother Sharra or a clout on the ear from his second mother Visenya could fetter him. He was a falcon, and he flew high and bright.
Such a lofty stature is bound to attract envy. As any elder brother would, he butted heads with his siblings often. His rivalry with his brother Jonos was much more than a sibling spat, however, though the nature and root of their rivalry is unknown to all but a select few. In later years, their quarrels grew louder and their rifts deeper, with Jonos having been sent thrice to play second fiddle to the Knight of the Bloody Gate, and threatened with taking the black twice as many times. Still, their early quarrels proved to be mere distractions, and they wreaked what havoc boy-lords would in taverns and winesinks.
But his lip had to become stiff the day his mother died, just a few months after he came of age and assumed power. Sharra Arryn's last words of advice ate away at his spirit.
"Kill the boy."
So he was offered at the altar, and so did Rhaenys Targaryen seize the opportunity. Ronnel Arryn would be wed to the Queen’s lady-in-waiting, Serena Stark, and that match was confirmed by Sharra’s will. Yet numb, he received his wife to be in Gulltown with courtesy, and they were wedded with haste. Once a Princess of the North and now the Lady of the Vale, Serena found no home in the Eyrie. Ronnel came to avoid her; going on hunts, staying at the Moongates or even the Bloody Gate, and offering only short conversation in their rare meetings.
It came to a head when Serena stated her intention to return to Winterfell. Ronnel gave a shrug in response, and asked when she wanted to depart. Jonos could be his heir if need be, and his mother’s death still dragged his thoughts, so why bother at all?
The intervention of one dragon queen then another halted the split: Visenya reminded Ronnel that Aegon made two marriages work at once. A raven carrying a letter from Queen Rhaenys arrived, affixed with a ring wrought of Valyrian steel. Ronnel gave it to Serena as a peace offering.
There was no parting from the Targaryens’ grand plans, it seemed. So Ronnel’s marriage with Serena began anew. She would be introduced to the Vale and its customs with feasts and tourneys, sitting on councils and holding court as the Lady of the Vale. In the same vein, more familiar items and furnishings were brought in from the North, and Ronnel would journey to the weirwood tree that the mountain clans held sacred to try to pray with his wife. He did not hear the old gods’ whispers and could not bear the stillness, but the two came to understand one another, and their marriage grew warm. Their first child, Robar Arryn, was born a year later, and the Tourney by the Maiden’s Bay would be held in his honor.
Ronnel settled into his reign. His liveliness returned, though boyish pursuits were restrained with fatherhood. He replaced the Keeper of the Gates of the Moon after the Cavaliers proved more competent, sent tax collector after tax collector when Witch Isle grew silent (and nearly called the banners before being dissuaded), and ensured that the mountain clans and any other would-be invaders were quelled while Lae Targaryen was raised to be a greater king than their father. The Brotherhood of the Winged Knights, once decrepit, grew stronger after pieces of the Winged Knight’s armor were found.
His second child, a daughter, would be born then. Faced with the choice of naming her after Sharra or Visenya, she would instead be named after her great-grandmother Cynthea. Artos Arryn would follow four years later, his name chosen by the Lady Arryn.
Another day in the Eyrie. Five-and-twenty years after Aegon's Conquest, and near thirty years into Ronnel's reign. He slides a razor over his cheek and coughs once into a fist. Ronnel opens his palm to see droplets of blood. He wipes his cheek. A shaving cut, no doubt and no matter.
The next week while he sups with his family, the coughs come back. He excuses himself, blames his trip to the valleys with a chuckle, and Jonos meets his gaze with a sidelong glance before shirking away.
He sees his maester without telling anyone. And once more after a hunt. Soon, he is left sitting on his bed with grains of sweetsleep in hand and a warning: he would die. And soon.
Ronnel Arryn is honorable. He is just, or at least just enough. But when he bounces his son on his knee and looks into smiling grey eyes where his Stark mother's are oft stern, he wonders whether the next Targaryen to come to the Eyrie would let little Artos fly or burn him and his family whole.
It is not enough. Ronnel Arryn is not just enough. As the last king yet walking on the earth of this damnable regent's kingdom, he needs to ensure that the next monarch in Laenor Targaryen sits firmly on the Iron Throne before he dies—honor be damned if need be, by any means fucking necessary. That is his duty to the realm. That is his duty to his wife and children, and that will be his legacy.

Timeline

• 8-9 BC (33 now idk how BC works): Born the first child to King Joffrey I and Queen Sharra Arryn.
• 3 BC: Joffrey I dies of a chill. Ronnel is crowned king at age six.
• 1 BC: After House Grafton’s fleet is burned, the armies of the Guarded Domains gather at the Bloody Gate. Visenya’s landing.
• 2 AC: The Three Sisters burn.
• 4 AC: Ronnel begins squiring for Elbert Waynwood.
• 6 AC: Ronnel fights his first battle against the Sons of the Tree, and undergoes his first dubbing.
• 7-9 AC: Visenya arrives at the Eyrie. Ronnel departs for King’s Landing to squire for Orys Baratheon, returning after a fight with his knight-master. He is knighted once more at a tourney.
• 10-11 AC: Sharra Arryn dies, and the Arryns’ grief is cut short by a match arranged by Rhaenys and approved by the Lady-Regent before her death. Serena Stark and Ronnel Arryn are wed, and the marriage nearly falls apart before the intervention of the dragon queens.
• 12 AC: Robar Arryn is born. The Tourney by the Maiden’s Bay is called in the new heir's honor.
• 13 AC: The Cavaliers fight off the Painted Dogs outside the Gates of the Moon, and are given wardenship over them as reward. Marq Hardyng begins pursuing the tourney circuit.
• 15 AC: Cynthea Arryn is born.
• 19 AC: Artos Arryn is born.
• 23 AC: With Jonos Arryn settling into a discontent life at the Bloody Gate, the need for a sworn sword is lessened. Marq Hardyng travels to Essos to search for clues linking the Winged Knight to the Andal conquerors. He finds none, and returns a year later.
• Early 25 AC: An illness wells in Ronnel’s lungs. His maester tells him that he has about a year to live.
• Late 25 AC: The Arryns travel to the celebration near King’s Landing.

Sup porting Characters

• Cortnay Arryn, 54 (General): Ronnel’s uncle. Once a prince, Cortnay served variously as the Knight of the Gate, the Captain of the Guards, or an advisor. Cortnay is known for his exasperated sighs, and struggles to keep up when he hunts with his nephew. Still, he has a good head for tactics and participated in actions against the Mountain Clans and the Hoares.
• Jasper Arryn, 19 (General): Ronnel’s second cousin. Though removed from the main line of House Arryn, Jasper was raised in the Gates and remained a fixture in the Arryn household. He swore vows modeled after the Ash-Branded, though his cheery disposition seems to contradict them.
• Cynthea Corbray, 78 (N/A): The Queen-Grandmother claims to have been asleep when Visenya landed in the Eyrie, and preserved her coronet by hiding it in the Gates. She resides at the Gates of the Moon with the Cavaliers, and it has become tradition to pay one’s respects to her when passing through.
• Jonos Arryn, 31 (N/A): In another world, Jonos would be known as the Kinslayer, and he certainly possesses that propensity. Wed to Maris Grafton and perhaps favored by her lord grandfather, he has long since hated the Targaryens, and blames Visenya for his true mother’s death. Jonos’ truculence precedes him, and he is kept fettered with thankless offices.

Spiritual Growth

1. Daily Prayer: Commit to daily prayer sessions asking for strength and guidance.
2. Scripture Reading: Read and meditate on scriptures that focus on strength and recovery.
3. Worship: Participate in regular worship services to reinforce your spiritual foundation.
4. Faith Affirmations: Use Bible verses as affirmations; repeat them during cravings.
5. Confession: Regularly confess struggles to a trusted spiritual leader or trusted friend.
6. Fasting: Occasionally fast to seek clarity and reinforce spiritual discipline.
7. Spiritual Retreats: Attend retreats for focused spiritual renewal.
8. Christian Meditation: Practice Christian meditation (pondering scripture, etc.) to calm the mind and spirit.
9. Listening to Gospel Music: Use uplifting music to enhance spiritual connection.
10. Prayer Journaling: Keep a journal of prayers and God’s responses.

Community Engagement

1. Church Support Groups: Join groups for individuals struggling with addiction.
2. Accountability Partner: Partner with a fellow believer who can provide support and accountability.
3. Volunteering: Engage in church-related volunteer work to stay busy and inspired.
4. Christian Counseling: Seek professional counseling from a Christian perspective.
5. Family Involvement: Involve your family in your journey through church events.
6. Youth Mentorship: Mentor youth, sharing your experiences and learning from service.
7. Online Christian Communities: Participate in online forums or groups for spiritual support.
8. Testimony Sharing: Share your journey at church gatherings to inspire and receive support.
9. Bible Study Groups: Regularly attend Bible study to deepen faith and community ties.
10. Church Activities: Be an active participant in church events and functions.

Personal Development

1. Routine Exercise: Incorporate regular physical activity to reduce stress.
2. Healthy Diet: Maintain a nutritious diet to improve overall well-being.
3. Reading Christian Literature: Read books that encourage spiritual growth and recovery.
4. Creative Arts: Use arts like painting or writing to express feelings and reflect.
5. Time Management: Structure your day to minimize idle time that could lead to cravings.
6. Goal Setting: Set short and long-term goals that align with your spiritual values.
7. Learning New Skills: Take up hobbies or classes that keep you engaged and learning.
8. Rest and Sleep: Ensure sufficient rest to maintain physical and mental health.
9. Nature Walks: Spend time in nature to find peace and perspective.
10. Avoiding Triggers: Identify and avoid situations or people that trigger cravings.

Coping Techniques

1. Deep Breathing: Practice deep breathing exercises during moments of craving.
2. Mindfulness: Practice mindfulness to stay present and reduce anxiety.
3. Assertiveness Training: Learn to assertively say no to temptations.
4. Stress Management: Develop strategies to handle stress without resorting to substances.
5. Emotional Journaling: Use journaling to process emotions healthily.
6. Self-Reflection: Regularly reflect on personal progress and setbacks.
7. Positive Visualization: Use visualization techniques to imagine a sober life.
8. Gratitude Lists: Regularly list things you are grateful for.
9. Reward System: Set up a reward system for reaching sobriety milestones.
10. Relaxation Techniques: Learn and apply relaxation techniques.

Support Systems

1. Peer Support: Regularly meet with a peer group for encouragement and advice.
2. Spiritual Guidance: Seek regular guidance from a pastor or spiritual mentor.
3. Therapeutic Relationships: Maintain therapeutic relationships that reinforce recovery.
4. Family Counseling: Engage in family counseling to repair relationships affected by addiction.
5. Professional Help: Don’t hesitate to seek help from addiction specialists.
6. Educational Workshops: Attend workshops that teach coping skills for addiction.
7. Supportive Friends: Cultivate friendships with those who support your recovery journey.
8. Avoiding Negative Influences: Steer clear of environments and individuals that undermine recovery.
9. Church Elders: Reach out to church elders for wisdom and support.
10. Sponsorship: Consider a 12-step program with a sponsor who shares your faith.

Renewal and Reflection

1. Anniversary Reflections: Reflect on the progress made over each year of recovery.
2. Spiritual Renewal Days: Designate days for intensified prayer and meditation.
3. Baptism or Re-baptism: Consider this as a symbolic fresh start.
4. Witnessing to Others: Use your story to help others in their battles with addiction.
5. Spiritual Literature: Delve deeper into spiritual texts for insights and inspiration.
6. Pastoral Visits: Invite pastoral visits for home blessing and personal encouragement.
7. Renewing Vows: Renew personal vows of sobriety in a ceremonial way.
8. Pilgrimage: Undertake a spiritual pilgrimage as a form of personal and spiritual exploration.
9. Reflection Retreats: Engage in retreats specifically focused on overcoming past habits.
10. Memorializing Milestones: Create physical or digital memorials of your recovery milestones.

Emotional Resilience

1. Emotional Awareness: Develop awareness of emotions and triggers that lead to cravings.
2. Seek Forgiveness: Embrace forgiveness, both from others and for yourself.
3. Offer Forgiveness: Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt you, releasing bitterness.
4. Spiritual Songs: Sing or listen to spiritual songs that uplift and comfort.
5. Hope Messages: Write down messages of hope and revisit them during tough times.
6. Encouragement Letters: Write letters of encouragement to yourself for future moments of weakness.
7. Daily Devotionals: Follow a daily devotional plan that addresses addiction recovery.
8. Prayer Chains: Initiate or join prayer chains for continuous spiritual support.
9. Healing Services: Attend healing services focused on emotional and spiritual restoration.
10. Scriptural Promises: Memorize promises from the Bible that assure support and deliverance.

Social Connectivity

1. Social Activities: Organize or participate in sober social gatherings with fellow church members.
2. Church Family Outreach: Engage in church family outreach programs to build a supportive community.
3. Mentoring Others: Become a mentor to others struggling with addiction, sharing lessons and faith.
4. Recovery Testimonials: Regularly give testimonials at recovery meetings to inspire and affirm.
5. Family Devotions: Hold regular devotions with family to strengthen bonds and mutual support.
6. Prayer Groups: Form or join small prayer groups focused on overcoming addiction.
7. Christian Conferences: Attend Christian conferences on recovery and personal growth.
8. Community Service Projects: Lead or participate in community service projects to foster a sense of purpose.
9. Recovery Celebrations: Celebrate recovery milestones with your church community.
10. Faith-Based Podcasts: Listen to and discuss faith-based podcasts on overcoming challenges.

