#Jordaynes of the Tor

[wolven-maw]

best thing about ASOIAF is all the fantasy references that martin puts in there

[lady-phasma]

House Jordayne of the Tor ❁︎ Dorne

[horizon-verizon]

This had been bothering me for awhile but I only now stumbled into this by accident. Certain people love to whine that Rhaenyra is a "hypocrite" for not forcibly instituting realm-wide genderless succession. They favour the line "this isn't Dorne" and then claim that she's a bad person for not making it into Dorne, while pretending that they wouldn't call her reckless or tyrannical if she'd tried to do so.

Of course (at least, people should see it as "of course"), that simply wouldn't work. Not just because it would be unprecedented for the Crown to enforce their own rules of succession, but also because you just cannot implement an involuntary system like that in a patriarchal society. If you left it uncertain, enforcing it on a case-by-case basis upon Houses that did not agree to it, you create uncertainty from which countless succession crises will occur after the head of house dies without naming the daughter over the younger son. If you implement it on a universal basis, you pretty much guarantee mass rebellions in a realm like Westeros. Those were the concerns of the Black council. But there's yet another. Even if the Crown had the power to enforce genderless succession, to squash or dissuade rebellion, you're left with yet another inevitability that we have seen in real life when you tell families in a patriarchal society that their legacy might be reduced to only a daughter.

In my opinion, there is no "realistic" way to write a change like that going through, being forced through in Westeros that doesn't result in mass infanticide and abandonment of first-born girls. And that's on top of the rebellions.

And this whole time I've been assuming that "Dornish" genderless succession was either a world-building error on GRRM's part, or something he meant to clarify or flesh out later on (misunderstanding or not, Arianne's worries must have had a deeper, environmental foundation after all). Because it's been so long since I read the books cover-to-cover (between GoT seasons 6&7 do NOT make me think about the year and time passing) I suppose I might have just let "fanon" shape my view of it. Because there IS a very widespread assertation, one that's gotten very loud as of late (very interesting how one "other" is so often used to tear down the worse "other." For another time though.) that all of Dorne somehow has embraced genderless succession and this is of course for some reason mostly brought up to argue about how Rhaenyra is a bad person for wanting to be the special exception, or how House Targaryen is bad for wanting to be the special exception in this regard.

But these are GRRM's words.

A ruling princess of Dorne would =not= take the name of her consort. And some of the major Dornish lordlings also follow this custom, in imitation of the ruling house.

And this is why before diving in further to a Targ-Martell comparison I ask you, resident expert in remembering and cataloging all those kinds of details, if there's some line in the main series outright contradicting this. Because if not, I'm pretty sure House Martell made itself a special exception. That the genderless succession they follow is the exception and not the rule even in Dorne. And by making themselves a special exception, they ended up setting an example that some houses follow on a voluntary basis.

And for some reason... no one is whining about it. 🤔

No, it is true other houses in Dorne have female heads and heirs before/during the main series timewise and thus practice absolute primogenture:

Delonne Allyrion, the Lady of Godsgrace (heir = Ryon, male) [current]

Larra Blackmont, Lady of Blackmount (heir = Jynessa, female) [current]

Clarisse Dayne, the Lady of Starfall [Maegor I's reign]

Myria Jordayne, heir of the current lord Trebor Jordayne of the Tor

So yes, some Dornish houses do practice absolute primogeniture and the Martells are not an "exception". It's not ubiquitous nor is it rare or uncommon. Nymeria had her warrior women marry many pre-Nymeria Conquest Andal-Dornish lords as well as shared Rhoynar metal and customs that over time simply reshaped a lot of Dorne forever; the northmost Dornish tend to be "less" Rhoynar in custom or practices, but apparently the non-Dornish marcher lords still see them as Other and gripe about their accents a lot. The northenmost Dornish are called "stony" by Daeron I, and tend to have members who can be lighter in ski and hair than other Dornishmen. Same trend for absolute primogeniture, though yes, much less specific bc George doesn't really get into Dorne aside for the Martells, Arianne, Dorna, and the Sand Snakes/Areo Hotah.

[devanitoland]

closed starter for @savijordayne

was it her brightest idea to invite savita jordayne into toland lands? perhaps, but devani was no stranger to following her whims. if her gut told her to do something, she listened to it - and though she entirely expected savita to turn down her invitation, she had not. devi brought her not to the castle of ghost hill, nor any of the other keeps that lay in the hills. instead, she brought her to the village, where the smallfolk lived and worked. aditya toland was a rare sight for the people of the hills, but devani was not.

"like this," she explained, slowing down the movements of her fingers to demonstrate the best way to weave the tough leaves before them into a basket. it was a trade many of the women of the village had learned at their mother's knee, and they gathered together, trading gossip and song whilst they worked. "there you go. under then over, it'll all come together in the end."

it was not an activity chosen at random. devani had found people often talked more freely when their hands moved, the repetitive movements in themselves therapeutic. she didn't particularly need savita to talk to her - but if she wanted to, she would not stop her, would listen to what she had to say.

"do you spend much time amongst the smallfolk in the tor?" she decided not to jump straight to the elephant in the room, rather, leading with small talk. small steps. "i didn't much, before i left dorne, but i suppose i developed a taste for it in essos. didn't have much choice, mind you, given that i was pretending to be one of the smallfolk."

