Ravenaelwood

The Golden Wyrm: Westerosi Political Alignments

Since the next few chapters would unfold with such ferocious, whiplash-inducing escalation that it could leave an unprepared reader clutching their phone in disbelief, I’ve made the decision—out of sheer humanitarian concern, mind you—to create infographics. These would lay out, in detail, the rapidly evolved state of the politics in Westeros.

Mild Spoilers Ahead.

P.S.: The map only highlights the major players in this Dance. Other individuals have been inte...

Chapter Nineteen

A.N.: The Chapter is complete now. Sorry, it took so long. This week's writer's block was robust. Chapter 20 and Interlude will be posted in the next five minutes.

Chapter Nineteen

"Fear is the mind-killer. It is the little-death that brings total obliteration."

―Muad'Dib

…

The grey skies above Riverrun wept with a gentle drizzle, a fitting accompaniment to the solemn gathering in the godswood. The air carried the faint tang of we...

TGW: Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

"The forms of treachery are always triangular, three-sided affairs that move through innocence toward the strongest point."

―Muad'Dib

…

The room smelled of blood and sweat and fear.

Though a fire roared in the hearth, its warmth was feeble against the chill that seeped into the ancient stones of Dragonstone’s walls. Shadows leapt and writhed on faded tapestries as the midwives bustled about, their faces pale, dr...

TGW: Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

"The power to destroy a thing is the absolute control over it."

―Muad'Dib

…

The descent to Dragonstone was, in Aemond’s estimation, an exercise in the futility of theatricality.  Perched upon the saddle of Vhagar, he regarded the fortress below, smoke rising faintly from fissures in the rock, the wind carrying the sulfurous tang of its volcanic heart.

Vhagar’s shadow, vast and ominous, had stretched acro...

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

It occurred to me just now, quite suddenly and with no small amount of incredulity, that I’ve somehow written over 100,000 words since the last time I checked in here. I don’t know how I managed it, and I’m fairly certain I didn’t actually manage it, but the words exist now, and there’s no one left to blame.

The backlog for TSA? Half-finished, naturally, because actually finishing things is for people with fewer distractions and no fascination for half-finished things. But we�...

TSA: INTERLUDE: Sabotage 

INTERLUDE: Sabotage 

Ricos, 5th Moon, 6th Day, 1624 Symfora Telos

The alehouse was dimly lit, its rafters heavy with smoke from the hearth and the thick haze of pipeweed. The murmur of conversation ebbed and flowed, punctuated by the occasional laugh or the clink of tankards. Ser Justin sat at a corner table, his cloak drawn tight against the chill that seemed to seep into the walls. Before him, a half-empty cup of ale rested on the scarre...

TSA: Chapter Forty: Deployment

Chapter Forty: Deployment

Faywyn, 5th Moon, 1st Day, 1624 Symfora Telos

The keep stirred with an energy that Princess Iris had not felt since Levi’s return from his battle with the Lion. The air buzzed with hurried footsteps and muted voices, servants scurrying about with lowered heads and whispered instructions. Through the narrow window of her chamber, Iris could see men gathering in the yard below, their movements brisk and purposeful. The...

TSA: Chapter Thirty-Nine: Vanguard

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Vanguard

The conquest of a bastioned keep is an intricate dance of strategy, patience, and calculated ferocity. These fortifications, with their angled walls and protruding bastions, are designed to deflect both projectiles and direct assaults, presenting formidable challenges to any besieger. Yet, history has shown that no fortress is impervious to ingenuity and persistence.

To begin, understanding the terrain is paramount. A keep often derives its strength...

TSA: Chapter Thirty-Eight: Audit

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Audit

Rasselane - Tequila, 4th Moon, 20th Day, 1624 Symfora Telos

The brig slid into the bustling port of Rasselane under a sky heavy with pale clouds, its sails furled and its oars cutting the water with measured precision. The city loomed ahead, a labyrinth of stone and timber clinging to the edges of the harbour. Its quays were a chaos of movement and sound: fishmongers shouting their wares, dockhands cursing as they ha...

TSA: Chapter Thirty-Seven: Merit’s Due

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Merit’s Due

Faywyn 4th Moon, 27th Day, 1624 Symfora Telos

The sun had not yet crested the distant hills, though the pale grey of dawn had begun its slow, inevitable creep across the heavens. A low mist clung to the earth, beading on the grass and the rough wood of the tents that still lined the trampled fields outside the town. The banners of the von Grifenburgs fluttered faintly in the breeze, their snapping the only so...