Mindset and Lifestyle

1. Optimism: Cultivate an optimistic outlook based on faith and hope in God’s plan.
2. Daily Affirmations: Start the day with Christian affirmations about strength and recovery.
3. Mindfulness of God’s Presence: Continuously remind yourself of God’s presence in your life.
4. Avoiding Idleness: Keep yourself busy with meaningful activities that align with Christian values.
5. Spiritual Biographies: Read biographies of Christians who overcame significant struggles.
6. Health Check-Ups: Regularly attend health check-ups to monitor physical health during recovery.
7. Sabbath Rest: Observe Sabbath rest as a time to rejuvenate spiritually and physically.
8. Christian Movies: Watch movies with Christian themes that reinforce your resolve and values.
9. Spiritual Accountability: Regularly review your spiritual and recovery progress with a mentor.
10. Prayer Walks: Incorporate prayer walks as a way to combine physical activity and spiritual meditation.

Continued Learning and Growth

1. Biblical Courses: Take courses on biblical studies that relate to healing and redemption.
2. Spiritual Workshops: Attend workshops that focus on spiritual growth and overcoming addictions.
3. Faith-Based Counseling Techniques: Learn counseling techniques that are based on Christian principles.
4. Scripture Memorization: Engage in scripture memorization to strengthen spiritual warfare against cravings.
5. Pastoral Workshops: Participate in workshops offered by pastors that focus on living a sober life.
6. Faith and Science: Explore the intersection of faith and science in understanding addiction.
7. Christian Leadership Courses: Take courses in Christian leadership to empower your role in the community.
8. Retelling Your Story: Learn to retell your story in ways that highlight God’s grace and your growth.
9. Spiritual Discernment: Enhance spiritual discernment to recognize paths and choices that support sobriety.
10. Continuous Prayer: Maintain an attitude of continuous prayer, acknowledging dependence on God for daily victory over addiction.

Reddit Account: aelfin
Discord Tag: Bolt1219
Name and House: Dorian Hightower
Age: 80
Cultural Group: Reachman
Appearance: Once tall and strong and proud -- a knight of renown -- the passage of time has seen fit to humble Dorian Hightower. The gold-brown hair of his youth has bleached to silver, his countenance marked by wrinkles. He wears his hair long, often unbound that it frames his features. His beard is neatly styled. Despite the betrayal of his body, Dorian's eyes remain sharp and quick, and his smile is that of a younger man.
Trait: Mastermind
Skill(s): Devious(e), Espionage(e), Assassin
Talent(s): Napping, Meandering, Gardening
Negative Trait(s): Sickly
Starting Title(s): Beacon of the South, Defender of Oldtown, Defender of the Citadel, Lord of Oldtown, Lord of the Hightower, Lord of the Port, Voice of Oldtown
Starting Location: Starting Event
Alternate Characters: n/a
Biogaphy Early Life
In 55BC, under a golden sun in the bustling city of Oldtown, Dorian Hightower was born the second son to Lord Leyton Hightower and his wife Leona Bulwer. His early childhood was marked by a sense of curiosity and an inherent noble pride that was expected of a Hightower; against a backdrop filled with the sounds of the bustling harbour, the smell of the sea, and the sight of a forest of sails coming and going. Oft he would watch the ships as they sailed away and wondered where they went
From a young age, Dorian showed a keen interest in learning and the world around him. His education was that expected of one of his lineage; lessons with the Maester were as important as that of his martial education. At just ten, he was sent to Highgarden to squire for House Gardener. There, amidst the vibrant gardens and rich traditions of the Reach, he learned the values of chivalry, honour, and the importance of duty. His time at Highgarden left a lasting impression on him, fostering a deep respect for the knightly traditions that would shape his later life -- which would make the later actions of the Tyrells sting all the more,
At one-and-seven, Dorian’s path took a scholarly turn. Sent to study at the Citadel, immersed in the halls of knowledge, he began forging his maester's chain, dedicating himself to the studies of copper for history, bronze for astronomy, and iron for warcraft. His mentors noted a sharp intellect and strategic mind, qualities that would serve him well in the years to come.
The Heir to the Hightower
In 35 BC, a marriage united Dorian with Leila Tarly, a match both strategic and affectionate. At the age of twnety Dorian became a father, welcoming his first child, Garlan, into the world. Over the years, the Hightower family grew with the births of Garmund, Delena, Owen, and Lynesse. Each child brought new joy and responsibility, shaping Dorian into a devoted father and a wise lord.
The Stranger visited the Hightowers in 20 BC, when Dorian's older brother, Leyton, the heir to the Hightower, was lost in a shipwreck while returning from a journey to Braavos. At five-and-twenty, Dorian was thrust into the role of heir, a position he had not anticipated. Embracing his new responsibilities with determination, he began learning the intricacies of rule, administration, and justice from his father. Living in Oldtown, the heart of the Faith of the Seven, also imparted a deep spiritual awareness in Dorian. The more he learned, the more he was put into positions of authority. Initially undertaking a role as his father's Steward, Dorian learned quickly that he was much too bored by numbers to be anything close to competent. He was better at dealing with people.
Through his dealings his network grew, and this network, he recognised, could be turned toward the flow of information. The ships he had watched as a boy carried trade, but they also carried words from half the world away. If he could find a way to hear those words before any else, he'd have an advantage -- not only in trade, but in politics as well. Setting to work, Dorian used his House's name to tour as often as he could, finding those in key places that would serve his ends for the right price.
Life and Trials
As the head of House Hightower, Dorian instilled in his family a profound sense of fairness and the importance of knightly traditions. He stressed the values of chivalry and gallantry, ensuring that these principles were deeply rooted in the Hightower legacy. His household became known for its adherence to these values, earning respect and admiration throughout the Reach.
He was an avid hunter, frequently organising grand hunting expeditions in the lands surrounding Oldtown. Not merely for sport, these hunts also served as opportunities to bond with his children and vassals. One notable hunt saw Dorian bring down a formidable stag, a feat that became legendary in his household.
Dorian’s daughter Delena married Harlan Tyrell after a secret tryst, a match that Dorian did not initially support but ultimately was forced to accept. His youngest daughter, Lynesse, found a husband in Willem Ryger. A man whom Dorian had mentored in the art of espionage, and who would later go on to prove the most succesful spymaster in the country.
Feasts at the Hightower were grand affairs, known throughout the Reach for their opulence and hospitality. Dorian believed in the power of communal gatherings, often using these occasions to strengthen alliances and resolve disputes. The harvest feast was a particularly notable event, drawing his vassals to Oldtown to celebrate the bounty of the land, and to reaffirm their loyalty to House Hightower.
From the Ashes:
Family life, however, was not without its hardships, and the Hightowers not immune to tragedy. The House faced a profound loss when Garlan, Dorian's eldest son, was killed on the Field of Fire, turned to ash by dragonfire. This tragedy left Garlan's young son, Gwayne, as Dorian's heir, a heavy burden for the grieving boy to bear at such a young age. By then Dorian was a man nearing his sixtieth decade, not young by any stretch, and so particularly attension was paid to Gwayne's education near to the exclusion of all else. A small army of learned men were brought in to cover every aspect that would eventually be required of him. Dorian hardly went anywhere without his grandson in tow. The Seven Kingdoms might have been united, but the dawn of this new age was eclipsed by Dorian's fears that he would pass before his heir was ready, and he had known many a House felled by the poorly equipped.
Dorian levied from Lord Hightower against House Costayne of having refused the call to rally at Oldtown, backed by the word of the High Septon. A host marched on Three Towers but was met with denial from Lord Costayne who eventually demanded a trial by combat. Gyles Gardener offered himself as champion, and for his victory was given rule over Three Towers, with the fallen lord’s kin being exiled to Essos. Aegon Targaryen was crowned in the Starry Sept upon their return.
In 8AC, a band of sellswords by the name of the Black Roses arrived in Oldtown, headed up by Harlon Costayne, offering cheap mercenaries for the city and protection for its trade. Dorian put to them a challenge, a trial by combat to determine if the Seven stood with the Roses. Pit against a knight of Oldtown, the Black Roses emerged the victorious party, and Dorian issued them leave to remain so long as they served the Reach and her interests.
25AC
Life is a loan, and eventually all men's accounts are settled in full. Having passed into his eightieth year, Dorian Hightower knows the end is nearing for him. Age wracks his body, though his mind remains sharp. He has prepared his grandson as best as he could have done, and all that remains is the wait until his last, content in the knowledge. For the first time in a decade, the Lord of the Hightower has descended from his perch and travels towards King's Landing.
Timeline:
55 BC - Birth of Dorian Hightower

• Born in Oldtown under a golden sun, second son to Lord Leyton Hightower and Leona Bulwer.
• Early childhood filled with curiosity and noble pride, amidst the bustling harbor and forest of sails.

45 BC - Dorian Sent to Highgarden

• At ten, Dorian begins to squire for House Gardener at Highgarden.
• Learns values of chivalry, honor, and duty which leave a lasting impression.

38 BC - Scholarly Pursuits at the Citadel

• At seventeen, Dorian studies at the Citadel.
• Forges his maester's chain with links of copper (history), bronze (astronomy), and iron (warcraft).

35 BC - Marriage to Leila Tarly

• Dorian marries Leila Tarly, a strategic and affectionate match.

35 BC - 30 BC - Birth of Children

• Garlan Hightower is born when Dorian is twenty.
• Followed by Garmund, Delena, Owen, and Lynesse over the next five years.

20 BC - Death of Leyton Hightower

• Dorian's older brother Leyton dies in a shipwreck, making Dorian the heir at twenty-five.
• Dorian starts learning rule, administration, and justice from his father, becoming his Steward.

15 BC - 10 BC - Expansion of Dorian's Network

• Dorian uses House Hightower's name and tours frequently to build a network for intelligence.

10 BC - Dorian Becomes Lord Hightower

• Dorian instills values of fairness and knightly traditions in his family.
• Known for organizing grand hunting expeditions and legendary feats.

5 BC - Marriage of Daughters

• Delena marries Harlan Tyrell after a secret tryst.
• Lynesse marries Willem Ryger, a man mentored by Dorian.

5 BC - 1 BC - Grand Feasts and Gatherings

• Feasts at the Hightower are renowned for their opulence and hospitality.
• The harvest feast draws vassals to Oldtown to celebrate and reaffirm loyalty.

0 AC - Tragedy at the Field of Fire

• Garlan, Dorian's eldest son, is killed in battle.
• Garlan's son, Gwayne, becomes Dorian's heir, leading to intense focus on his education.

5 AC - Conflict with House Costayne

• Dorian accuses House Costayne of refusing to rally at Oldtown.
• A host marches on Three Towers; Lord Costayne demands trial by combat.
• Gyles Gardener wins and takes rule over Three Towers.

8 AC - Arrival of the Black Roses

• The Black Roses, a sellsword company, arrives in Oldtown.
• Dorian issues them a trial by combat; they emerge victorious and are allowed to stay.

25 AC - Dorian Prepares for the End

• Travels to King's Landing for the first time in a decade, content with his preparations.

AC
Name and House: Gwayne Hightower
Age: 30
Cultural Group: Reachman
Appearance: Gwayne stands the perfect example of the Hightower ideal; in him are the echoes of his father and his grandfather and the knightly traditions of the Hightower. He boasts hazel-hued eyes that are dominant green, alight with curiosity. His hair seems to shfit between a gold and a shade dark brown dependant on the light. Oft seen in the colours of his house; smoke greys cut with whites or greens.
Trait: Champion,
Skill(s): Swords, Andal Knight(e)
Talent(s): Hunting, Hawking, Harp
Negative Trait(s): n/a
Starting Title(s): Heir to the Hightower, Ser
Starting Location: Starting Event
Alternate Characters:n/a
Family Tree: https://www.familyecho.com/#view:SZ32K
Biography:
Born in 5BC, the firstborn son to Garlan Hightower, Gwayne was bathed in a viridescent light, anointed with the seven oils and named in the rainbow of light that filled the sept in the Hightower. This act alone is reserved for the heirs to the Hightower, a ceremony to mark them from birth as defenders of the Faith. His early life was a happy one, though he recalls little of the time. His mother and father were truly in love. Only two years later after his birth would his brother follow, and their two sisters after them. His grandfather's hall and hearth was filled with the laughter of children.
It was Garlan Hightower who held command of the Hightower host the fateful day that dragonfire swept across the Field of Fire, who perished there on the field, and whose bones were turned to ash and no longer able to be laid to rest. Gwayne was too young to grasp the reality of it, and before long his Grandfather had him learning with such intensity that he hardly had time to process the fact his father wasn't coming home.
Life turned into a steady routine of learning. His lessons consisted of how to act at court, his histories, his number and letters, and martial training in the yard. He would be woken before the dawn and not be permitted to bed until the sun had slipped away and night had fallen. Recklessly bold, oft he would attempt to climb the exterior of the Hightower and be scolded for the act if discovered.
His first true test at arms came when in the form of pirates. They had made their home in a cove and would strike out at ships fat and ripe with goods. Gwayne rode out with a small band of men, headed up by his uncle, Owen. For a week they scoured the coastline looking for signs of their quarry, and eventually, one night, sky unclouded and stars bright, they saw the fires. Come the dawn the charge of the Reachmen sent the pirates srambling for their weapons, and though they put up a fight, they were cut down to a man and their ships burned. Of those that surrendered, they would hang at the port in Oldtown as a stark reminder. For his bravery Gwayne was given their Valyrian Steel sword, Vigilance, upon his return.
He would seek out his glory in the lists after that, travelling the length of the Seven Kingdoms looking to make his name as a knight. Tourney followed tourney, but at each stop he remembered to paya visit to the local Sept and offer prayer. He lent a hand where he could. Sometimes he found friends, sometimes he found foe.
When the Orphans of the Fire descended on the Reach, Gwayne wished to march out and chase them down, but Dorian refused him -- and as well he did, for the chaos wrought by the Orphans might have claimed him, and Dorian was adamant that he would not lose another heir to fire. The inaction rankled at Gwayne, but he heeded his grandfather's words all the same.
Now, in 25AC, with Dorian ailing and a celebration called, Gwayne travels toward the event and prepares himself for what may come.
Timeline: 5 BC - Birth of Gwayne Hightower

• Born as the firstborn son to Garlan Hightower in the Hightower.
• Anointed with the seven oils and named in a ceremony reserved for heirs, marking him as a defender of the Faith.