[danceofdragonsrphq]

as we are quickly approaching our fourth (!!!!) year together as a group, the admin team at dance of dragons are super excited to announce there are multiple important & juicy connections that have been opened up / created. we've had some changes here recently in regard to family trees, especially in the run up to season 2 of hotd coming up! (which...ps...we watch together every sunday night it airs thanks to admin quen and kosmi! join us for that and live reactions) dance of dragons rp is set four years, in 144AC, after the end of our AU version of the dance of dragons, which lasted ten years in our verse. all the kingdoms have become independent, with two main exceptions: the stormlands bow to a targaryen king in kings landing, and the iron islands were buried under the revenge of the westerlands and the reach for thousands of years of sacking.

hit up our wanted connections page, or skim over some of our most exciting below:

princes:

youngest prince of house stark, 26 - brother of king owen stark.

green targaryen prince, son of prince daeron targaryen, 25-17 - cousin to king jaehaerys targaryen (green)

black targaryen prince of dragonstone, son of daemon i and rhaenyra, 27-28 - cousin to king jaehaerys targaryen (green) and brother of the former king, daemon ii, murdered in year 141ac.

princesses:

two martell princesses under the age of 31, sisters to prince regent ravi martell and aunts to ruling princess leila of house martell.

tully princess, 26-30, sister to queen iona and prince casimir of house tully.

green targaryen princess: 29, twin sister of king jaehaerys targaryen,

black targaryen princess of dragonstone, daughter of daemon i and rhaenyra, 25-28: cousin to king jaehaerys targaryen (green) and brother of the former king, daemon ii, murdered in year 141ac.

lords:

lord tyrell, cousin of king cedric of house tyrell and brother of lady matilda of house tyrell, 32-29 - has lore.

lord fowler, brother of lady ophelia fowler recently turned allyrion, 27-33

lord manwoody, lord of kingsgrave: rightful regent of kingsgrave - has lore.

lord serrett, ruling lord of silverhill, master of coin of king tyland lannister, 34-36 - has lore (involved in the rains of castamere and the wiping out of house reyne and tarbeck)

ladies:

two black targaryen ladies of dragonstone, daughters of daemon i and lady laena velaryon, 33-29 - half siblings of the prince and princess of dragonstone, cousins of king jaehaerys targaryen

lady jordayne of the tor, 25-28, younger sister of ruling lady safeerah jordayne and former ruling lord, rashid jordayne - has lore.

lady blackbar, wife of lord kieran blackbar, mother of 8 girls (cat i am still cackling at this)

lady manwoody, lady of kingsgrave: rightful regent of kingsgrave - has lore.

bastards:

bastard of daemon targaryen and nettles, living undercover in the vale of arryn

ser waters, allegedly the bastard of prince aemond targaryen and alys rivers

[scfeerah]

starter: @savijordayne setting: the gardens of the tor during the beginnings of the new valyria-dorne war.

safeerah had been looking for her little sister for the past hour before she thought to check the gardens. the calming sound of running water filled the vibrant garden with vases and plants of every colour. it was her favourite place to retreat to. she spotted savita walking through the rows of small fruit trees.

“there you are, savi.”

the ruling lady had an uncharacteristic seriousness about her this afternoon. the war she had feared would follow the conflict had happened, and it meant that decisions that weighed heavy on her heart had to be made. she wanted to give her sister assurances that the trial would still take place soon, but she knew that recent developments were likely to delay it further. that very morning, she had drawn up plans for the men that house jordayne would contribute with. none of them could afford to sit back and do nothing. no matter how against the war she was, she would not shirk house jordayne's duties to dorne.

she fell into step with her sister and took her arm. “i hope mother was up in time to eat breakfast with you.” some mornings their mother stayed in her apartments, it were usually the days when her grief seemed the heaviest. she hoped that this morning was not one of them. safeerah always tried to be there for her sister and mother, but sometimes she had came up short. “the soldiers will leave for the marches in a few days. preparations have begun this morning.” house jordayne would be better fit to fight on the water, and so she had also given the orders to prepare ships and soldiers for battle. she did not suspect the valyrian and stormlords would stick to land. “i have invited the shipmasters for a small feast tomorrow. i hope you will attend as well, but i cannot promise it will be much fun.”

[myriamas]

who: @dancingshores when and where: semi-flashback thread to a day following the news reaching from volantis, regarding the murder of lord rashid jordayne, ruling lord of the tor. myriam remained within the grand domed throne room after receiving the princess loreza martell from the tor, recently widowed. the departing foot steps of her good sister brought an end to the audience session which remained heavy, and she tried hard not to focusing on the retreating figure of the sword of the morning alongside the bloodroyal - no doubt both needing a moment with one another.

there was a certain sense of heavy grief which lingered in the halls of sunspear: the mournful flutes announcing the arrival of their princess. something about her arrival made the entire thing far more real, as though there was no way this could ever be explained as some mistranslation or misunderstanding that had suddenly become all too real. and she remained within the chair upon the dias, her eyes looking upward to the mosaic tiles on the golden dome above her, that would be seen from all of angles of sunspear; and she exhaled, in the way she had been taught to breath when she was bordering feeling overwhelmed. because the murder of rashid jordayne was as tragic as it was horrific; it was all too clear that one of their own, one who had a bright future and would have a great deal left to do in the world, had been taken from them too soon.

she did not know rashid jordayne as personally as some others in the room would have done, but she felt the severity of the matter. this was not merely anyone. he would never be, merely anyone.

