#Jordaynes of the Tor

[sebeth]

The World Of Ice And Fire: Nymeria Arrives In Dorne

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

  Nymeria and company head for Westeros, having no luck finding a home in numerous other locations. The fleet of ships have been battered and not all made it to their final stop of Dorne. There are “isolated pockets of Rhoynar on the Stepstones, claiming descent from those who were shipwrecked.” Other ships were blown off-course and became slaves of the Lys and Tyrosh.

The remaining ships landed at the mouth of the Greenblood river near the Sandship, the seat of House Martell.

Dorne was a dry, desolate land, thinly peopled, and filled with quarrelsome lords and petty kings’ endless wars.

Most Dornish did not welcome the Rhoynar. They were perceived as unwelcome invaders with foreign ways and strange gods.

Mors Martell, the Lord of the Sandship, saw an opportunity. Eight out of every ten Rhoynar were women and a quarter of those women were warriors. Thousands of Rhoynar who had been boys when they fled were now young men, trained in the use of the spear.

Mors realized he could increase his power by tenfold if he allied with the Rhoynar.

Mors wed Nymeria and hundreds of his knights, squires, and lords bannermen wed Rhoynish women. Many of the already wed Dornish took Rhoynar women as paramours. Very Alexander the Great of Mors and Nymeria!

The Rhoynar’s artisans, metalworkers, and stonemasons had far more advanced skills than their Westerosi counterparts. Their armorers produced swords, spears, and armor suits no Westerosi smith could match.

Most importantly, the Rhoynish water-witches knew “secret spells that made dry streams flow again and deserts bloom”.

Nymeria burned the ships after the weddings, declaring “Our wanderings are at an end. We have found a new home, and here we shall live and die.”

Some Rhoynar “mourned the loss of the ships, and rather than embracing their new land, they took to plying the waters of the Greenblood, finding it a pale shadow of Mother Rhoyne, whom they continued to worship.” They are known as the Orphans of the Greenblood to this day.

Nymeria and Mors then declared war on their fellow kings. At least six kings were sent to the Wall by Nymeria and Mors, leaving their greatest foe: Yorick Yronwood, the Bloodroyal, Fifth of His Name, Lord of Yronwood, Warden of the Stone Way, Knight of the Wells, King of Redmarch, King of the Greenbelt, and King of the Dornish.

The Martell/Yronwood War went on for nine years. Martell’s allies were House Fowler of Skyreach, House Toland of Ghost Hill, House Dayne of Starfall, and House Uller of the Hellholt. Yronwood’s allies were his bannermen: the Jordaynes of the Tor, the Wyls of the Stone Way, along with the Blackmonts, the Qorgyles, and more.

The Jordaynes of the Tor is a shout-out to Robert Jordan of the Wheel of Time fame. I’m not sure if the rest of Yronwood’s bannermen are references to other science fiction/fantasy writers.

Yorick Yronwood slew Mors Martell in the seventh year of the war. Nymeria assumed sole command of the Martel armies. Two years later, Yronwood bent the knee to Nymeria.

Nymeria remained sole ruler of Dorne despite remarrying twice – first to the aged Lord Uller of Hellholt and then to Ser Davos Dayne of Starfall, the Sword of the Morning. Her husbands served only as consorts and counsellors.

Nymeria ruled for twenty-seven years, survived a dozen attempts on her life, put down two rebellions, and threw back two invasions by the Storm King Durran the Third and one by King Greydon of the Reach.

In summary: Nymeria was a badass!

Nymeria had four daughters by Mors Martell and a son by Davos Dayne. The Dornish had adopted the customs and laws of the Rhoynar so upon Nymeria’s death, her eldest daughter succeeded her.

Up next, the Doom of Valyria

[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]

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]

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

[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.

[scfeerah]

♛ → DORNE present(s) SAFEERAH JORDAYNE, the RULING LADY of THE TOR. when the dragons danced in the sky they thought NO ONE would still fly, but in the blink of an eye, they would all die. the THIRTY year old FEMALE who was LIVELY & IDEALISTIC before they saw the first of the flames, is now BLUNT & IMPATIENT after seeing the last. they’re often associated with the sound of bells attached to dancing feet, the feeling of relief from bathing in cool water on a hot day, the strong smell of hibiscus and the sound of gentle waves colliding with the shore. (mrunal thakur) pinterest / playlist

STORY

safeerah was born as the second child and first daughter of lord shahid and lady afreen jordayne. while she was a happy child, carefree and lively, she also went through periods of discontent and restlessness. it somewhat ceased the moment she fell in love with dancing. while having been taught dance at an early age, she found it more a chore than anything. she had no interest in learning the exact steps or the right movements. she found it too slow and boring. then she was introduced to kathak by one of the teachers in the tor and she fell in love with it. she loved the stories the dance told, the music, how fast it was and the bells wrapped around her ankles. safeerah channelled the restlessness she felt into her dancing.