TSA: Chapter Thirty-Six: Evolving Priorities 

Chapter Thirty-Six: Evolving Priorities 

Faywyn, 4th Moon, 25th Day, 1624 Symfora Telos

The Grand Hall of Faywyn Keep was dimly lit, the morning’s light filtering through narrow, high-set windows. Candles flickered in iron sconces, their glow casting elongated shadows across the polished stone floor. At the centre of the hall stood Madam Eliza. Today, she wore a long cloak of deep blue, the hood pulled back to reveal silver-streaked hair...

TSA: Chapter Thirty-Five: Steam

Chapter Thirty-Five: Steam

• April 14th

James is a strange kid, but in the good way, you know? Quiet as a mouse most days, but his eyes—they don’t miss a thing. Been three months since he came here, though it feels longer. Not in a bad way. It’s just that he fits, like he’s been here all along, which is something, considering where he came from.

City boy on a farm—who’d have thought he’d take to it? But he has. Yester...

TSA: Chapter Thirty-Four: Bounty

Chapter Thirty-Four: Bounty

Wirborough, 4th Moon, 16th Day, 1624 Symfora Telos

The alehouse was dim, its low, sagging rafters barely visible through the haze of smoke. The air was thick with the mingled stench of stale beer, sweat, and unwashed bodies. Sean kept to a shadowed corner, his back pressed against the wall. A threadbare shawl draped over his head and shoulders, its frayed edges obscuring his face. Though his hood concealed him well, ...

TSA: Chapter Thirty-Three: Enemy of My Enemy

Chapter Thirty-Three: Enemy of My Enemy

…The Algrian Mountain Hound is a medium-sized, strong, and agile hunting dog with a slightly elongated body and a sturdy, elegant build. Its head is well-proportioned, with a broad, slightly domed skull, a curved nosebridge, and strong jaws. The ears are high-set, medium in length, and rounded at the tips, hanging close to the head. Its neck is muscular with a slight dewlap, and its topline slopes gently upward toward the hindquarters. The tai...

TSA: Chapter Thirty-Two: Consolidating

Chapter Thirty-Two: Consolidating

"A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon."

…

—Napoleon Bonaparte

✥✥✥

Faywyn, 4th Moon, 16th Day, 1624 Symfora Telos

Light streamed into the Grand Hall through the narrow windows in thin shafts, illuminating dust motes that floated lazily above the oak table—a table old as the Keep itself, carved from a single tree felled before the von Grifenb...

TSA: Chapter Thirty-One: Funeral

Chapter Thirty-One: Funeral

"Men march to war at the whims of lords, but it is not lords who fill the graves. The farmer with his plough, the mason with his chisel—these are the ones who die, their dreams trampled beneath the boots of ambition."

…

—Unknown

✥✥✥

Faywyn, 4th Moon, 15th Day, 1624 Symfora Telos

It had been many days since Levi rode through the streets of Faywyn in triumph, his banners sna...

TSA(For TGW Readers)

The Sanguine Arts rewritten for readers who find the writing style I use for the Golden Wyrm more enjoyable.

OBD: Chapter Forty: Truce

Chapter Forty: Truce

The world around Fugaku swirled briefly in the disorienting blur of Kamui’s warped dimension, the tangible weight of reality taking a moment longer than usual to reassert itself. Itachi stood beside him, unfazed by the transition, his face still masked in the coldness of their shared purpose. Fugaku felt the sharp pull of his body settling back into the familiar discomfort of the real world, the air heavy with the scent of blood and smoke.

Itachi removed t...

OBD: Chapter Thirty-Nine: Massacre

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Massacre

The air smelled of smoke, of scorched earth and old blood. Fugaku stood unmoving in the wreckage, his Sharingan burning in his skull, reflecting the assembled forms of the six Paths. His mind was focused, calm, the world stretching itself thin under the weight of his attention.

The first to move was the Deva Path, its hand rising with the familiar, terrifying pull of gravitational force. Fugaku felt the air shift, the pressure building behind him. B...

OBD: Chapter Thirty-Eight: Death Dance

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Death Dance

Fugaku Uchiha’s gaze remained fixed, unwavering, as the dust and smoke of battle hung heavy in the air. His fingers were relaxed by his side, ready to weave the next sequence of seals, his Sharingan flickering in anticipation. Before him, Obito Uchiha stood—bloodied and ragged, a mere shell of the man he once was. The rogue Uchiha's body was battered from their exchange, the mask he wore even more cracked and warped with the marks of battle.