and the hardest of all was perhaps needing to remain neutral before the eyes of the court of sunspear as the sword of the morning announced his departure to her, lowering his gaze momentarily; she would not see him break in his stoic nature, not here of all places. and yet, she understood that due to the differences in their duty, she needed to watch him leave the grand hall alone: after looking in the face of the woman he had intended to start a family with. there was no way she could rise from the throne of dorne to comfort him; she needed to remain in such a position, still clad in silks of white. one more month until she could once again remove such shades from the figure of her body. as the figure of the sword of the morning retreated, she heard the sounds of anklets chiming; quieter than the ones she wore, ones that almost sounded like water.

her kohl lined gaze fell upon the court seer, who seemed to be rooted all to heavily to the ground in this moment: it were obvious to see the pain etched upon every inch of her expression. the tears that filled her gaze swam within wide, doe-like orbs that were usually filled with mischief and life itself; such a thing looked strangely wrong upon her. the sight of zahra in such a state was easily enough to make her rise to her feet, an instinct in her gut that made her wish not to allow the woman to leave alone in such a state. one that was clearly a person desperately trying to hold it in, before bursting at the seams. the kite of salt shore had been caught in the most tragic of storms, it seemed.

"one moment, zahra." myriam called, though her voice was soft, as though she did not wish to startle the woman. she approached her, ensuring her body language made it clear she was not planning on overwhelming or smothering her. "you need not have to walk through the halls in such a way. we can stay, and sit on the steps." myriam did not like anyone seeing her cry - and she always cried in the aftermath of seeing red. myriam quietly lifted the bottom of her skirts as she sat on the steps leading up the throne of door, patting the space beside her. "it is not the comfiest, but allow me to stay with you for a while, and then i shall go when i am due to speak to lord uller." she not specify which one.

[isefyres-archive]

𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐄.

Prince Oberyn Martell. Brother of Prince Doran and Princess Elia. Known as the Red Vyper, Oberyn is obsessed with bringing justice to what happened to his sister during the Rebellion.

Princess Elia Martell. Married to Rhaegar Targaryen, Elia died during the Rebellion after being put aside by her husband. Elia and her children perished in the last days of the Rebellion.

Prince Trystane Martell. The youngest son of Prince Doran, and the bethroded to Princess Myrcella Baratheon. Trystane is kind and generous, only showing fighting spirit when he must.

Princess Arianne Martell. The eldest daughter of Doran and his heir. Arianne is a guidance to Princess Myrcella. Seductive and scheming, Arianne wants her father to see her value as heir and wants Myrcella to be seen as the same.

𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋.

Lord Gwayne Dayne. Lord of Starfall and father of Edric Dayne. Gwayne is currently in the Water Gardens and is part of Princess Arianne's protection as she travels to meet the supposed Aegon who survived.

Ser Arthur Dayne. The Sword of the Morning, a kingsguard of King Aerys II and protector of Prince Rhaegar. Ser Arthur helps the prince take Lyanna Stark and eventually dies at the Tower of Joy protecting the newborn son of his lost friend.

Lady Ashara Dayne. The Lady with the Laughing Eyes. Ashara is regarded as one of the most beautiful women in the realm. A lady for Princess Elia, she falls for Ned Stark during the Harrenhal tournament and thinking they will wed, the two sleep together. Ashara eventually dies after the Rebellion, after seeing Ned one last time.

Lady Regent Allyria Dayne. Youngest sister of Arthur and Ashara and Gwayne. Allyria is Regent of Starfall and tutor to her young nephew and heir to Starfall, Edric Dayne. Allyria is fiercely loyal and adamant that her sister Ashara and Lord Ned Stark were in love, even suggesting the name Ned as nickname for her nephew.

𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐐𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐘𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄.

Arron Qorgyle. is a knight of House Qorgyle, the second son of Lord Quentyn Qorgyle of Sandstone. Arron is one of Prince Oberyn's Squires that accompanies him to King's Landing when he is to take a seat at the council.

Quira Qorgyle. Third daughter of Lord Quentyn. Quira is known for having heterchromia, two eyes of different colors, some say it's a sign of goodwill or witchcraft. Either way, Quira was a lady for Princess Arianne, however, often resenting how close she was with Ser Damon Sand. She grows close to Princess Myrcella.

𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒.

Lady Valena Toland. Valena Toland is the eldest daughter of the Lady Nymella Toland of Ghost Hill. Valena greets Princess Arianne Martell and her companions when they arrive at Ghost Hill. She is the heir of Ghost Hill.

Lady Jynessa Blackmont. She is the eldest child and heir of Larra Blackmont, the Lady of Blackmont. Jynessa, accompanied by her mother and brother, are a part of the escort that accompanies Prince Oberyn Martell to King's Landing when he comes to claim his seat on the small council.

Lady Jayne Ladybright. is Dornish noblewoman from House Ladybright. She is the niece of Alyse Ladybright. Jayne accompanies Princess Arianne Martell on her mission to meet Jon Connington in the Stormlands.

Lady Elenor Tyrell. Elenor's mother is a woman from House Dalt of Lemonwood. With her mother deceased and Deziel Dalt's brother and heir away in exile, there is rumors she is to be send to Dorne to become the new lady of Lemonwood.

Lady Myria Jordayne. is a member of House Jordayne and the daughter and heir of Lord Trebor Jordayne of the Tor. She is the current heir. Myria is part of the escort that accompanies Prince Oberyn Martell to King's Landing.