her days were filled with laughter, dancing, and studying stories she could turn into music and dance. throughout her teenage years, safeerah developed a special kind of water dance that she named geele pair (inspired by the dancing in this and this). it was a style inherently her own. she acquired a reputation for never standing still. for most of her life, it was said that she lacked the inner peace that her brother seemed to possess. it was through meditation that she found a way to calm herself, to find that elusive peace that she sought.

while visiting ghost hill, an incident occurred one night after too much wine had been consumed. she had been performing a dance and went go outside for a breath of air to cool down, but when she returned inside she found her little sister dishevelled and hurt. safeerah eventually got her sister to confess what had happened. she had been assaulted by a drunk lord toland. however, there were no witnesses to the crime. she did not dare to say anything while in the keep of the tolands, unsure of what lord aditya toland might do, but she demanded their servants pack their things and they left ghost hill the very next morning. after returning to the tor, safeerah immediately told rashid what had happened. she wanted justice for their little sister. when her brother declared he wanted a trial by combat, she was satisfied but impatient to see lord toland pay for his crimes.

the trial was postponed due to the death of prince mors which was then followed by rashid's trip to volantis. safeerah sent her little sister to myr to get away from everything until the trial. the youngest jordayne is currently staying with a noble family in myr whose daughter house jordayne hosted years ago and whom safeerah personally taught to dance. she left the tor in the hands of rashid's wife and went to stay with the daynes while her siblings were in essos. she was with them when she received word from princess myriam about rashid's death. saf was in sunspear when his body arrived from volantis. she accompanied him on his last journey to the tor and finally to the sept of the four doors. she has been far more quiet and serious since the passing of her brother.

PERSONALITY 

she is very concerned with equality and peace. she lives by the saying 'we are all made of the same clay' which is a saying that is the pillar of house jordayne's beliefs. safeerah is very adamant that she will continue with this philosophy.

saf believes that the tor should be ruled the way rashid would have done so. whenever an official decision has to be made, she often asks herself what rashid would have done in any given situation. this means that she has trouble finding her own voice to guide her.

despite preaching forgiveness and mercy, she finds it nearly impossible to forgive anyone who had a hand in the death of her brother. she feels the same towards the tolands for the assault her sister suffered. while she wants to forgive and let it no longer burden her soul, she finds that she cannot. safeerah feels like a fraud because despite how hard she tries then she cannot forgive with her heart. 

saf meditates a lot to try to let go of the anger she feels for all house jordayne has suffered. her preferred form of meditation is to lay on her back and float in one of the waterpools in the tor. 

she believes wisdom is the best trait a person can possess even if she does not believe herself wise yet. safeerah believes that she is still too unforgiving and far too impatient to be considered wise but wisdom is her ideal.

RANDOM FACTS

for a long time, she rejected her given name when she was younger, going as far as to ignore people if they called her safeerah instead of saf. but after the death of her father then she embraced the name again as that was the name he and her mother chose for her. she is still called saf as a nickname by friends and family.

safeerah always dresses in bold colours. she prefers a mix of colours and will rarely stick to one. if she does stick to one colour, it is usually green to honour house jordayne.

when safeerah was a little girl who did not truly understand the cycle of samsara, she used to say that she wished to reincarnate as a dolphin in the next life so she could swim carefree through the seas. to this day, she often goes down to the shore to soak her feet in the sea and calm down ― and she still smiles every time she spots the fin of a dolphin out on the horizon.

she has become more religious since the death of rashid, and she believes that he has escaped the cycle of samara and achieved mutki. whereas before she would go to the sept of the four doors whenever she had time, now she prioritises going every week. safeerah has also asked the septon to directly send her monthly reports on what is needed at the sept in regards to food and security.

[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 𝐎�� 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 studied her friend curiously, unsure if ruqaiyah could really have done such a thing if her old flame had showed up at her doorstep, but there was no point in digging. the jordayne knew the other well enough to know that if she wanted her to know something, she'd say it. she did not want to think about devani, about the tolands. the subject only fuelled the unfamiliar anger inside her. but she did note of ruqayiah's words about not trusting devani. yet it was not so simple. ghost hill would remain even after aditya lost his head, the tor, and ghost hill would still share a border. sometimes, often in the darkest hours of the night, she thought about erasing the border altogether. if she was ready for war, she could double her lands in size, remove the threat of the tolands forever. but at what cost? she could not bear the thought of seeing men slaughtered, families broken, all because of her own anger. and there was still the matter of the volantis to be dealt with. she did not plan to let them escape without ensuring justice for rashid either, although that matter was much more complicated. “i will keep it in mind. you know i'd rather not have to trust a toland ever again.” saf could promise her oldest friend that, but she could promise more than that. she had to walk whatever path showed itself.