OBD: Chapter Thirty-Seven: Severely Outmatched

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Severely Outmatched

The night lay heavy over the Uchiha District. It was a silence like the weight of death itself, pressing down. Fugaku stood at the threshold, hands folded at his back, eyes fixed on the dark horizon. His son stood beside him, unmoving. Neither spoke. The stillness was thick, a waiting thing, its edges sharp. They had been here for too long. Time had already begun to warp, bend, its passage uncertain.

The air was damp, laden with the scen...

OBD: Chapter Thirty-Six: Breaking and Entering

Chapter Thirty-Six: Breaking and Entering

Danzo stood before an old, familiar mirror, his hands brushing over the weathered surface of his armour. The cold metal was as familiar to him as his own skin. The room was dim, lit only by a single lamp flickering weakly on a wooden desk. The creaking sound of his joints, as he donned the armour, was the only noise in the room, yet it seemed louder than any words could be.

But Danzo’s mind was elsewhere, racing through plans and conti...

OBD: Chapter Thirty-Five: Changing the Status Quo

Chapter Thirty-Five: Changing the Status Quo

The road to Konoha was eerily quiet, save for the soft crunch of leaves underfoot and the distant murmur of wind weaving through the trees. Jiraiya’s gaze lingered on the familiar silhouette of the village ahead, though it bore little resemblance to the Konoha he remembered. The sprawl of rooftops and walls looked unchanged, but the air—even from this distance—felt heavy, oppressive.

“Still standing,” Jiraiya muttered, more ...

OBD: Chapter Thirty-Four: Converging Evils

Chapter Thirty-Four: Converging Evils

The room was silent, save for the soft scratching of Danzo Shimura’s pen against paper. The reports before him painted a grim picture: Probes here, skirmishes there—small incursions that revealed unsettling flaws in their defences. The enemy’s foothold in captured territories was tightening, and while the frontline appeared tame for what was an outright war between two great villages, intelligence suspects a build-up of forces just beyond th...

TGW: Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

"Power resides where men believe it resides. It's a trick, a shadow on the wall, and a very small man can cast a very large shadow."

―Varys

…

The morning sun, though barely risen, cast an unwelcome brightness upon the chambers of Prince Aegon. Its light seeped through the heavy curtains as if conspiring with the voices outside, which murmured with increasing urgency. Aegon, still buried beneath a mound of blankets, groan...

TGW: Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

"The gods have yet to make a man who lacks the patience for absolute power."

―Otto Hightower

…

The rain fell steadily against the windows of Otto Hightower’s chambers, a persistent patter that accompanied the deep quiet of the hour. The Hand of the King, ever a picture of industrious diligence, was seated at his desk, his spectacles perched upon his nose as he perused yet another parchment. Though his face bore the mar...

TGW: Timeline of Current Events

Timeline of events following Aemond's departure to the North​

• Rhaenyra visits Rhaenys and returns to Dragonstone after failing to win her support

• Aemond arrives at Oldtown to get Dearon

• Aemond arrives at the Eyrie and then leaves for the North(he is there for more than five weeks)

• Malentine Velaryon returns to Driftmark around this time

• The Dragonseeds are introduced around this time

• Otto is visited b...

  2024-12-03 13:23:33 +0000 UTC View Post

Update: 12/3/2024

Sorry about the delay. Was having a bit of writer's block, so I took two days off to reread OBD in preparation for the next chapters. Chapter Fifteen of The Golden Wyrm would be up in a few hours once I succeed in wrestling down the prose to my satisfaction.

After that, there would be a brief interlude between updates that would see me upload chapters for OBD and TSA(perhaps Metamorphosis/NFF if I can squeeze it in). The interlude would only be for five days, during which I would upload...

TGW: Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

"The house that puts family first will always defeat the house that puts the whims and wishes of its sons and daughters first."

―Tywin Lannister

…

The sun rose red and swollen over King’s Landing as Rhaenys Targaryen soared towards the city atop her dragon, Meleys. The copper-scaled beast moved with a grace that belied her age, her wings casting long shadows over the muddy streets below. Beside them, the silver-grey f...

TGW: Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

"Any man who must say, 'I am the king,' is no true king."

―Tywin Lannister

…

Aemond's return to King’s Landing was unannounced, a mere ripple against the backdrop of daily life, but the currents of his presence were deeply felt. Vhagar’s wings stirred a wind that swept through the hills outside the city, heralding the prince’s arrival as the ancient beast touched down beyond the walls. The prince dismounted, his m...