[ladystarksneedle]

ooh I saw we were doing asks so what would be your ideal obscure house in westeros .... excluding any of the great houses, velaryon and hightower!! (Sorry cant make it too easy. Answer at your convenience m'lady, 💕 and 💋)

Greetings my lady 💋💋!

Thank you for your ask💕. To be honest I'm a total noob at asoiaf so I had to go through their wiki to search for houses and I narrowed it down to two.

1. House Ambrose of the Reach

Their slogan: Never Resting looks so unique, along with the lines of ants it kind of symbolises tenacity which would be a good quality to strive for as a house, very much like a never give up motto. I think it also signifies striving to achieve things people might think you're incapable of and proving them wrong. A very underdog succeeds thing and I love it.

I'd also love to live in the Reach, surrounded by the lush fields and green gardens so that's a bonus.

2. House Jordayne of Dorne

Again I love their slogan. They seem academically inclined, are one of the principal noble houses there plus Tor is located overlooking the southern Dornish sea, very picturesque. A well to do family, a fine castle and a poetic motto, count me in!

[armaans]

who: @nylajordayne where: the wedding of cedric tyrell and lady illya oakheart. it is important to note this is set following the interaction between lord armaan yronwood and zahra sand.

he could feel her eyes on him; like daggers, only tainted with naivety and a spoiled nature that would have made him laugh at her if they were years younger. and the easiest way to deal with nyla jordayne was to ignore her; it was something he had picked up on years ago upon a visit to the tor, where she would often suddenly be lingering in his presence as he spent time with her brother. it felt like a lifetime ago, where so many things were different and yet somehow remained the same all at once.

he made no reaction to the obvious feeling of her gaze upon him, almost as though she expected him to look up and ask her what was the matter, whatever reason could she be upset with him. only, the fact of the matter was armaan yronwood was not rashid jordayne, the only man in existence who was willing to put up with such things. he continued to ignore her throughout the night, though he noted how her body seemed to become closer to his own after each dance.

as though she were planning for the perfect moment to catch him. he would not give it to her; finding amusement in watching her become increasingly irritated with missing her chances to speak with him.

he walked away from her when she was in conversation with another dornish woman, almost taunting in the way she were so close to catching him and saying whatever it was she needed to so desperately say. he continued to not even look in her direction, even though he could hear her voice and her conversation: it was only when they were sat feasting did he come forward and take the seat directly opposite her. his movement was silent, slipping his overcoat off, still not saying anything to her.

"what's your issue now?" he asked, his voice blunt as he set his hand down upon the table, fixing his dark gaze directly upon her. "speak up."

[lorczamartell]

following an agreement made by the PRINCE MORS MARTELL and LORD RASHID JORDAYNE during the storming of the tor, the PRINCESS LOREZA MARTELL and LORD RASHID JORDAYNE have been betrothed. this agreement secured martell forces to be used in retaking the lord’s lands by a pretender.

@shukrsabrrs

[imaginarianisms]

❝Ah... dear Ser Desmond...? Are you sure that you're faring well?❞ Helaena's voice pipes up softly and quietly as she struggles to stand on her two feet after not having eaten for a day and borderline staggering as she does so, her long moonglow tresses cascading down her shoulderblades in a disheveled tangled mess. Her throat hurts just from speaking with how much she'd been screaming in the last two days and the funeral pyre for Prince Jaehaerys hadn't made it any easier, either. Dreamfyre had finally brought him peace and she'd sewn Jaehaerys' funeral shroud herself to keep her son warm and comforted in the coldness of death to accompany him. That was the only thing she could do for him now. The coolness of her moon earrings against the flesh of her neck, the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes once more and the way @sevynhells falls to his knees brought her back from her reverie. This castle reeked of death and dripping blood still even days afterward to her horror. The Red Keep had always thirsted for blood and tears from its creation.

With a clank of armor, Ser Desmond Jordayne was on his knees, and it dawned on her that he was crying. Her heart sank into her chest and into the depths of her guts. Oh, my sweet, bold knight, my rock, my sworn shield, please do not blame yourself, she wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come, no matter how much she willed them to. He'd left his homeland in the Tor, crossed the deserts of Dorne to serve her. Placed himself at great risk and facing prejudice in the eyes of the rest of the Seven Kingdoms because he was Dornish. Like Criston Cole who served her mother Queen Alicent Hightower, he served her well, and more than that, she was fond of him, too. He devoted himself to her in a way she'd never seen with her father and mother, always making sure she never felt unwanted or unappreciated around him, always laughing at her jokes, even if she missed the punchline or got it wrong, never making her feel like a madwoman when she spoke of dreams and prophecies and tried his best to understand her when most didn't, always seeking her out like a moth to the flame, for there was not a single place in all of the seven kingdoms or perhaps even beyond that he would not follow her and track her down like a bloodhound nor a place where she could hide where he would not find, something like a gentle dog always at the ready to snap at any given moment at her order if her life was in danger. Helaena prayed for someone like him to come around and the gods gave her him. Honestly, it genuinely felt like that was one of his great reasons for living and he'd told her so himself once to the point where her sworn sword had gained Aegon's jealousy. What happened that night had gained Vaenna's ire, as well, but Hel didn't blame him. Her lower lip trembles, tears streaking down her soft cheeks as she watched him cry and beg for her forgiveness, before leaning forward to place her hands on his face.