3 BC - Birth of Gwayne's Brother

• Gwayne's brother is born, followed by two sisters, filling their grandfather's hall with children's laughter.

0 AC - Death of Garlan Hightower

• Gwayne's father, Garlan, perishes in the Field of Fire.
• Gwayne, too young to fully understand, is immersed in intense learning by his grandfather, Dorian Hightower.

1 AC - 15 AC - Intensive Education and Martial Training

• Gwayne's routine includes court etiquette, history, numbers, letters, and martial training.
• Known for his reckless boldness, he often attempts to climb the exterior of the Hightower.

15 AC - First Test of Arms Against Pirates

• Gwayne rides out with his uncle Owen and a small band of men to combat pirates.
• After a week, they locate and defeat the pirates, hanging the survivors in Oldtown.
• Gwayne is awarded the Valyrian Steel sword, Vigilance, for his bravery.

16 AC - 23 AC - Knighthood and Tournament Circuit

• Gwayne travels the Seven Kingdoms seeking glory in jousting tournaments.
• Pays visits to local Septs to offer prayers and help where needed, making friends and foes along the way.

20 AC - Orphans of the Fire Incident

• The Orphans of the Fire descend on the Reach.
• Gwayne wishes to march out but is restrained by Dorian, preventing potential harm.

25 AC - Current Events

• With Dorian ailing, Gwayne prepares for a celebration in King's Landing, aware of the responsibilities and challenges ahead.

Discord/Reddit Name: [Kulp2025], [Kulp2025]
Primary Character:
Name and House: Rickard Bolton
Age: 20
Cultural Group: First Men
Appearance: Black of hair, trimmed short on the sides, longer and swept back on top. Eyes the lifeless gray of a winters sky. Oddly perfectly kept teeth, a pride of his. His frame is slightly muscular and his height is two fingers width below the average mans.
Trait: Insidious
Skill(s): Axes, Skulker, Espionage, Investigator, Scribe
Talent(s): Tracking, Hawking, Being a tad bit creepy
Negative Trait: X
Starting Title(s): Lord of the Dreadfort
Starting Location: Silverglade Tile
//
Auxiliary Character:
Name and House: Bannen Snow
Age: 27
Cultural Group: First Men
Appearance: Tall and gaunt with thinning black hair. Remarked upon behind his back as appearing as the ghost of the infamous Calon Bolton himself.
Trait: Steward
Skill(s): Avaricious, Scrutinous, Architect
Talent(s): Counting and sums, Upper Management, Improving Operations Efficiencies
Negative Trait: X
Starting Title(s): Steward of House Bolton
Starting Location: The Dreadfort
Biography:
The Sons Rebellion. Recolected upon as a time of great pain and hardships for many and all. A season of blood that pitted brother against brother, friend against friend, amongst the northmen. An era where trusts and old allegiances meant little and less. Nigh on near the end of the reckless turmoil, in the thick of the stabbings and bloodletting, Rickard Bolton was born, a young babe. Nary a moon came and passed before Lord Royce Bolton passed the babe off to Lord Stark, to serve as a ward, to serve as a hostage.
Winterfell. A home, of sorts, away from home. The Starks were never outright cruel to the young Bolton boy as he aged. There were no beatings or punishments without having rightfully earned them, but they were always cold and otherwise distant. Never a one wanting to overly welcome the youth, for he was not family, never would be, merely a ward in a home that was never his.
Weeks became months, months became years, all blurring by. Rumors trickled in from the outside world, or the occasional snippet of information passed off from one of the Stark children, meant as kindness or insult, Rickard could never say. He’d a brother they said. A sickly cripple born from an ugly hag in the cells of the Dreadfort. Later a sister they said. Born a healthy girl, only she slayed her mother in coming into the world. The hardest news he denied for some time until the words came from enough mouths it had to be true, Lord Bolton, his own father had died.
Old age they said it so, the ghost of Calon Bolton himself in the night did it they’d said, the bastard Snow has his hands red they’d said. It didn’t matter what lie or what rumor he gathered up, they all pointed the same way, the old man was dead to the bones. Rickard had spent many nights foolishly dreaming childish fantasies. Imagining the day his father would come, confront the Starks, demand his return home. Now that would never come to pass. He was left to only imagine what the man once had looked like, what home looked like.
By the men of the castle Rickard learned his skills, smarts, and wisdoms of the world. He had a natural tendency towards letters and writing. He’d learned to hunt, to hawk, and play with the others his age. By the Starks rule he was shown how to walk the path of a “just” lord and to scorn the paths of cruelty. He’d taken to embrace the free time he’d earn to spend within the confines of the Godswood, a small sanctuary amidst the storm. In the practice yard his hand grew to favor the caressing haft of an axe over any other tool of pain, though the bruises he earned were many.
Years blurred by, life became a routine of uneventfulness apart from the occasional hunts and small feasts. Eventually when he became of age his hand was bound and wed to that of Dacey Stark, within Winterfell before the Old Gods to witness the pact. An attempt to suture old wounds, to mend the wrongs of yesterdays brothers. United, the two departed the heart of the north and set course for home, for the Dreadfort. Within a years passing a young girl would be born. Still uncertain with his place in the world, Rickard would prepare to embark upon a pilgrimage, to find the answers his soul sought to life.
Timeline:
~ 5AC - Calon Bolton leads the Sons Rebellion. Rickard is born and warded to the Starks of Winterfell. Duncan Bolton takes the black.
~ 6AC - Brother, Torrhen is born.
~ 8AC - Sister, Wylla is born.
~ 11AC - Lord Royce Bolton passes of old age.
~ 23AC - Wardship at an end, wed to Dacey Stark, Rickard leaves Winterfell.
~ 24AC - Daughter, Hanna is born.
~ 25AC - Departs upon a pilgrimage to the Old Gods.
Family Tree
Link
Supporting Characters
~ Torrhen Bolton - (Scholar) A sickly young man who favors books to all else.
~ Wylla Bolton - (General) A drunk who favors wine to all else.
~ Dacey Bolton - (No Archetype) Wife to Rickard.

3.4. Mahishasaka or Sarvāstivādis

[wisdomlib.org:] [Mahishasaka had the doctrines] similar to those of the Mahasanghika. [Mahishasaka] denied reality to past and future, but maintained the reality of the present. Similarly, the school rejected the doctrine of the void and the non ego, the production of taint by the Five consciousness, the theory of nine kinds of non activity, and so on. They held that enlightenment came suddenly rathern than gradually.

Mahasamghika split from the Sthaviravāda (Theravada or Dhamma-Vinaya) and produced many schools.

According to the Theravādin Dīpavaṃsa, the Sarvāstivādins emerged from the older Mahīśāsaka school, but the Śāriputraparipṛcchā and the Samayabhedoparacanacakra state that the Mahīśāsaka emerged from the Sarvāstivāda. [Sarvastivada (wiki)]

Some Vajjian monks, who were possibly the followers of Devadatta, established the Mahasamghika after the schism after rejecting ten Vinaya rules. Like a few other monks, a Vajjian monk complained about the Vinaya rules. The story is recorded in Vajjiputta Sutta, which was utilised to support an argument that the Dhamma-Vinaya tradition added new rules. Indeed, the Buddha, the founder of the Dhamma-Vinaya Sasana, added new rules as required. However, before His passing He let the monks remove the minor rules, but the monks kept all the 227 rules. Only some Vajjian monks once again attempted to remove ten rules and split the Sangha after their attempt failed. These rebel monks founded many schools that united into Mahayana. The Sarvāstivādis wrote many famous Mahayanist scriptures.

Gandhāran Mahīśāsakas are associated with the Pure Land teachings of Amitābha Buddha. [Seated Buddha Amitabha statue.jpg (wiki)]

• Mādhyamika Also known as: Śūnyavāda, Shunyavada, Encyclopaedia Britannica
• Sarvastivada Also known as: Sarvastivadin, Vaibhashika, Encyclopaedia Britannica

Mahāsaṅghikās revised the Dhamma and Vinaya in their own way. The revised collections were known as Ācariyavāda as distinguished from the Theravāda of the First Buddhist Council. Dīpavaṃsa says, that the Mahāsaṅghikās did not stop after changing the Vinaya rules. They went further by laying down for themselves new doctrines contrary to the established ones. They recited for their purposes the sūtras and Vinaya, they made alterations in the texts and their arrangements and interpretations.
There are four kinds of teachings, that can be accepted as the Buddha's words – sutta, suttānuloma, ācariyavāda, attanomati. In Parinibbāna Sutta there are other four kinds of teaching – Buddhāpadesa, Saṅghāpadesa, Sambahulattherāpadesa, Ekattherāpadesa. They are not contradicting each other.
They also replaced portions of the text by others according to their liking and even rejected certain parts of the canon though they have been accepted according to the tradition of Mahā Kassapa's council. They refused Parivāra and Abhidhamma Pakaraṇa, Paṭisambhidā, Niddesa and Jātaka.
Mahāsaṅghikās divided their canon into five parts: 1. Sūtra, 2. Vinaya, 3. Abhidhamma, 4. Miscellaneous, 5. Dhāranīs. [ Notes from BPU Sri Lanka - Third Year ]

According to Sibani Barman in Dipavamsa (study): Chapter 2d - The Third Buddhist Council,

the Vibhajjavādins claim that their theories and Canon are same as the original Sthaviras (the elders).

• But that statement is untruthful. Kaccānagotta Sutta is a living proof. This is explained in 3.3.

Sarvāstivādis Doctrines

[David Bastow. The first argument for Sarvastivada. Asian Philosophy Vol. 5 No. 2 Oct.1995 Pp.109-125 Copyright by Asian Philosophy]

[Bastow:] The argument is two-fold: that past states of mind can be directly perceived; and that the temporal and causal context of these states of mind, including their karmic future and the possibility of an alternative saving future, can also be directly perceived.

In demonstrating their belief, the Sarvāstivādis attacked, the Venerable Maugdalyayana in the Maugdalyayana-skandhaka, the first chapter of the Vijnanakaya (200 BCE?):

[Bastow:] The sramana Maugdalyayana says: The past and the future do not exist; the present and the unconditioned (asainskrta) exist.

• Atacked: Singled out a thera, ignored the Buddha, and attacked the Dhamma;
• The Venerable Maugdalyayana represents the Sakyamuni Buddha.
• The past is memory, not the present dhamma. The past as memory is perceived, not lived nor imagined. The past as perceived is not lived, but it was lived, so it can be perceived.
• The future is yet to be lived, so it cannot be perceived, but it can be planned, expected and imagined.

[Bastow:] Section 1: [The Sarvāstivādis argued based on] probably Anguttara Nikaya III section 69 (i.e. A i 201-3). "There are three akusala-mulani (roots of ill, roots leading to bad consequences). These are lobha, greed; dvesa, anger; and moha, confusion." From this agreed premise the argument proceeds, first taking the case of lobha. There is no doubt then that there has been, is, will be a seeing that lobha is akusala (otherwise translated: a seeing of akusala--presumably meaning akusala-dharmas--in or through lobha). The lobha that is thus seen--is it past, present or future? If it is past or future, then it must be admitted that past or future exist. So could it be present?

• Lobha (greed) which existed in the past does not exist now, nor will exist in the future. When the object that caused that state of mind dimished, that greed also dimished. For example, one ate a certain food with greed. After eating it, greed was replaced by another state of mind, sleepiness, which was about sleeping and delusion. Sleepiness is different from craving for food. One does not get sleepy for food.
• If the same greed were to exist until now, one must be greedy the same way one was greedy for that food. Then one must not have different states of mind, anger and delusion.
• Greed cannot liberate anyone from anger and delusion.
• If that greed and all other greed must exist right now, greed must be accumulating and becoming too much to handle.
• And there were times of anger and delusion.
• Can anyone proove they are suffering from all the greed, anger and delusion which they had in the past?

[Bastow:] To allow this would involve admitting that there are in one pudgala two simultaneous cittas, states of consciousness; but this cannot be admitted. However, there must be seeing of either past lobha, or future lobha, or present lobha; otherwise it could not be that someone sees that lobha, akusalamula, is akusala. And in that case it would not happen that someone becomes repelled by lobha, detached, freed from lobha, obtains nirvana (or has obtained or will obtain nirvana).

• Hetu paccaya (root condition)
• Root (anusaya) exists but not as a plant (lobha).

[Anusaya Sutta:] its root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising; [Thanissaro Bhikkhu] [Anusaya] are identified or associated with kleśa, paryavasthāna, and āsrava, and they are the ‘root’ of bhava [Dr. Ari Ubeysekara:] The seventh and the last of the latent tendencies is [obsession with ignorance (avijjanusaya)] which can be considered as the root cause of all unwholesome actions.

• Root (obsession) of greed is not greed.
• Nibbana is realised by exhausting the past kamma committed based on greed, anger and delusion.
• Anusaya Sutta: Obsessions (1): the seven obsessions

[Bastow:] The same argument is then applied to other things that can be seen with respect to lobha: it can be seen that lobha is a fetter, a bondage, an anusaya; and further that lobha is to be rejected, to be left behind, to be abandoned, to be fully known (prajna).

• Sarvāstivādis knew about anusaya, but they might not understand it as explained by the Sakyamuni Buddha.
• Lobha comes into being when consciousness comes to contact with a sight, sound, smell, taste, touch or thought of an object/subject that is alluring.
• Dosa comes into being when consciousness comes to contact with a sight, sound, smell, taste, touch or thought of an object/subject that is agitating/annoying.
• Moha comes into being when consciousness comes to contact with a sight, sound, smell, taste, touch or thought of an object/subject that is difficult, mysterious, deluding...
• Lobha, dosa, and moha cannot exist at the same moment of consciousness, nor unconscious-ness.
• Lobha, dosa, and moha are cetasika.
• Citta and cetasika need each other's support to stand like the two sheaves of reeds.
• Lobha, dosa, and moha cannot be abandoned, but they must be eradicated by digging out the roots.

Devadaha Sutta (2)

[SN 22:2 Venerable Sāriputta explained to a large number of monks:] ‘When one is not free from passion, desire, love, thirst, fever, & craving for [rūpa], then from any change & alteration in that [rūpa], there arises sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, & despair. When one is not free from passion… for feeling… for perception… for fabrications… & despair. When one is not free from passion, desire, love, thirst, fever, & craving for consciousness... & despair. Seeing this danger, our teacher teaches the subduing of passion & desire for [rūpa]… for feeling… for perception… for fabrications. Seeing this danger our teacher teaches the subduing of passion & desire for consciousness.’

A History of Indian Philosophy Volume 1

by Surendranath Dasgupta 1922 212,082 words ISBN-13: 9788120804081
Quoting Vasumitra (100 A.D.), Surendranath Dasgupta presents three major Mahayanist groups as doctrinally not very different, and the Hindu authors ignored their (minor) differences.

1. Mahāsaṅghikas: the body was filled with mind {citta) which was represented as sitting,
2. Prajñaptivādins: no agent in man, no untimely death, for it was caused by the previous deeds of man,
3. Sarvāstivādins believed that everything existed.

We can observe how all these doctrines are presented in the earliest Mahayanist sutras, particularly the Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra, the Prajñāpāramitāhṛdayasūtra, the Lankavatara Sutra, Saddharma Pundarika Sutra (the Lotus Sutra).

the Prajñaptivādins had inaugurated the Śūnyavāda by drawing up a list of ten emptinesses. In the Mahāvibhāṣā [...] we read [...] there are many śūnyatās [...] Were the Prajñaptivādins the inventors of these ten śūnyatās or were they borrowed from the Mahāyānists? [II. Emptiness in the Hinayānist sects]

Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön asks that question. The Hindu writers seem to have the answer:

[Dasgupta] When the Hindu writers refer to the Buddhist doctrine in general terms such as “the Buddhists say” without calling them the Vijñānavādins or the Yogācāras and the Śūnyavādins, they often refer to the Sarvāstivādins by which they mean both the Sautrāntikas and the Vaibhāṣikas, ignoring the difference that exists between these two schools.

Nāgārjuna did not consider the Prajñaptivādins as Mahayanists. Mahayana did not exist when the Mahāsaṅghikas was formed after the second schism (Devadatta's schism was the first), so they are considered as Sthaviravādis, who produced Prajñaptivādins and Sarvāstivādins. By AD 5th-6th, Bodhidharma arrived to China, and according to him, Mahayana was well-established as the Yogacara school, which adopted the Lankavatara Sutra.

Bodhidharma was believed to have introduced the Lankavatara Sutra to Chinese Buddhism. This sutra was a development of the Yogacara (“Mind-only”) school of Buddhism established by the great masters Asanga and Vasubandhu, and Bodhidharma is described as a “master of the Lankavatara Sutra”. [ Bodhidharma – the founder of Gongfu (Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline)]

The authors of the Lankavatara were the Sarvāstivādins.

[Bodhidharma:] the only reason I’ve come to China is to transmit the instantaneous teaching of the Mahayana This mind is the Buddha. (Bloodstream Sermon)
[Bodhidharma:] "This nature is the mind. And the mind is the buddha."
[Lanka:] this triple world is nothing but a complex manifestation of one’s mental activities."

Bodhidharma, known as an expert in the ten-stage sutra, was a zen master, from the Yogacara school. He did not know vipassana, as he condemned arhats. He was clearly a follower of Mahadeva, who authored the five points downgrading the arhats.

[Bodhidharma:] Among Shakyamuni’s ten greatest disciples, Ananda was foremost in learning. But he didn’t know the Buddha. All he did was study and memorize. Arhats don’t know the Buddha...

Bodhidharma did not know the meaning of arhat. Nāgārjuna defines arhat in Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra as follow:
[quote]
1. Ara means enemy (ari) and hat means to kill (han). The expression therefore means “killer of enemies”.^\1]) Some stanzas say:

The Buddha has patience (kṣānti) as his armor (varman), Energy (vīrya) as his helmet (śīrṣaka),
Discipline (śīla) as his great steed (mahāśva),
Dhyāna as his bow (dhanus),
Wisdom (prajñā) as his arrows (śara).
Outwardly, he destroys the army of [Māra] (https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/mara#mahayana) (*mārasena*).
Inwardly, he destroys the passions (kleśa), his enemies.
He is called Arhat.

1. Furthermore, A marks negation and rahat means ‘to be born’. The expression means, therefore, “unborn”. The seeds (bīja) of the mind of the Buddha (buddhacitta) ‘do not arise’ in the field of rebirths (punarbhavakṣetra), for ignorance (avidyā) in him has been dissolved.

[end quote] Nevertheless, the Flower Sermon, which was composed in 1036 states that Mahayana comes from Kashyapa, whom Bodhidharma mentions in the Bloodstream Sermon. Based on Bodhidharma's attitude to the arhats, that Kashyapa could not be the Venerable Mahakassapa, the father of the Sangha who established the Theravada. However, that Kashapa appears in the Lankavatara Sutra:

Kashyapa (fl. 400 B.C.) . Also known as Uruvilva Kashyapa or Mahakashyapa, he was the eldest of the three Kashyapa brothers and among the Buddha’s earliest disciples. He was also India’s First Patriarch of Zen. [Lankavatara Sutra: Glossary. Page 458]

The Mahayanists expect they could become Buddhas by following these individuals.

The Flower Sermon (1036 AD) : the Buddha gathered his disciples together for a talk on Dharma. Instead of speaking, however, the Buddha simply held up a lotus flower in front of him without saying a word. “I possess the true Dharma eye, the marvelous mind of Nirvāṇa, the true form of the formless, the subtle Dharma gate that does not rest on words or letters but is a special transmission outside of the scriptures. This I entrust to Mahakasyapa.”

Hi all! Hopefully I chose the right flair.
I just finished reading this book and I just need to share it someone.
Jeferson Tenório is a black Brazilian writer and his romance The Dark Side of Skin provides a very good insight into racism in Brazil, especially in the south of Brazil (the whitest part of the country with... questionable ideologies). It's fiction, but the topics are very real. I had to take breaks between reading sessions because it got to me so bad. So not a light read, but the way Jeferson is able to place us in the character's skin is MASTERFUL. This book got Brazil's equivalent of the nobel prize for literature and it shows.
The book is written as a "letter" to the protagonist's father, a school teacher who was assassinated by the police. The protagonist tells the father's story and by doing so constructs an entire biography of life in Brazil as a black person.
I recommend this book to any non-Brazilian interested in understanding how racism plays out in another country. And for Brazilians, I recommend it especially because it has seen attempts from politicians to ban it from schools' reading list. This is how I found out about the book. Politicians are using the sexual scenes within the book as excuse, saying it's too erotic, in an attempt to censor discussions on racism from schools.
I would be so happy if they fail and students are exposed to the reality of black Brazilians. And I would be very happy if the author got support and the book got more visibility.
I read it in original Portuguese, but an English version (as the title of my post shows) and even a Mandarin and an Italian version are available. The book isn't long. Please give it a look!

Discord: Lord of Rats
Reddit: Is_Me_
Name: Lyonel Grandison
Age: 24
Cultural Group: Stormlander
Appearance: Lyn is a strongly built man, standing at just over 6ft tall with a strong chest. He sports a mane of thick, golden blonde hair that falls just before his neck alongside a neatly trimmed and groomed beard. Lyonel is known to be a man of few smiles, almost always having a stern expression affixed to his face and a cold look in his eyes. He is rarely seen out of his armour, simple steel plate mail chased with gold, and is never seen without his cloak which presents his personal coat of arms. The sleeping lion of House Grandison encased in the fiery heart of R’hllor.
Traits: Strong
Skills: Swords (e), Andal Knight, Vanguard, Essosi Blademaster
Talents: Dancing, Linguistics, Theology
Negative Traits: n/a
Starting Title(s): Lord of Grandview, the Red
Starting Location: Opening Event
Biography
Lyonel was born to Lord Jon Grandison and Lady Aelinor Swann in the first year of Targaryen rule. Lyonel quickly proved himself to be a hot-tempered child, getting into constant fights with his younger brother Balon which they oft times settled through sparring. Through this, Lyonel quickly found his love for the sword and shield and his father, ever a man to encourage a martial inclination, made sure to fill his halls with stories of the Knight of Ninestars and the Winged Knight.
Lyonel’s relationship with his father began to strain when he was four-and-ten. Living in House Grandison’s seat of Grandview, at the mouth of the Dornish Marches, Lyn found himself surrounded by those who loathed their southern neighbours and resented the rising Bastard of Blackhaven for marrying one such woman. Feelings he himself simply couldn’t agree with. He had always been fascinated by the Dornish, their history, their culture, their wine and most of all their people. This tolerance clashed with his father on many occasions, a fact that only drove Lyonel towards the Dornish more.
Two years later, Lyonel joined a host led by Jon to venture south towards Blackhaven, a feigned show of support for the bastard that had taken root. There, in the depths of the Marches, Lyonel and Balon snuck away from camp and found themselves in the company of two commonfolk. Wyl and his older sister, Myriah. The sets of siblings became close companions, with Lyn and Myriah quickly becoming smitten with each other. A fact that they fought to keep hidden from his father for years. But nothing remains hidden forever.
The fury Jon Grandison flew into at his son bedding not only a common girl, but a Dornish common girl is often reserved for plays and works of art. He threatened to disinherit his son if he didn’t end the relationship immediately, something that Lyonel wasn’t willing to do. So Lyn thought that he must get his way in a manner even his father must respect, a duel. Lyonel thought it flawless. His father respected nothing if not martial prowess and surely the gods would support the case of true love fighting against cruel discrimination. So when Lyonel awoke in his bed with his head pounding, his father smug and his love missing, he found himself at the greatest loss of his life.
Lyonel was never a pious man. He rarely visited the Sept and found the lore of the Seven mind numbing but he had always believed, and always believed that they were good. With his faith and heart broken, he couldn’t stand to be around his father any longer and set off for the land where the Seven’s reach hadn’t taken root. Essos. Upon his twentieth nameday, Lyonel set off from a dock along the Sea of Dorne for the Free City of Pentos.
He quickly found shelter in the home of Ario Oratyrys, a merchant native to the city, who was more than eager to house Lyn and his companions, if only for the coin they brought in. On the third night after their arrival, Lyonel left in the dead of night and wandered the streets aimlessly. Eventually finding himself before the Great Temple of R’hllor and there he felt the heat of the fires and heard the crackling of the wood and found something that he had never found with the Seven. A calling. Lyonel returned the following morning a zealot, with a red priestess named Bellenora by his side.
And for the next few years of his life, Lyonel remained in Pentos studying the lore of his new god, and others besides, learning the languages of the Free Cities and an Essosi flair to his formidable sword skills. This peaceful life remained until one fateful morning, Lyonel received a letter from his brother detailing that their father had died and called him to return to Grandview to take the seat that was rightfully his. Filled with his newfound sense of duty and purpose, he set off for his ancestral home.
Timeline
1 AC: Birth of Lyonel Grandison
5 AC: Birth of Balon Grandison
10 AC: Lyonel discovers his love of swordplay and knightly culture
15 AC: Jon and Lyonel’s relationship begins to sour over the Dornish
17 AC: Jon leads party to Blackhaven, Lyonel meets Myriah and Wyl, Lyonel and Myriah begin their relationship
20AC: Jon discovers Myriah and Lyonel’s relationship, Lyonel duels Jon and loses, Myriah disappears (presumed dead)
21 AC: Lyonel departs with Wyl for Pentos, Lyonel meets Ario, Lyonel begins to follow R’hllor under the tutelage of Bellenora
24 AC: Jon dies, Lyonel returns from Pentos with his companions and becomes Lord of Grandview
25 AC: Present
Archetyped NPCs
Ser Balon Grandison (Master-at-Arms) {20}: Brother to Lyonel, wields a halberd which was a coming of age gift from Lyonel
Ser Wyl of Grandview (Marksman) {21}: Sister to Myriah and Lyonel’s closest companion, wields a bow and wears armour of boiled leather and crimson cloth
Bellenora (Scholar) {30}: Priestess of R’hllor who taught Lyonel about the faith, wears red silks and crimson ribbons in her black hair
Ser Harlan Staedmon (Tourney Knight) {19}: “Younger” of the Staedmon twins who served briefly under Lyonel’s father, wields a greatsword and is considered the more passionate of the two
Ser Harrold Staedmon (General) {19}: “Elder” of the Staedmon twins, favours an axe and shield but often works with a sword
Ario Oratyrys (Trader) {52}: Pentoshi merchant who took a shine to the dower Lyonel, always dresses in excessive fineries and has multiple rings across both of his hands
Lord Boris Staedmon (Castellan) {45}: Father of the twins and Castellan of Grandview under Jon’s rule, wears an tattered eye patch over on his right eye