❝「Wait.」❞ Helaena signs shakily with her free hand, her thumb brushing her sworn shield's cheek affectionately in the hopes of bringing some comfort, before dragging herself with the minimal strength she had after not eating and grasping the intricate vase with flowers she's arranged for her sworn sword, each flower with a different meaning, and placing it near him: acacia blossom, adonis, allspice, aloe, ambrosia, astilbe, garden anemone, arbor vitae, asphodel, azalea, baby's breath, small white bellflowers, birdsfoot trefoil, black rose, white catchfly, pink camellia, striped carnation, chestnut tree, chickweed, dead leaves, double yitish aster, meadow saffron, coltsfoot, red colombine, currant, cypress, dragonwort, reach honeysuckle, helenium, heliotrope, dornish jasmine, jonquil, lady's seal, milkvetch, monkshead, morning glory, pine, purple hyacinth, spearmint, moss rosebud, viscaria, creeping willow, weeping willow, winter daphne, wormwood, and yew.

Tearing away paper from her desk, Helaena takes a quill, dips in ink, and begins to write, her hand movements swift and angry as hot tears spilled down her cheeks. None of this was ever your fault, ser. Those evil men still slaughtered my guards, there was nothing you could've possibly done differently. Helaena's handwriting under such pretenses was in large cursive and hastily written as she reveals her piece of parchment to her sworn sword and places it in his hands. After all, how could anyone know that those beasts would infiltrate the castle? The Queen may have received visions and dreams, but it was difficult to discern someone's movements, let alone more than one person based solely on her dreams alone. Right then, Helaena found the will to speak despite her pain, whispering, ❝There is only one man to blame and that is Daemon Targaryen.❞

[west1rosi]

I might add elia as a request muse and another dornish lady.

elia martell.

and myria jordayne, heir to the Tor (and a cousin of house dayne, like the kars.tarks are to the starks)

[scfeerah]

safeerah had more patience with ruqaiyah generally, even though they were as different as night and day. but she felt hurt by how her closest friend reacted so coldly. it bothered her immensely that qaiyah thought she should be lucky. today her impatience was on full display. “oh yeah, lucky me. maybe baashir will end up being brutally murdered, and you can have starfall, and be just as lucky.” the sarcasm usually came out when she was agitated, and especially with her cousin. she was capable of giving back whenever ruqaiyah decided to be less than kind. perhaps that was why their friendship worked despite it all.

she grew serious as she stared at her cousin. “i do not need your advice on how to deal with the tolands, cousin. i will do what i think is best, and we will speak no more of it.” she did not want to hear anything more about aditya toland from anyone else, not even her closest friend. saf already had to fight against her own anger, she did not need the anger of everyone else on top of it. it was her choice now, and she would follow the path that rashid had originally laid. she wondered if every ruling lady or lord had to deal with seemingly everyone around them questioning their decisions. safeerah hated it because she could often feel so sure in her convictions, only to end up lying awake at night questioning them because someone else did.

now she was in a sour mood, so she turned her head to look out of the open window. “of course, i cannot marry an artist from the streets, i am not stupid.” that was not even close to what she had meant. saf understood her future husband would be of noble birth, but she disagreed with ruqaiyah about what she required of a husband. she did not need someone who wanted to rule with an iron first, she needed someone who understood the principles of house jordayne. “i just-” but the words died in her throat as she sighed. but she just what? she wanted love. she wanted a real connection, a true partner in life. she looked at ruqaiyah again, and she knew that the last thing she wanted was what her friend was so focused on getting. she did not want to sit and wonder if her betrothed even liked her, if he still wanted to marry her. she could say that to ru, but she thought it would be cruel. despite being annoyed with her cousin and friend, she could not deal that particular blow. she did not enjoy cruelty. safeerah never finished her sentence, knowing whatever she said would end up sounding weak in the ears of the dayne.

saf could almost have guessed what name would come out of ruqaiyah's mouth as she spoke of someone who knew how to rule, who could keep her safe. she also knew her friend would never suggest a lord from a smaller house. “armaan.” she repeated slowly. the match itself was not strange. the daynes, jordaynes and yronwoods had an understanding, an alliance so to speak, but armaan's first marriage was a problem in safeerah's eyes. “you do realise that if i married armaan, his children would rule kingsgrave, yronwood and the tor? that stretch of land will be a fifth of dorne combined, if not more.” that would grant armaan power that could rival every other house in dorne. safeerah had grown up with armaan, she knew what kind of man he was, for better or worse. he was already powerful and rich, and giving his heirs more land was asking for trouble. not for her, of course, she trusted the yronwoods as much as she trusted the daynes even if they disagreed on some things. she had seen the friendship between armaan and rashid. but if she were to marry him, it should raise the eyebrow of everyone else in dorne. “there will be plenty of houses who will oppose it.”

★

ruqaiyah leaned back against the stone wall of the balcony, the familiar scent of her cigarette filling the air. the weight of the conversation was heavy, but she was careful to maintain her composure. her eyes, though, were sharp—sharper than they had ever been, especially as she listened to safeerah's words. justice, safeerah said. revenge, she hadn’t said, but it was there, lurking just beneath the surface. ruqaiyah knew that. they both knew it.

"justice," ruqaiyah echoed, her voice lightly tinged with disbelief. "and you think that will ease everything? what exactly are you going to tell the people of dorne, safeerah? that your house took down a man—aditya toland of all people—and that the rest of the world would bow to you for it?" ruqaiyah took another drag, blowing the smoke out slowly, her gaze shifting across the horizon. se was unaware if she sounded dismissive, or scathing.