Reddit Account: u/Thenn_Applicant
Discord Tag: Garin
Name and House: Dorian Merryweather
Age: 49
Cultural Group: Reachman
Appearance: Dorian's chestnut brown hair has been greying for quite a while, however is short beard retains more color, including a few stray red hairs peppered throughout it. While his features have softened and gained some pudge as he aged past his prime, he remains in overall good shape. This is partly due to his great love of gardening and crop cultivation, which have left his hands and nails rather rough.
Trait: Numerate
Skills: Avaricious (e), Architect, Administrator, Investor
Talents: Language (High Valyrian) Cooking, Gardening
Negative Trait: N/A
Starting Title: Lord of Longtable
Starting Location: Opening Event
Biography:
It has been said; men grow tired of sleep, love, singing and dancing, sooner than war. As such, it begs the question, what does a man have left when he finally tires of war? In pursuit of an answer, of any answer, one half of Dorian Merryweather’s life was spent. He was the second son of Lord Arthor Merryweather of Longtable. Like many others born in a place of natural abundance, he longed for more, for something greater than a mere provincial estate. The tourneys of Highgarden, the hunts of Horn Hill and the books of Oldtown all called to him, and so he could never ride past his father’s mild and verdant fields fast enough. Dorian counted himself lucky not to be the heir, for that meant he could pick where his future lay, unchained from the uninspiring home of his childhood. Instead it was his older brother, Bennard, who envied his free-flying lifestyle, contriving any excuse to join him on his escapades and agurk lessons and ceremonies he ought to have attended.
Lord Arthor was fairly permissive of this deriliction of duties, as the friendships forced on such journeys were worth more than lessons that could be repeated later, or tasks that could be handed off to lowborn stewards. The boys attended tourneys, balls, hunts and feasts, living the life the bards extolled as the height of reachman’s chivalry. The one time they did not shirk their duties was when their father had the honor of hosting King Mern and his court for a tourney on the Warrior’s day. The Merryweather sons would present the king and his family with silver bowls of dilligrout, a most exquisite stew of capons, white wine and almond milk. They had the joy of tasting it once the Gardeners had their fill, a taste they would never forget. On the tournament field three days later, Mern knighted them both, though Dorian was only sixteen at the time, green as a knight could ever be.
Five years later, as news of Aegon Targaryen and his early conquests spread, the lords of the Reach were summoned to Goldengrove, where they found a veritable forest of Westermen’s banners being planted beside their own. The fall of the Storm Kings had led to a whirlwind of diplomacy between the houses of Gardener and Lannister. The plan was presented to the lords with the two kings sitting beside one another on the dais as though they were brothers. They held up Aegon’s letter of demands, scornfully reading it aloud and then proceeded to tear it up to a roaring acclamation from the hall. Standing there before the hall, Mern could hardly be called the Warrior incarnate. There stood a man well past his prime, old enough to be a grandfather and with no great victories to his name, in battle or on the tourney field. All the same, this man, whom they called their king, always seemed to know exactly what to say to win someone over. If he’d declared war on hell itself that evening, the Merryweather brothers would probably still have marched off with him when the next morning dawned. Bennard and Dorian shouted as loud as anyone, death to the foreign upstart. That evening were betrothed to westerwomen they’d never met before, made plans for a real battle, which they had never fought in before, and drank, ate and sang as though the night would last forever. House Merryweather was not able to secure a command, yet King Mern remembered his stay at Longtable fondly. He gave Bennard and Dorian a place in the vanguard, and even adorned Bennard with a brooch of the order of the green hand the morning before the army Goldengrove, a momentous honor which Bennard would cherish for the remainder of his days. He did not have many left, as it turned out. The Field of Fire began like a dream, as the two brothers rode off at the break of dawn, two out of five thousand sets of gleaming armor atop proud warhorses. By the end of the day it had become a nightmare. Caught up in the maelstrom of battle, Dorian did not see the moment when their loss was assured, but the Gods know he could hear it, the creeping, hungry flames that descended on the reachmen like an army of its own. As hundreds were broiled inside their steel plate and thousands more choked on the inferno’s horrible vanguard of black smoke, Bennard and Dorian broke and fled. They were not far behind the retreating Loren Lannister in their escape, but half a minute made all the difference. The lines of fire fanned out, hunting more living things to devour, and engulfed the two brothers. Dorian could feel how the flames spread from his surcoat to his undershirt, all the way down to the hairs on his chest, beginning to sear his skin. In a desperate act he threw himself in the Blackwater, and would have perished if not for the shoddy work of his squire that morning, which left him able to tear off his plate before he could sink. With bloodied, burn-marked fingers, he clung to the roots of a tree by the riverside, water up to his chest. He was retrieved after some time, how long he could not say. For the next two moons his mind was adrift, distracted from his pains by milk of the poppy. The next two were far worse, as he grew more lucid and realized the extent of the damage. A burn-mark stretched from his right thigh, all the way up his chest and left bicep to the apple of his neck. Many times over, flakes of dead or dying skin had to be peeled off by the maester as the scabs kept bursting with blood and clear liquid. By the end of that year he was able to walk again, though the burn mark would leave a feverish red mark across the front of his body, his new skin settling into twisted lines.
Bennard was far worse for wear, alive yet burned all the way to his face and crippled from a fall off his horse. His nose and ear-lobes had to be cut off, too burned to save, and even his eyelids were permanently scarred, unable to sprout new lashes. The more lucid Bennard became, the deeper his sorrow. Eventually he began refusing food. The new lord of Longtable would not eat anything his cooks set in front of him. In spite of his ever present pains, Dorian began going to the kitchens, reprimanding the cooks for their failings. He knew his brother well and knew his palette, and began ordering them to make his brother’s favorites. When he felt they were making mistakes, he interrupted their work himself. He was a stranger to the kitchen, yet would criticize how things were cut too roughly, spiced too little or too much. He was a terror to the cooks, yet they could not refuse him.
His attempts to intervene were however hampered by a newfound aversion to heat. The sound of the hearth, of boiling and searing, the general sense of warmth around him made him nauseous and caused his movements to seize up. Still, he went to his brother’s bedside every day, and afterwards he forced himself back to the kitchens. His sister, Lydia, tried to stop him at first, but soon found her protes fell on deaf ears, and so joined him, if only to leash him in when he went too far. Finally, there was only one dish they hadn’t tried; the dilligrout they’d once served to the late King Mern. Every time it was made, it came out wrong. It soon turned out the cook who had served them that evening six years ago had since retired, and his exact method had never been recorded or taught to anyone else. Dorian would first invite the man to Longtable, then summon him with armed knights when invitations were refused.
Theomar, the man who appeared before him, was a sorry sight, looking frightened and confused as he was taken to his old workplace. It was explained by his sons that he’d been growing senile even six years ago, often snapping at the kitchen maids under him when his memory failed him. Since then he’d gotten worse, seldom eating, let alone cooking. Something in the old man’s eyes did seem to brighten for a moment when the sounds and smells of his old kitchen surrounded him, and Dorian ordered him to make dilligrout. Before long that faint spark had been drowned out by tears. He would start boiling capon or crushing almonds, only to leave the job half-done whenever he had to fetch something new. Serving maids were put at his disposal to bring him ingredients, yet an ingredient ordered would be met with a reprimand as he seemed to forget which dish he was making every few minutes. Finally Dorian snapped at the man, grabbing him by his collar and shouting accusations of treason against House Merryweather. By the time Lydia could restrain him and try to apologize, the man was a wreck on the floor. After watching it for a while, waiting for the man to get up and continue his work, even Dorian was overcome by pity and shame for what he’d done. The old cook was praying to the gods, begging forgiveness for his failings. Dorian began to realize he’d broken a great man down and would himself beg forgiveness. He offered the man his old cook’s quarters back for the rest of his life, and promised his sons that his maester would tend to the man in his old age, that he would be fed from Longtable’s stores.
At this point, he resolved to make the dilligrout himself. Through it all, Bennard was barely clinging to life, or rather being tethered to it by the will of others. He could only be fed when drugged down by the milk of the poppy, and the more often it was used, the less effective it became. Every day Dorian braved the kitchens, yet he could not recreate the flavor of that wonderful night. It was by the grace of the gods, perhaps with Theomar as their vessel, that Dorian would even come close. The old man could no longer cook, but over time he began to wander into the kitchens and sit down on a chair. At first Dorian thought the man only sought the warmth of the hearth for his weary bones, yet he discovered it to be more than that. Theomar’s eyes were like clouded glass, yet they brightened every now and then, hearing almonds being ground, smelling capons searing in fat, as though it was stirring the kitchenmaster of yore back to life. Eventually Dorian began to walk up to the old cook with his ingredients, bidding him to smell or taste small portions. Sometimes he got simple instructions out of it, ‘too coarse’, ‘too sour’, ‘underdone’. Som times a mere nod or frown was all Theomar managed. Over the course of a couple of days, Dorian put together one final attempt to get the dish made rightWhen he arrived in Bennard’s chamber, he was met with a look which brought forth discomfort that no flame could produce in Dorian. Plainly, raspingly, his brother asked him why he wouldn’t let him die. It was easy, Bennard reasoned. All Dorian needed to do was wait and become lord. The words almost made Dorian throw the dilligrout on the floor. Almost. He placed two bowls on Bennard’s table, the dilligrout and one brimming with milk of the poppy. Dorian told his brother to make his choice. If he sought death, Dorian would let him, but he would not hear that it was an easy thing, watching his brother die. That evening, the milk of the poppy was carried away by the maester, the empty bowl of stew taken to be washed in the kitchens. From then on, Bennard ate what his brother brought him without complaint. He lasted just into the new year, dying on its tenth day. In the predawn gloom of the twelfth, Theomar died in his sleep
Dorian took up his lordly task joylessly. His old wanderlust returned, spurred by the horrible memories that now stained Longtable and the reach itself in his mind. The final straw came when their new Tyrell overlords, insisted on him marrying a lady from a dornish house. His previous betrothal had fallen through, as the parents of his western bride had not wished to draw the ire of the Targaryens by maintaining an old alliance meant to oppose them. Instead of obliging, he boarded a ship from Oldtown going east. It stopped only briefly in Planky Town before going to Tyrosh. Noting him to be a nobleman, a few of the city’s wealthy men would host him for a while, though they quickly lost interest when his lack of knowledge of trade became apparent. After that, he spent time in the markets and squares where the common people lived. His old curiosity was piqued, and he decided to embark on a quest of learning, fashioning himself another Lomas Longstrider. He moved on to Myr, and the experience was much the same in broad strokes, a few rich men showed interest and quickly lost it. As he’d visited the dye markets he went to see the city’s famous artisans at work. One thing was notably different, he met a Tyroshi woman with green-dyed hair, going by the name Maryah. She was a trader, and the two had taken the same ship to Myr. She had been to Myr before and showed him many of its secrets. They spent an entire day in one of the vast delicacy markets so she could show him the many tastes of the city. Having no plans in advance, he asked where she was headed next.
Without a second thought he would join her on a journey to Lys. He soon understood it to be a test. It was not long before she teased him, speculating he’d only joined her for a chance to see the famous pleasure houses. Evening after evening they stayed in the city and Maryah would tease and test him over the matter. Finally he told her he’d renounce his betrothal for her, that there was no one else in his eye. She laughed, replying he would not have to. The next morning, Dorian awoke to find that she was already up, the green washed from her black curls. Maryah had in fact been Joanna Dayne, his dornish bride to be, having traveled the same route as him ever since his ship stopped at Planky Town to refill its food and water. She was already quite familiar with the three closest free cities, having served as a dornish envoy on behalf of its spice traders. As they planned their return to Westeros, Joanna asked him what else in the world he wanted to see. Within a few moons of being wed, they left Westeros, not to return for three years.The journey was what his mind needed, away from the Reach, its knights and tapestries, hunts and tourneys. Ultimately, the lords and knights of his homeland, for all their songs and poetry, lived every day in preparation for war, frivolous though the preparations were. Joanna showed him a different world, the remnants of Old Valyria. War was to be sure inescapable. Wherever they went, there were soldiers, tapestries, contests of arms, and yet the cities housed something else as well, a boundless potential for creation, commerce and growth.
Thanks to Joanna Dayne’s knowledge their stays became far better planned, and they could enjoy the hospitality of wealthy locals far longer. She knew how to talk about the spice trade and similar matters, and Dorian began to pick up on it. On their second stay in Myr, he procured a great deal of fine parchment and began taking notes, everything from negotiation tactics and the prices of cloves or red peppers to court customs, as well as more eclectic pieces of knowledge, details of running an eastern estate, descriptions of technological marvels he had never seen in Westeros, and ingredients in the local food. By the time they neared Qarth he had quite the list of recipes, among other things. There he was even able to learn a few all the way from Yi Ti, as some local cooks catered to merchants from the Golden Empire. On their journey home they’d end up taking the opportunity to see the newly made port of King’s Landing. By that time, a third member had joined their journey, their infant daughter Florys. Having left Longtable in the care of his sister and steward for three years, Dorian finally accepted the responsibility of running his ancestral home.
Longtable was considered to rule over some of the best lands in the Reach, ideally situated along the river with abundant soil which could provide two grain harvests in a year. Having seen the estates which supplied the great cities of the east, Dorian was all too aware of its comparative shortcomings. He found that the abundance of the land had a counterproductive effect, breeding complacency and carelessness. From his grandiose tour of the east, he went on a painstaking tour of his own lands, trying to get an overview of everything he ruled over. He paid the citadel a fee to send him half a dozen maesters in training for a season. These young men, literate and numerate, would serve his own maester in conducting a survey of the land, giving Dorian account of all resources at his disposal as lord. The results were quite varied.
Some peasants were found to have remarkable agricultural insights which they had no way of writing down, entirely reliant on passing the knowledge to their children. Knowing the risks of such a method of transferring knowledge, Dorian ordered such insights recorded. In other places there were farmers and communities who were unwittingly exhausting their soil. Instances of lack of fallow land, excessive grazing by cows and lack of crop rotation were also made note of, followed by edicts against such heedless practices. Septons, sheriffs and tax collectors were given written copies and were obliged to read them to the peasantry wherever it was deemed necessary. It also became part of the obligations of farmers to plant a set amount of clover in their fields and pastures, a practice some had taken up on their own but which had already become a standardized law among the estates belonging to Myr and Volantis. Irrigation was expanded and land inheritance was reformed to prevent the splitting of fields past a certain threshold.
Lord Dorian was not always successful. Some eastern ideas had been useful innovations which improved conditions across the board. In time he learned that the peculiarities of the westerosi system were sometimes necessary for the sake of stability, not merely the misshapen fruits of ignorance. His attempt to enclose part of the common lands proved abortive, as it nearly caused a peasant rebellion. A procession of aggrieved smallfolk headed for Longtable had to be dispersed by knights, armed with wooden clubs to prevent needless bloodshed.Two men were hanged and five sent to the wall, but the reform was thereafter abandoned, leading the populace to calm down. Dorian was not much of a military leader and had not wielded weapons since the Field of Fire. He became aware of his need to bolster his forces, a notion reinforced by the establishment of the Black Roses not long after his return, and again with the Kingswood Catastrophe
In the meantime, he and Joanna raised a family together. Three more daughters would be born healthy, with a couple of miscarriages and a stillbirth in between, also a daughter. Their travels did not entirely come to an end. In 13 AC they would tour the northern free cities of Norvos, Qohor, Pentos, Braavos and Lorath, which they had missed on their original journey. The lion’s share of 17 AC was spent on a journey to the Summer Islands. At other times they would make shorter journeys around the Seven Kingdoms, where they felt more secure in bringing their older children along. Whether it was visiting Joanna’s family in Dorne, tourneys and feasts in the Reach and West or even one trip to see the wall, a nameday wish by Florys, they were often on the move. Like most of their peers, they frequented Oldtown and Highgarden
The growing rift between the two queens and their children was a situation Dorian would watch with dread in his heart, remembering keenly how a generation of young men had been brought to the field of fire. To his mind, the Targaryen rule ought not go to waste. Like Valyria of old, it had begun with fire and blood, yet similarly peace and prosperity had followed in its wake. If only the dragons could stand united, perhaps another long peace like the one the Freehold once enjoyed could again be established. If not, another century of blood was upon them. Under Dorian, Longtable became a place where he sought to bring together people from across the kingdoms and forge unity over the dinner table, an attitude which somewhat vexed and confounded his more militaristic daughter and heiress, Lady Florys. Even amid her questioning of the viability of his peaceful ways when surrounded by those who would make war, a terrible sight would steel his resolve, watching the Mander burning green, every bit as terrible as the flames from twenty one years prior. That night he made a simple vow, never again.
The League of the Cornucopia, he would name his little group, a gallery of lords and ladies whose acquaintances he’d made over the years. With these fellow gourmets he would share the culinary knowledge he’d gleaned from his journeys in the east and west. Most unusual for a lord of his rank, Dorian came to spend a great deal of time in his kitchens, testing out recipes himself. On occasion, the dishes he served to his guests for these small, intimate gatherings would be the work of his own hands. The membership did vary from time to time, both based on who could make it and who he sought to bring together. Rather than a fully closed circle, the League is more like a form of feasting, only it’s done for a much smaller crowd, without the public spectacle. Such occasions allowed for more refined foods which did not need to be served to hundreds and kept constantly warm over the course of hours like some common tavern stew. It also opened up an arena of more intimate diplomacy and negotiation for those who sought it, hosted on neutral ground by a lordly mediator, free from prying eyes.
Timeline:
25BC: Dorian is born, second in line to Longtable
24BC: His sister Lydia is born
9BC: House Merryweather hosts House Gardener for a tourney and feast. Dorian and his older brother Bennard serve the dish of honor to King Mern Gardener and his family. During the subsequent tourney, Mern knights both boys, despite their inexperience and lack of victory in the tourney
9BC-2BC: Dorian spends much time travelling the reach, attending events
1BC: Dorian and Bennard fight in the vanguard at the Field of Fire. Both are burned, Bennard far more severely than Dorian. Lord Merryweather is killed. Traumatized by the battle and his new maimed body, Bennard starts refusing food. Dorian desperately tries to re-create the dish they served King Mern eight years ago. The cook who made it has since gone senile, but eventually manages to help Dorian re-create it. He is given a place at court as apology for his mistreatment at Dorian's hands before this occurred.
1AC: Lord Bennard dies at the beginning of the year, leaving Dorian as lord of Longtable. His sister Lydia fulfills her betrothal to House Tarly, becoming lady of Horn Hill. At the prospect of marrying a Dornishwoman on the King's orders, Dorian decides to leave Westeros to put off his marriage. In Myr, he meets a woman calling herself Maryah, claiming to be a Tyroshi merchant. They fall in love and travel to Lys together. There Dorian promises to set aside his betrothal for her, whereupon she reveals herself as Joanna Dayne, his dornish betrothed.
1AC-4AC: Dorian and Joanna wed at Longtable, then depart on a new journey of the east. They reach as far as Qarth before turning back home. In 3AC, on the way back, their first child, Florys, is born while the couple are in Volantis, on the way home. They return via the newly built port of King's Landing.
4AC-8AC: Using knowledge from the east, Lord Dorian embarks on a project of rationalizing the agriculture of Longtable
5AC: Dorian and Joanna have their second child, a girl named Ellyn
8AC: Their third daughter, Desmera, is born
13AC: Dorian and Joanna spend a year travelling the northern free cities
14AC: Their fourth and final daughter, Gwin, is born
17AC: Dorian and Joanna undertake a journey to the Summer Islands with their children
23AC: The aftermath of the battle of Stonebridge brings back memories of the Field of Fire, as the Merryweathers watch burning slag run down the Mander
25AC: The Merryweathers travel to the celebration of the maturity of Aegon's sons
Family Tree:
Arthor Merryweather (father, d.1BC)
Cerelle Merryweather (pending family connection) (mother, d.20AC)
Rhea Merryweather (sister b.27BC)
Bennard Merryweather (brother, d.1AC)
Lydia Merryweather (sister, b.24BC)
Glendon Merryweather (uncle, d.1BC)
Myrcella Pommingham (aunt, d.22AC)
Leo Merryweather (cousin, b.13AC)
Joanna Dayne (wife, b.26AC)
Florys Merryweather (daughter, b.3AC)
Ellyn Merryweather (daughter, b.5AC)
Desmera Merryweather (daughter, b.8AC)
Gwin Merryweather (daughter, b.13AC)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Auxiliary Character:
Name and House: Florys Merryweather
Age: 23
Cultural Group: Reachman
Appearance: [A short, muscular woman with wavy black hair, normally worn in a bun. She has high cheekbones and a proud demeanor. Her rigid strength stands in contrast to the more relaxed nature of the Merryweather court, one she finds overly lax and casual](0_0.png (896×1344) (discordapp.com))
Trait: Hale
Skills: Swords (e), Essosi Blademaster
Talents: Dancing, Fishing, Cooking
Negative Traits: N/A
Starting Title: Heir to Longtable
Starting Location: Opening Event
Timeline:
3AC: Florys is born in Volantis, while her parents are on their way home from Essos
10AC: Florys starts training under Saathos Trevelyan, her father's Master at Arms
13 AC: She joins her parents on a tour of Pentos, Braavos, Norvos and Qohor
17AC: She travels with her parents to the Summer Islands
19AC-23AC: As she comes of age, Florys becomes more critical of her father's desire for peace, viewing it as increasingly far-fetched amid the increasingly controversial regency and the impending succession dispute. She resolves to make the kinds of connections her father seems unwilling to, in case of war
25AC: She accompanies her family to the celebrations
NPCS:
Ser Leo Merryweather (Age: 37, Archetype: Magnate) Lord Merryweather's first cousin, he has become an indispensable agent in the daily running of Longtable. Despite his foppish demeanor and aparent laziness, he is highly capable and loyal in his task of increasing his family's fortune. He remains happily unwed
Saathos Tevelyan: (Age:48, Archetype: Master at Arms) The son of a Lysene father and a Myrish mother, Saathos initially sought a career in amongst Myr's military officers, however his family's relatively low status proved an impediment to further promotion, later compounded by a dispute with a superior. He met Lord Merryweather in 3AC and eventually travelled West to offer his services five years later, finding his career progress stonewalled in his home city. Well into middle age, he still looks firm and imposing as profesisonal a soldier ought to

Helena - Courtlady of Lannisport

Part 1

Reddit Account: SunstriderAlar
Discord Tag: u/SunstriderAlar
Name and House: Helena
Age: 22
Cultural Group: Westerman
Appearance: Helena is a young woman with soft doe-eyes, and unmistakable curling, golden hair. Raised by smallfolk, and Septa’s she wears her hair up and away from her face to ensure she does not let it get wet while cleaning or in her mouth while singing. She has delicate, porcelain, pale skin and cloudy soft blue eyes. No taller than 5’5” and is most often dressed in conservative simple fashions gathered by herself, or more elegant options gifted to her by a doting patron for formal events. Never shy to present her opinion, Helena has seen the world change, and her place in it numerous times. She is unafraid to do what she must, but knows the role of a woman.
Helena prefers to wear blue and yellow, the colours of Lord Swyft’s old sigil even though she has not lived in Cornfield for many years, and has no personal attachment to the house. Her real love though is unique broaches, and hairpins, different pins reveal different favours or stylings for different lords. She does enjoy crafting dresses as well, when the rare bolt of fabric comes her way she enjoys sewing and tailoring. She is often seen carrying a unique wooden six stringed lyre, or a three stringed lute; the former the cause for her name the Six Eyed Singer. She daps herself with lavender water most mornings, and cleans her teeth with mint, and rose now that she is employed by the Lannisters of Lannisport. Clean teeth are the hallmark of a charming, easy smile to make hearts of men and women alike flutter.
Trait: Elusive Shadow
Skill(s): Espionage, Devious, Schemer, Covert, Rumourmonger
Talent(s): Storyteller, lyre playing, deft fingers
Negative Trait(s): N/A
Starting Title(s): The Six-Eyed Singer, Septa Morgan, Jinny of Aegon’s Rest
Starting Location: Opening event