"you’re too soft for that, you know. there’s no honor in waiting for a tribunal, not when you've got the power to settle things yourself."

her tone was sharp, more than it should have been, but it was the truth to ruqaiyah dayne. they both knew it. it was easy for safeerah to say she wanted justice the right way, but ruqaiyah couldn't help but wonder if that was just a way to cling to some illusion of fairness. in the real world, fairness was often a luxury. it was a commodity to be traded, not a virtue. "yousound just like savita," ruqaiyah continued, her voice lowering slightly. "moping about in all of this. it's not who we are, safeerah. we're stronger than that. wear your power. use it. that's the only thing that matters. a lady of an entire yourself, you lucky thing."

ruqaiyah paused, letting her words sink in. she could see the flash of pain in safeerah's eyes, but she wasn’t sure if it was from her words or from the constant pressure that came with being the leader of the tor now. she hated that it was safeerah’s burden, but someone had to carry it. "you don’t need to be this... soft, safeerah. i know you have it in you to lead. but stop pretending you're only seeking justice. what you want is revenge. and that’s okay. you deserve to be able to come down on it all." ruqaiyah’s gaze flickered to the other side of the balcony, a part of her always alert, always calculating. "and bash can do to aditya toland what he done to dante uller." the landscape stretched out before them, a reminder of just how much power safeerah could wield, if only she'd stop questioning it.

she took another slow drag from her cigarette, eyeing her cousin more closely. "and speaking of things you want, what’s this about love? i still don’t get it. what do you see in a man, safeerah? someone who can make you swoon like that myrish dancer?" ruqaiyah let out a short, sarcastic laugh. "you can’t be serious. you want someone with passion? fine, but you also need someone who understands the world. not some fool who will get you into trouble with his ‘artistic heart.’ artists are living from payment to payment, and are pretty much without income."

she flicked the ash from her cigarette, her face hardening, as if she’d already made her judgment. "you want power. you want security. you want someone who gets it. not some fool who’ll spend all his time serenading you. trust me, i know." ruqaiyah’s eyes darkened, remembering her own situation with ravi. it was an alliance, not love, and she had learned the hard way that it was better that way. "and then there's me," ruqaiyah added with a sharp smile. "i'll find someone for you, once you've handled your little jester problem. a man who knows what it means to rule. someone who'll keep you safe, while you make your mark on the tor." she paused, glancing at safeerah. "just don’t get lost in your fantasies, cousin. the world isn’t that simple."

ruqaiyah’s eyes softened for a moment, the smoke from her cigarette rising and vanishing into the night air. there was so much more she wanted to say, but she kept her thoughts to herself. safeerah needed to think, needed to decide what kind of woman she wanted to be. but in the end, they both knew what needed to be done. "armaan yronwood."

[devanitoland]

ghost hill / house toland lore dump

key history

the tolands were a lordly house of some strength by the time of nymeria’s conquest, some thousand years ago as one of the main allies of mors martell and princess nymeria (a shrewd move on nymeria’s part to forge an alliance with a key landing point on the sea of dorne). it is not noted whether they were orignally first men or andal in origin, but as mors' house was founded by an andal, i like to think they were andal. however, the tolands' origins have been lost to time thanks to marrying into rhoynish families, and the tolands of today are considered to be rhoynar.

the tolands successfully resisted the dragons of aegon the conqueror during the first dornish war. the lord toland at the time sent out his champion to face aegon. after aegon slew the man, he learned that the man was lord toland's mad fool, and that lord toland himself had escaped.

once a mighty house, house toland has suffered through two generations of poor leadership. devani's father was rather uninterested in the life of a ruling lord, and his wife, devani's mother, is known to overreach her position and regarded as a social climber. once he passed, lordship fell to her brother aditya, the current ruling lord, who has made a sequence of poor decisions including a feud with the jordaynes. devani's sister, pallavi, married doran uller and was later executed for her role in trying to assassinate him. aditya's current heir is devani, who has spent most of her adult life missing after running away as a teenager and has only recently returned.

devani's paternal aunt married into house manwoody and is the mother of joy manwoody and her sisters. joy's position in court gave the toland's some protection, but after her death, they are once again in a precarious situation.

castle

their ancestral seat, ghost hill, lies on the southern shore of the sea of dorne, near the broken arm.

located atop a hill, ghost hill has chalk-white walls that shine against the deep blue of the sea of dorne. there are towers at the corners of the castle, which has a great central keep.

despite the name, ghost hill is a bright, welcoming castle with beautiful architecture and overall a pleasant place to be, if you can tolerate the ruling lord and his mother. devani toland is rarely found within the walls of ghost hill, as she is one of those who cannot tolerate their company.

sigil, words and values

prior to the dragon, the toland banners displayed a ghost. in later days, the tolands would take a new banner, showing a dragon biting its own tail, with the colors green in gold in memory of the motley of their brave fool - a mockery of the targaryens’ vain attempt to take the Toland seat

there are no canon words for house toland - however, i like the idea that their words are "the spirit is stronger". the word spirit has a double meaning - both in the literal sense of the spirit of the tolands, and a reference to their ancestral seat of ghost hill.

house toland is known to value wit, trickery, creative thinking, and unconventional solutions to problems, and is incredibly proud still of their history in doing so.

climate & geography

the ghost hills region takes its name from a series of hills and mountains in the area, inspired by the eastern ghats of andhra pradesh. the hills make up the most striking features of the landscape and are shaped by several rivers that flow through the area, emptying into the sea of dorne. the castle of ghost hill is atop one of the hills.

toland lands border that of the martells to the south, and the jordaynes to the west. north east lies the broken arm of dorne, with the sea of dorne serving as their northern border. most of the land is generally fairly fertile, with small amounts of desert at the inland border where the ghost hills meet the tor.

the ghost hills sees a decent amount of rainfall and occasional monsoons, usually blown across the sea of dorne from the stormlands. clean drinking water is not scarce in this region.

flooding is not uncommon closer to the coastline, but the more arid areas nearer to the desert occasionally suffer drought, and are forced to move towards the rivers and ocean.

population

the smallfolk are mainly organised into small towns and villages that operate as communities, and are usually part of extended family structures. once a year, the communities gather in the town at the foot of the ghost hill keep in a large festival that is primarily focused on marriages between the different communities.

music, dance and the arts is important to each community, who have their own different, but related, dances and songs. artists are highly revered.

most smallfolk are illiterate, and possess no formal education. those who can read, write, and perform mathematics are usually employed as traders around the port.

those who live in the ghost hills speak their own language, which is equivalent in the real world to telugu, often as their first language with hindi as a second. the smallfolk in particular are more likely to speak only telugu. around the port town, small amounts of low valyrian is not uncommon due to the essoian visitors. devani herself is fluent in telugu, hindi and common tongue, though she picked up many more languages in her time in essos that she keeps in her back pocket.

flora & fauna

birds: jerdon’s courser, blue flycatcher, jerdon’s baza, bustard, spot-billed pelican, hoopoe, spotted owlet, crow pheasant, pied cuckoo, pitta, brahminy kite, myna, spotted eagle, vulture, whistling thrush

mammals: grey slender loris, blackbuck, civet, treeshrew, mongoose, sambar, bison, boar, muntjac, small population of leopard, dhole, hare, tufted grey langur, flying fox, macaque, smooth-coated otter, reed cat,

reptiles: geckos (golden gecko, granite rock gecko, and slender gecko), skinks, snakes (shieldtail snakes, sharma’s racer, beaked worm snake, rock python, coral snake, bamboo pit viper, king cobra), mugger crocodile, turtles (black turtle, flapshell turtle, tent turtle, softshell turtle), star tortoise, psammophilus, sitana, chameleon, monitor

amphibians: rock toad, frogs (cricket frog, bull frog, burrowing frog, tree frog, golden back frog), caecilian

flora: acacia concinna (soap pods, used to create hygiene products particularly for hair), goldenleather fern, plants in the ginger family, neem (used for medicinal purposes), mosquito fern, periwinkle, turmeric, hiptage, club moss, jasmine, mango, cobra saffron (used for medicine, fragrances, and psychedelic effects), bullet wood (fragrant, used for oral hygeine), murraya exotica, lotus, holy basil, amla, serpentine wood, sandalwood, ashoka (a sacred tree, believed to be linked to fertility), teak, bamboo, orchids

industry and economics

the ghost hills are a fertile area with a great range of flora and fauna, as well as natural mineral resources found in the mountains. this includes granite, iron, limestone and quartz, with limestone being the primary material for buildings in the region.

farming is a huge part of industry in the ghost hills, both in terms of pastoral grazing and crop growth. traditionally, the tolands have sustained economic growth by exporting crops to less fertile regions of dorne.

other notable goods produced in the region include pottery, woven baskets, items crafted from bell metal, and lumbar (primarily for construction).

due to its proxemity to the ocean, the keep of ghost hill and the town surrounding it houses a small port, though it has no ships of its own, it conducts trade through visiting ships from other regions. it was these ships that varun toland sailed on in his youth and devani toland would use to escape dorne as a teenager.

the ghost hills are economically a little backwards, and money is not generally used apart from for taxes and by the toland family. instead, a bartering system is used by the majority of the smallfolk. the notable exception is in the town at the foot of the ghost hill keep, due to its importance in trade matters. the bartering traditions means poverty does not exist in a traditional sense. most smallfolk live within extended family units, ensuring basic needs are met and cared for by their own. whilst this provides a comfortable life for most of the smallfolk, it does make moving to other areas more difficult.

government, crime, and the law

taxes may be paid with coin, or in the form of agricultural products that would then be sold on.

the line of succession is as follows: 1. aditya toland (the current ruling lord) 2. devani toland (the sister of aditya) 3. kheerat toland (the son of devani, whose existence is unknown) 4. slya manwoody (the sister of varun toland, devani and aditya's father) 5. the twin infant sons of armaan yronwood and joy manwoody (slya's grandchildren) 6. the other manwoody siblings

both varun and aditya have taken a hands-off approach to the smallfolk, allowing them to largely self-govern within their own villages and communities and remaining distant figures. in contrast, devani enjoys spending time amongst the small folk since her return, and often can be found weaving baskets, visiting their communities, taking part in their music and dance, and is generally well-liked by them.

the ghost hills have endured two generations of lax leadership from varun toland and his son, aditya. as such, crime has gone less punished in recent times, and theft, smuggling, and other acts of criminality are common. criminals are usually handled by local communities, to varying effects. mob justice is not uncommon, and punishments are often decided by the elders of the villages. more serious crimes, such as murder, may be passed along to the tolands for judgement.