Part 2: Biography

Swyft Sept (3AC - 15AC)
Helena’s early life began in the Sept of Cornfield where her mother begged the Septa’s to take her. Dutifully, though reluctantly, they agreed, for what else were they to do, and where else was the girl to go. To the Governess of Cornfield, under the sanctity of the confessional, the woman, aching from the pain of birth and shame, confessed that the little girl was the bastard of Lord Swyft. The Governess, doubtful but knowing the man was not without vice, kept the secret to herself and allowed the girl to remain. The woman, who’s name was never revealed even to the Septa's, fled into the night shortly after never to be seen again. Helena was then, as promised, raised by the septas and the Governess of House Swyft. She learns basic literacy from the Seven Pointed Star with the Sisters and numbers from the Governess. Alongside her studies, she was put to work on chores like maid work, baking, cooking, cleaning, and serving Lord Swyft.
In 11AC, a travelling minstrel named The Lying Lyre arrived at Cornfield. A dashing young man with a shock of blonde curls that tumbled down his back like a mullet captivated Helena with his songs of far-off lands and noble families. In particular he sang of the Maiden’s Bay Tourney, the feats of House Targaryen, and after some time the Field of Fire and the failings of House Lannister. House Swyft was wealthy, and the Liar’s talents earned him much and more coin from the silver mines.
Helena of an age where curiosity ruled a child’s mind was enamoured with the man and his songs. She took up practising the lyre with him, and discovered that while no maestro, she had deft fingers and a mind for lyrics. Impressed by her interest and talent, the Liar gifted her a lyre before he left for future profits in far off lands. Some years of practice though, and a natural storyteller and rumourmonger Helena combined tales of the Seven Pointed Star and was invited to sing in the sept and even twice for Lord Swyft.
Six Eyed Singer (15AC - 20AC)
It was not to last though and following the slaughter in the Kingswood, the line of House Swyft was extinguished. Not wanting to test the new residents of Cornfield, the Warriors Sons and Poor Fellows, after all, all men have vice, she left Cornfield, and took to singing on the road. Going under the name Lyrebird, Helena played and sang for her coin and lodgings, a young girl protected only by being seen when she wanted and an elusive shadow when she did not.
Times on the road were not easy and The Lyrebird drew much attention. This necessitated the need for another alter ego and after a year on the road and towns and villages through the West were soon visited by the travelling Septa Morgan. The Septa heard confessions and sins, gave forgiveness and offered small advice to the poor and needy. She spared coins where she could and allowed Helena to remain covert. It did not matter to most that she was no real septa, she wore the robes, knew the words, and offered as a good moral compass to children. For most in the far flung reaches of the West she was enough.
Being raised in the faith though telling a perpetual lie about being a sister of the cloth was a little too much to bear for Helena. After a year with the reputation of Septa Morgan growing through the small folks of small villages, the Septa soon faded away. Instead Jinny of Aegon’s Rest started coming to smaller castles; Turnbury, Redbramble, Parren Hall, Oldstars and the like. She took on odd jobs cleaning, cooking, teaching a daughter to read or a son to do his numbers. She was after all no threat, knew her letters and numbers herself, and was capable of scheming many a septa or fatherly gatesman to let her in.
Jinny of Aegon’s Rest became a traveller through the keeps of the Westerlands. She heard the tales from children and small folk alike. She had never meant to undertake espionage, but her place inside various courts across the land, and her talent for being in the right place at the right time meant she was an unfortunate witness to many a courtly intrigue. As her small gifts earned her again a broad reputation she would be traded between greater lords. Soon she was playing for the elite, and earning the rewards that came with it. Helena of Cornfield once again took a new name, the Six Eyed Singer, which she quickly used to escape her courtly life and take again to the road as a travelling minstrel.
The Strawberry Tourney and Ball (20AC - Current)
The Six Eyed Singer formed a little bard troupe, nothing extravagant, she wasn’t playing for the Lannisters or the Targaryen’s yet, but enough to provide several shows across the Westerlands, Reach, and former Kingdom of the Trident. Her troupe, much like she had been accidentally, was devious, and while she or they sang, pockets were pinched, and many houses were looted. Her troupe when apart played for all the minor and middle nobles of the Trident and of the Reach too now. She and they were as much a part of the debauchery of the West as any of the wealthy merchants. There was no party too scandalous, no whorehouse unsung, no court too far flung for the right price and the West had gold burning through pockets.
The Six Eyed Singer was not the only bard with a troupe though and soon through the Kingdoms after Aegon’s conquest artisans, bards, and mummers alike filled the world with talent. In 20AC the Songbird made its mark, and with a little bit of fun, a lot of resentment for nobility, and an ingrained childlike sense of chaos, the first of the Songbirds’ letters sang. The voice of the little people flooded across the western coast of the Iron Throne. Lord Belaerys’ dragon had eaten several children whilst growing fat and hungry. Lancel Lannister had claimed the maidenhood of his chambermaid, and sired a bastard all at the age of just fifteen. Lord Frey schemed against his overlord for a free and independent Trident once again. Was all of it true? Impossible to say, but there were enough truths to turn heads, and the songs of the Songbird began to cause chaos in the Westerlands most of all. The Six Eyed Singer and her troupe played through it all, they were bards, but the Songbird was the most famous one of all; not their little merry band.
The Six Eyed Singer though continued her good work, and with her reputation came an invite to participate at the Strawberry Tourney and Ball alongside the other bardic troupes of the West and Reach. She was not so famous as to be alone, merely enough to earn an invite, and a paid job. The planning was years long, and with new songs and tunes came new rumours. While the Six-Eyed Singer played songs such as Fleece-eye, Dornish Sour Grapes, and Lion of the West, the Songbird worked their chaos.
A ripple pulsed through the tourney, first a cheater in the joust was revealed, Ser Byron who was disqualified as a result. Then a second cheater, this time in the melee, then a third cheater again in the joust Lord Payne had accepted a bribe from Lord Reyne to fall early. Cheating in the tourney was just the start, cheating in the bedroom of the ball was the main affair. Here the Songbird revealed three affairs; Lords Serret and Lyden were both fathers to children on women , not their wives. While Lady Serret and Lady Ruskin were bedfriends behind their husbands’ backs. There was one final scandal though, which was revealed to all at the tourney. Septon Karron was no true anointed Septon, and worse there was legitimacy to foulness surrounding young boys who served him.
The chaos broke over the tourney and all the artisans in attendance were forced to flee. Yet, all was not lost, for Lord Gerold Lannister of Lannisport had taken his eye to Helena and her playing. He offered her a job, for he wished to be a great sponsor of art in the new Seven Kingdoms. So it was she came to a courtly position, advising the Lord Lannister on matters of fine art, musicians, mummery, and all manner of artisanal dealings.
Timeline
3AC - Helena is born in the Sept of Cornfield, her mother a woman from Silverhill who begs the septa’s to take the girl in. She reveals her identity to the Governess of House Swyft, and claims the child is Lord Swyft’s bastard. She leaves shortly after giving birth and recovering.
4-10AC - She is raised in the cloister with the sisters, her Septa mothers raising her lessons on reading from the Seven Pointed Star, and numbers from the Governess to ensure that she can do basic arithmetic. She takes basic lessons in scullery maid work, baking, and general service work for old Lord Swyft.
11AC - A travelling minstrel, The Lying Lyre, comes through Cornfield to sing songs of the tourney of Maiden’s Bay, House Targaryen, and the Field of Fire. He takes a liking to the young Helena, and gifts her a lyre. He stays in Cornfield for some time, both because it is lucrative and because he enjoys teaching the young girl.
12-14AC - The Lying Lyre departs Cornfield but leaves a talented and hardworking Helena with the sisters once more. She takes to singing sections of the Seven Pointed Star, and even performs for Lord Swyft a few times.
15AC - The House of Swyft dies out and Helena, unaware of her claimed parentage but with a talent for song leaves the cloister and takes to the road, not trusting the new Warriors Sons or Poor Fellows. She uses the name Lyrebird and sings and plays her lyre for coin to survive.
16AC - After a year on the road Helena takes up the name Septa Morgan and takes to hearing confessions of the poor and needy across the Westerlands. Many of them need guidance and wearing her septa robes she is the perfect person to hear them. She is no real Septa but no amount of explaining the technicality of that stops people asking her to forgive them.
17AC - Her reputation as Septa Morgan grows a little too heavy on her shoulders, and Helena takes to wearing more common clothes, moving from keep to keep and working as a barmaid, scullery girl, and baker amongst other professions. She goes by the name Jinny of Aegon’s Rest.
18AC - Chance takes its favour on her, and Helena with her simple lyre is invited to play at a feast in Lannisport. Dressed now as a travelling minstrel she performs for the gathered nobles and earns herself invitations to other keeps. With her generous benefactors she hires a small troupe to perform her songs across the West.
19AC - Travelling the Westerlands, Helena under the moniker The Six Eyed Singer, takes her talents for being present at feasts and gatherings of all sorts.
20AC - Rumour of The Songbird takes hold, and the West is awash in the voice of the little people.
21AC - The Strawberry Tourney and Ball unfolds and Helena’s skills earn her favour with Lord Gerold Lannister.
22AC - Lord Gerold Lannister recognising her many talents picked her up to be one of the primary serving women in his House. His eye for artistic endeavours endeared him to her enough for a comfortable place as a favoured bard, painter, educator, and common court woman.

**Name and House:** Beatrice Massey
**Age:** 27
**Cultural Group:** Crownlander
**Appearance:** She has curly brown hair she always keeps tied up, and dark brown eyes. She has plain features and dresses modestly and is of an average height with a pudgy build. She always has dark circles beneath her eyes. Despite her and her brother’s partial Valyrian heritage, they both take strongly after their father’s family.
**Trait:** Steward
**Skill(s):** Administrator (e), Investor (e), Avaricious
**Talent(s):** Language: High Valyrian, History, Geography
**Negative Trait(s):** N/A
**Starting Title(s):** Steward of Stonedance
**Starting Location:** The Hunt

AC
**Name and House:** Arthur Massey
**Age:** 30
**Cultural Group:** Crownlander
**Appearance:** He has thin, straight features with a squared jaw and stubble, with curled brown hair and dark eyes. He stands a modest height with broad shoulders and slim build.
**Trait:** Ruthless
**Skill(s):** Rumourmonger(e), Devious
**Talent(s):** Drinking, Card Games, Sleight of Hand
**Negative Trait(s):** N/A
**Starting Title(s):** Heir of Stonedance
**Starting Location:** The Hunt


Biography

House Massey, along with many neighbouring houses, were quick to join Aegon’s cause and pledge their support during his conquest. Coren Massey, the Lord, had wed a Valyrian woman named Alysanne Belaerys, and had two children by her.
Beatrice was only two years old, and her brother only a boy of five when the Conquest began. Their father and uncle would ride out with their armies to support his cause and would find themselves roosting in his court for the next few years and assisting the construction of King’s Landing. It wouldn’t be until after Aegon’s assassination that her uncle, Triston Massey would take over as Master of Laws.
Tragedy would strike the Massey’s during the Kingswood Hunt, where Triston would fall victim to the attacks by the bandits and would perish.
Coren Massey, her father, would spend much time in King’s Landing, constantly seeking—and failing to secure his brother’s position as Master of Laws. Arthur would spend much time in the new capital as well, though not in court. He would carouse the town, often spending times with other lords and ladies of a similar age, hosting parties or tavern crawls, or hunting expeditions. He established a network of contacts and conversationalists throughout the years there, a gossip-mill that he could turn to his own ends—amongst nobility and smallfolk alike.
Beatrice’s story was much different. As her father and brother left Stonedance to seek greener pastures, much of it resided on her. When she grew up, her family had secured tutors to teach her and her brother skills of administration and governance—though Arthur never took to them, often skipping out on his lessons. Beatrice on the other hand made it her life’s work, studying a variety of subjects. One gift her mother had given her was a tutor from Essos, to teach her the Valyrian tongue both for eventual use in court, and to connect with that part of her heritage.
When she turned ten and seven, she began to take in children from around the Crownlands and a few from lands beyond that, offering to teach them in various disciplines such as arithmetic, history, geography, calligraphy, and literature. This, combined with her duties of running and managing Stonedance, kept her busy and rarely leaving the hold, while her brother, the heir, caroused through life.
At twenty, she was arranged to marry Dorin Sunglass, however the betrothal fell through when he married another—to her relief.
Arthur would sire several bastards, that she would keep track of and it became her responsibility to care for the mother’s left behind and the children he wanted nothing to do with. A cook, a maid, a sailor—Beatrice kept track of them as they came to Stonedance with their children in their arms, offering them gold and a place in the village. Most notably was his fling with Perra Bracken—while the Blackwood’s and Bracken’s geared for war, the two had a tryst in King’s Landing which resulted in a child, Arina. Taken back to Stonedance to raise, Beatrice would tutor her and send letters of progress to Perra, but otherwise both of the parents of the bastard would be uninvolved.

Archetype NPCs

Magnate – Laisa Chyttering
Trader – Evelyne Follard


Family Tree

Coren Massey, Head of House (56)
Alysanne Belaerys (57)
Triston Massey, Uncle – Deceased
Arthur Massey – Brother (30)
- 4 bastards (Calla, Primrose, Roan, Arina)
Beatrice Massey (27)

https://www.familyecho.com/?p=START&c=jx4tc3o73z2l582z&f=703439927850474756

Timeline

1 AC – House Massey is of the first to support Aegon’s Conquest, Coren and Triston, brothers, fight at the Dragonlord’s side to Conqueror Westeros and swear fealty
5 AC – Beatrice begins her studies from tutors acquired by her father from Westeros and beyond.
8 AC – Following the death of the King, Triston Massey is named Master of Laws
14 AC – Arthur makes regular appearances in King’s Landing and begins to make his own circles and share and spread information.
15 AC – Triston Massey perishes in the Kingswood. Coren Massey would move permanently to the court of King’s Landing, vying for a seat on the Small Council, with no luck. In the same year, Beatrice takes his absence and begins to tutor and teach her own students within the lands of Stonedance in a variety of subjects.
18 AC – Beatrice is arranged to marry Dorin Sunglass, though the wedding is called off when he marries another, to her relief, and the chagrin of her family’s. Arina Waters is born.

Reddit: u/TrueRiverlandPatriot Discord: tea Name & House: Beck Bracken, House Bracken Age: 43 Cultural Group: Proud Riverlander, First Men Appearance: Beck is an aging man who the years have not been kind to. His brown hair is almost fully gray and his eyes are an unsettling mix: one blue, one brown. The Lord is carted around in a wheeled seat by servants for his leg was badly maimed in the battle against House Blackwood in 18 AC. Trait: Insidious Negative Trait: Maimed (bad leg) Skills: Devious (e), Espionage, Rumormonger, Sabotage Talents: Inspirational Speeches, Fishing x 2 Starting Titles: Lord of Stone Hedge, The Crippled Horse (from haters) Starting Location: King's Landing/Opening Feast
AC: Name & House: Dickon Bracken Age: 20 Cultural Group: Proud Riverlander, First Men Appearance: Dickon has the build of a warrior with a body well-formed and sturdy. Tall and athletic, he has brown eyes, his brown hair is worn short, and he is clean shaven. Trait: Agile Skills: THW (e, Greatsword), Brute Talents: Fishing x 3 Starting Titles: Heir to Stone Hedge Starting Location: King's Landing/Opening Feast

Detailed Timeline + Biography Details:

House Bracken are a fiercely proud Riverlands noble house. Beck Bracken is now a cripple, but he counts himself a leader of men, especially upon the topic of the Riverlands regaining their sovereignty. He seeks to bring the Riverlords together once again, as they were under House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest many years ago. Secretly, he also wants vengeance against House Blackwood for their many crimes, but also for Malwyn Blackwood's traitorous nature, which led to the eradication of House Tully.
18 BCE - Beck Bracken is born, the eldest son and heir to House Bracken.
17 BCE - Wyl Bracken, the spare is born.
15 BCE - Steffon Bracken, third born son, is born.
11 BCE - Perra Bracken, the only daughter of Lothar Bracken, is born.
8 BCE - Beck is sent to ward with the Vances of Wayfarer's Rest. During his time warding and squiring for the Vances, he meets and becomes fast friends with Willem Ryger.
1 AC - Beck's nephews, Benedict 'Ned' Bracken and Walton Bracken are born to his brothers, Steffon and Wyl, respectively.
4 AC - Lothar Bracken dies of natural causes. Beck becomes the Lord of Stone Hedge.
5 AC - Beck marries Sera Piper. Sera gives birth to Beck's first born son, Dickon Bracken, later that year.
6 AC - Perra Tully is betrothed to Olyvar Tully. Elmo Bracken, Beck's second son, is born.
7 AC - An Unfortunate Year for a Variety of Reasons

• Beck's twin daughters, Willow & Shiera are born.
• Beck discovers his best friend, Willem Ryger and his sister Perra are having a tryst. This ends the friendship between Beck and Willem.
• Before Beck can decide how to handle this situation, news comes that House Tully has been eradicated.
• Perra discovers she is pregnant and gives birth to Royce Rivers at the end of 7AC. Beck raises Royce with his own children.