martial & defence

there are a series of forts within the peaks of the ghost hills, primarily used for defence in the past, but today more commonly used as marketplaces.

soldiers of the ghost hills are part of a small land army, primarily infantrymen, numbering roughly 2500 men. primary weapons are clubs, spears, bows, and firangi swords. there are an even smaller number of cavalry men, but they are expected to provide their own horses. the army is split into six ranks. in times of need, the smallfolk are expected to volunteer, though there has historically been no punishment for not doing so.

as is dornish tradition, the people of the ghost hills favour sneaky tactics and guerrilla warfare, utilising the features of the hills and mountains in order to get the upper hand.

death and mourning

a notable custom of house toland is in their mourning practices. after a body is cremated of a family member, or other significant person, a chalk ghost is made to represent them and left in the grounds of ghost hill, open to the elements. the mourning period can only end once the ghost has eroded away. tolands of the past have been known to strategically place the ghosts depending on how they felt about the deceased - due to the shame devani's sister brought upon the family, for example, her ghost was positioned so it would constantly feel the spray of the sea of dorne, and thus was eroded within months. in contrast, devani's great-grandfather built an alcove in the walls of the castle for the ghost of his daughter, and it still stands to this day, almost a century later. the latest ghost to be installed in ghost hill is a memorial to dante uller.

[danceofdragonsrphq]

REGION SPOTLIGHT :: THE KINGDOM OF DORNE

The winds of change never stop blowing in Westeros and the same can be said for the region of Dorne. From the death of their Prince, Mors Martell, who ruled for his father to be murdered at the start of his own reign leaving his daughter a monarch all too young. An ever changing court of Lords and Ladies answering the call of the Widowed Princess Myriam Allyrion. Will this new small council be able to handle all that comes with ruling in the stead of a child? Will their courtiers have trust in their Widow Princess? Her council? Or will whispers and accusations of murder grow louder?

Recent Plot Drop: The murder of Lord Rashid Jordayne within voltantis is bound to have severe consequences for the relations between the two realms. will the tolands of ghost hill take advantage of the tor's recent mourning and strike the tor hard?

Houses can be found here. Beneath the cut will include the Small Council of the reigning sovereign of Dorne Princess Leila of House Martell

Wanted Connections: 2 Sisters and 1 brother (Lord of High Hermitage) of House Dayne, sisters of House Manwoody, Sister of House Jordayne, and many more! Come join us in Dorne where they remain UNBOWED, UNBENT, UNBROKEN.

THE SMALL COUNCIL OF DORNE:

current regent, with stewardship over the princess: princess dowager myriam allyrion, wife of the previous prince, mors martell. (if someone picks up a martell, i'd be down for there to be tensions regarding them thinking they should be the regent considering they are a martell)

the first minister of the realm: lord baashir of house dayne, the sword of the morning. this is the equivalent of the 'hand' only they are not called such a thing in dorne, for to consider someone a 'hand' is believed to be degrading. baashir sees over a large stretch of affairs in dorne: but is more military and political rather than social or economic.

the second minister of the realm: dante uller. this individual oversee social conflict within dorne; they are settling regional disputes before it goes further up the chain. they do answer to baashir, tho traditionally the first and second minister work well with one another. they hear audiences and petitions, etc.

the high commander: lady joy of house manwoody. her position is that of strategy and overseeing the standards of the armed forces of dorne, which have now become a standing army. could be a controversial move. she also decides the standards of the armed forces, and their regime.

the master of laws: lord dastan allyrion. he is the voice of justice, and works closely with the second and first minister. dastan will be the judge on trials, working closely with a jury. it is he that is responsible for ensuring the laws of the lands are upheld. drafting new ones, removing old ones, etc. master of whispers: lord doran uller. he is responsible for keeping up to date with what is happening beyond the borders of dorne. his official focus is beyond dornish borders.

master of whispers: lord doran uller. he is responsible for keeping up to date with what is happening beyond the borders of dorne. his official focus is beyond dornish borders.

the master of coin: armaan yronwood. this individual is mathematical minded, and is focused on dorne trying to have a source of sustainable income, inspired by the reach. he knows they need something regular and steady. setting up the likes of banks, multiple branches across the country. he also wants to raise taxes, oof, drama.

the court granthi: OPEN. oh wisdom. this character is the one who can look up ancient lore, does a lot of consistent research of all things knowledge. excavation, unearthing long lost buried structures. this person is also considered to be the holiest person in all of dorne, and is dorne's link with the seven. naturally, due to their differences, this person has a lot of feelings about the rest of westeros and their version of following the seven. knowledge is power, and granted by the gods.

NOT ON THE COUNCIL BUT POSITIONS NONETHELESS:

the web: amaia sand. works closely with the keeper of whispers, and the master of laws. they are the ones who are the flies on the wall, the spies who know how to find themselves in the situations they need to be to hear things. they are referred to simply as 'the web' for they can find oneself tangled. once they have what they need, they tell the master of laws, and it goes further up the chain.

court astrologer:` zahra sand. astrology was huge in india, and i wanna bring it here. they consult the planets, birth charts, to advise on decision making dates and announcements.

finally, we have the justiciar of dorne, who is rashid jordayne. he works alongside his wife loreza martell as almost a 'last chance' way of trying to settle an issue. he is called into dealing with matters should talks have broken down, and any trials are either not able to happen, or have proved to be inconclusive. they are an objective perspective, who present their findings after an investigation directly to myriam.