10 AC - Beck's youngest son, Robb Bracken, is born.
18 AC - The Riverwar-Which-Never-Was

• A Blackwood vassal claims territory in the Bracken's land. Incensed, Beck sends his nephew, Walton Bracken to complain to Orys Baratheon in King's Landing, bearing the message that the Blackwoods should be made to halt their flagrant disregard for old treaties. Malwyn Blackwood insults Walton Bracken, resulting in a duel. Walton is killed, much to the dismay of House Bracken, who are immediately incensed by the murder.
• Beck and the Brackens gather a force of 200 men and burn down the manor of Malwyn Blackwood.
• The Blackwoods respond by wiping out two Bracken villages.
• Raids ensue between the Blackwoods and the Brackens both. It's bloody and ugly, a continuation of the Blackwood-Bracken feud in its truest form.
• To protect his family, Beck sends his wife and youngest three children to an undisclosed location to hide. Perra Bracken and her son, Royce, are sent off to King's Landing to hide.
• Beck stirs up and gathers the Riverlords, raising a host 20,000 men strong to fight with the Blackwoods and the North at the Battle of Red Fork. The re-emergence of the Riverlands as their own sovereign territory is incredibly important to Beck and he managed to convince some Riverlords to join his side for Riverlands sovereignty (while also painting the Blackwoods as traitors, including Malwyn Blackwood).
• Beck's leg is maimed, but he manages to kill the then-current Lord Blackwood.
• Before the Battle of Red Fork can begin in earnest after the duel between Beck and the former Lord Blackwood, Aelor Belaerys and Veraxes interrupt, causing the war to cease.
• Perra Bracken has a fling with Arthur Massey in King's Landing.
• Perra Bracken secretly gives birth to Arina Waters. The girl is given up to the Masseys to raise.
• Once the Riverwar ends, Perra returns to Stone Hedge with Royce Rivers.
• After the Riverwar-Which-Never-Was, Beck encourages the other Riverlords to continue to build their strength, for the day will come when Riverlands sovereignty - and the return of annexed lands - will come to fruition. Beck spends the years after the failed war plotting, attempting to grow especially close to House Belaerys in order to get a dragon on the side of the Riverlords.

20 AC - Wyl Bracken dies of natural causes. The title of Master of Arms of Stone Hedge is given to Steffon Bracken instead.
23 AC - At a tournament at Driftmark, Dickon Bracken meets Laena Velaryon and begins regularly sending love letters. Ned Bracken becomes a Kingsguard.

Family Tree

NPCs:

Steffon Bracken - Master of Arms - Lord Bracken's younger brother, father to Benedict 'Ned' Bracken
Dog - Cutthroat - No one knows his real name other than his moniker. His presence causes discomfort in the Bracken Household, but Lord Bracken likes to keep this cutthroat around for whatever tasks need doing.

Player Character

Summary

Reddit Account: silver-thorns
Discord Tag: Aeg
Name and House: Rhaenys Targaryen
Age: 50
Cultural Group: Valyrian (not Westosi, not Andalized, real shit)
Appearance: Silver-gold hair worn long and loose, purple eyes, slender body. Time doesn’t seem to have an effect on her appearance, no doubt due to her no seed oil diet.
Trait: Agile
Skill(s): Swords, Daggers, Duel Wielding (e), Dragonrider
Talent(s): Dancing, poetry, flying.
Negative Trait(s): Loves too much. (Not mechanical)
Starting Title(s): Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Lady of Summerhall, Mother of the Conqueror’s Heir, the Absent Queen, Wielder of Blackfyre, Rider of Meraxes
Starting Location: King’s Landing

Biography

Rhaenys was born on the island Dragonstone to Aerion Targaryen, Lord of Dragonstone, and his wife, Lady Valaena Velaryon. She had two older siblings: Visenya and Aegon. Although according to Valyrian marriage customs Aegon was expected to marry his eldest sister, Visenya, he took both his sisters to wife. People claimed that Aegon wed Visenya out of duty and Rhaenys out of desire. Prior to her wedding, Rhaenys became a dragonrider, having bonded with the dragon Meraxes.
She flew alongside her brother and sister over Blackwater Bay, to the site where there was nothing and landed with fewer than 2000 men. Upon the highest of three hills Aegon ordered the construction of a holdfast, the Aegonfort, as he held court in a tent. Rhaenys flew to Rosby and accepted their surrender and oath of loyalty for her brother.
After the first battle she watched as Visenya placed a circlet on her brother’s head and proclaimed him,

“Aegon, First of His Name, King of All Westeros, and Shield of His People!”

She knew then that her son would be king, for a brother she married for love could only father his heir on her.
As her sister went to the Vale and her brother and king went to Harrenhal, she marched south with Orys Baratheon. In the Last Storm, the Last Storm King offered a fierce defense of his lands, before the mighty Meraxes cut them all down to size and left the prize for Orys. She assured Argella Durrandon that Orys was a good man before flying off to join her brother.
Once again with a smaller army the Targaryens stood against the Lannisters and Gardeners and as their army faltered they descended on the Westerosi and sent them to paradise. For failing to yield, the Gardeners were replaced by the Tyrells as the Lannisters kept their seat and were named Wardens of the West.
Rhaenys stood to her brother’s right as the King Who Knelt said his words before they returned to the Aegonfort as Visenya integrated the Vale of Arryn and made the King Who Flew.
As the years passed Rhaenys remembered the words of Princess Meria when she rejected Aegon’s demand of submission, and flew south to parlay with the Princess time after time, knowing what her words did truly mean. Princess Meria opened a letter and heard her news.
For her husband she flew back to the Aegonfort and the beginning of the great city of King’s Landing before spending every last moment with her brother, until his very last, feeling the quickening child in her womb. She would never love another so, and she would never trust another like so. They said the Tullys were responsible for it, Visenya and Orys, but she knew better. Once she heard from Visenya of her own child on the way she knew that her sister would be able to do such a thing, and did.
Leaving the little Aenar on Dragonstone she flew, to this keep and that, present for every marriage and arranging others, making sure that her brother’s dream became his legacy. Of note among them, she arranged the marriage of her lady-in-waiting, Serena Stark, to marry the last King of the Vale. Aegon’s legacy became her focus, ensuring that a man like him took the throne next, and that he was the first King of the Seven Kingdoms, not the only one.
She found a new home, in Sunspear where Meria and Deria Martell welcomed her away from the eyes of court, so that she could have peace. When the Tarths, Estermonts, and Dornish decided to get rid of the pirates in the Stepstones, she flew. Between every arrow, bolt, and rock sent her way, she dodged and rained fire on the pirates. When the Stepstones had no other pirate, she asked to keep her eye on Highwatch and Princess Meria agreed.
When Zhoe Whitemane was discovered to be a dragonseed, a girl in the far north and on hearing the news, Rhaenys flew to meet her. There was no doubt in her mind that this girl was the blood of Valyria, and as such she took her atop Meraxes to Summerhall, where she played host to the girl. Zhoe would eventually tame Cannibal, the furious beast that he was. Rhaenys couldn’t help but smile when she heard the news and Summerhall remains open to Zhoe to this day.
After building her fabulous castle on Highwatch, which she named Summerhall, jokingly after the way she behaved in court, she brought little Aenar to raise him there. Where he might learn that while he may have been born in Westeros, his mother and father were Conquerors, dragonlords descended from Valyria, as he would one day be.
The child born of love not duty would sit the Iron Throne, with Astaraxes as his mount, and Rhaenys would make sure of it. For taking her seat away from court they called her “the Absent,” while she taught her son in peace what it meant to be a Conqueror,

what it meant to be a king.

In her palace of Summerhall, Rhaenys stewed in her worlds and made overtures to those who may not have a place in the Seven Kingdoms. Each year for a month she would invite any who wished to Summerhall, and host a series of parties, where the eccentricities of all those who attended were forgotten at the end of the month and everyone went their own way. When Rhaenys placed her order for wine with the Redwynes, the shipments would take days to arrive as more extreme substances from Essos were ordered months ahead. Prior to their beginning, Rhaenys would send Aenar and Naerys away as they were not the appropriate place for children. At the beginning of the parties, all attendees would be informed that if word of what they had seen was spread, they would be paid a visit by the jaw of Meraxes.
As Aenar is ready to turn eight-and-ten, Rhaenys is ready for what is to come next. To have him take his place as his father’s heir.

Timeline

• 25 BC: Rhaenys is born to Aerion Targaryen, the youngest of three siblings.
  
• 9 BC: Rhaenys bonds with and rides Meraxes. She will spend more time atop Meraxes than Aegon or Visenya combined.
  
• 7 BC: Rhaenys is married to Aegon upon turning eighteen, at request of both Aegon and Rhaenys.
  
• 3 BC: Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys depart Dragonstone to begin the conquest of the Seven Kingdoms.
  
• 1 AC: Aegon is crowned in Oldtown.
  
• 7 AC: Aegon is killed, Rhaenys finds out she is pregnant and gives birth to Aenar Targaryen.
  
• 9 AC: Rhaenys secludes herself in Sunspear for months.
  
• 12 AC: The War in the Stepstones begins.
  
• 14 AC: Rhaenys adopts a dragonseed who is discovered in an orphanage in Dorne. She treats Naerys as if she were her own.
  
• 16 AC: Dorne officially joins the Seven Kingdoms, Rhaenys asks for and is granted Highwatch where she builds Summerhall.
  
• 18 AC: Annual parties begin at Summerhall, they last for one month with the intention of giving a space for those who have none.
  
• 25 AC: Present.
  

Family Tree

Supporting Characters

• Laena Qhaedar - Builder - Laena’s parents moved from Volantis to Dragonstone, wishing to remain near the only remaining dragonlords. Laena has been Rhaenys’ friend since they were young girls. Currently the Keeper of the Library of Summerhall, a meaningless title.
  
• Unnamed Man - Magnate - A close friend of Rhaenys for years who does not take his mask off outside of the company of Rhaenys’ children, Laena Qhaedar, and Rhaenys herself. He is known for having a shrewd mind. His lilac eyes and silver hair make it hard to doubt whether he is of Valyrian origin.
  

Auxiliary Character

Summary

Name and House: Aenar Targaryen
Age: 18 (sorta y’all know the deal)
Cultural Group: Valyrian
Appearance: Silver gold hair brushed to one side and worn below his shoulders, purple eyes, a ‘twinkish’ body. Full lips and high cheekbones have many questioning whether he is on a low dose of Lyseni potion.
Trait: Insidious
Skill(s): Espionage (e), Dragonrider
Talent(s): Petting Astaraxes, handwriting, plucking body hair.
Negative Trait(s): Too perfect. (Not mechanical)
Starting Title(s): King of the Seven Kingdoms (contested and under regency), Prince of the Seven Kingdoms (contested), Heir of the Conqueror, Bonded to Meraxes
Starting Location: King’s Landing

Biography

The circumstances of Aenar’s birth can best be described as strange. Born the same day and nearly same hour as his half-sibling, from mothers married to a man dead for months. Some have proclaimed that Aenar has been a king since birth, others yet still state that he is the heir to his older half-sibling.
Taken to Dragonstone and left there by his mother, Aenar did not see her but for a few days at a time in his early life, as she attended to matters of the realm, or so he was told. It was still difficult to not have a mother, and be raised by wetnurses and maesters.
Once Summerhall was built, his mother brought Aenar to it where she began to form a bond with the boy and taught him what it meant to be Valyrian. Though the transition from one faith to another was not an easy one, it did mean that Aenar did not need to openly worship the gods of his ancestors, and could pretend to be one of the faithful.
As he grew up and the visitors to Summerhall came and went, he would often work with one or two to ask for letters back should they hear anything interesting, this eventually resulting in gold exchanged for such arrangements as he grew older.
At four-and-ten, Aenar’s egg hatched, who he named Astaraxes after one of the minor deities of Valyria. The little creature and Aenar bonded quickly, never truly far from one another.

Timeline

• 7 AC: Born and left at Dragonstone.
  
• 17 AC: Aenar joins his mother in Summerhall.
  
• 21 AC: Hatches and bonds with Astaraxes.