she had to agree with her cousin. she hated to see her mother hurt, to hear her weep for the son lost, for the daughter traumatised. safeerah remembered the look on her mother's face when she had told her eldest daughter that the future of their house was her responsibility now, that she was sorry she had to carry it. and saf had wept then and begged the gods to send rashid back to them. “because bad people still exist.” their ill fortune had been the direct consequence of the decisions of people who had no love in their hearts. then qaiyah spoke of bash just ending aditya's life, but saf quickly shook her head. “no, i want justice the right way. i want him to be condemned by his peers. i want everyone to hear what kind of man he is.” not just in dorne, but beyond their borders as well. safeerah could claim she was purely after justice, but she also knew deep in her heart that was not true. she said none of this to ruqiayah though, but she seemed to already know that justice and revenge had started to overlap for saf.

a dark cloud had fallen on her as she spoke of the tolands, but she let out a weak laugh, allowing herself to be distracted. “have mercy on them, qaiyah, halima might be worse than the most fearsome guard dog.” she smiled then, her eyes as soft as her words. if there was one thing safeerah knew she did well, it was filling her friend with confidence. perhaps ru had no need for it, but that had never stopped her from doing it before. “why would he want anyone else when he has you? there are none in dorne, or even in westeros, who can outshine you.” the words were easy for her to say, and she did also believe them, but she knew that the heart worked in mysterious ways. even saf was pressed to admit that being with one person for the rest of life seemed a difficult task. she had plenty of love in her heart, more than one person would ever need. she also knew ru's impending wedding was not one of love, it was a deal, an alliance, and that made it easier for either of them to stray.

speaking of marriage, she cast aside the gloom and grinned while she pretended to think about it. “alright, fine, but you better find me someone handsome.” safeerah knew that she'd had to marry soon. she was not against the idea at all. she did crave a partner, an equal, someone to share the burden of ruling the tor with. but she hoped that there was room for love in her marriage, and she also hoped her future husband would accept certain freedoms in their marriage. “do you remember that dancer from myr? with the scar across his eye? someone like him. he had so many talents.” safeerah smirked before letting out a bright laugh. it was no secret among those closest to her that she had taken him to her bed after his performances. he travelled with her to the tor, and extended his stay multiple times, before continuing on his tour. “i want someone who has a passion that drives them, someone who devotes themselves to their call in life.”

★

"arrogant? no, it is delusional. she is a mad woman." she took another puff of her smoke, knowing she would need to bask herself in the strongest of scents for family dinner later. baashir was already on edge having seen an apparent imaginary orange glow coming from her balcony window. "i'd have slammed the gates shut in her face and ensure dust got into her eyes." there was a slight scoff that came from her lips, not aimed at safeerah, but rather at the idea that devani would get help from her.

"especially in the aftermath of what her disgusting brother done." no, even if she had come to starfall first, she would have been left to stand in the dust - ruqaiyah was sure of it. not once did the narcissistic grace of the evening consider that devani would know such a thing, and that could have been a reason why she ventured to hellholt. "you know, she speaks of her brother, we all speak of aditya toland, but i don't think they are that different. house of jesters. if ghost hill goes to her, don't trust her." her words were with good intention, and yet, they were detached from the reality of what safeerah would need to do to secure safety for the tor.

there was a peculiar possessiveness ruqaiyah felt for safeerah jordayne; the same way a toddler refused to share her toys, ruqaiyah also detested the idea of anyone else being as close to safeerah as she was. not once had she considered this was a toxic mindset to adopt, instead she seemed to glorify it in her own mind, as though this made her even better of a friend. any issue she held was their issue, and she would have no issue in dealing with it in ways that saf herself would not.

"auntie doesn't deserve this, neither of you do. why is it always the good people that suffer?" she puffed out smoke again, careful to do it away from the direction of safeerah as she knew she did not like it; they were different, but she knew there were certain things she would not do to upset her friend. her sister. the tor deserved security, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought of the scene of rashid jordayne's funeral. the pyre, and the scattering of his ashes within the water. the memory was enough to cause her to feel a sense of pain, wallowing up in the back of her throat.

"why even bother going for trial? just get baashir to cut him down, or maybe he can hold him down whilst you do it." the second part of her suggestion was merely a joke, and yet, a part of her caught lady jordayne's gaze - as though she wondered whether she had it in her. she then watched as safeerah took her hand and held her gaze, always comforting, always grounding. she was ruqaiyah dayne. she was ruqaiyah dayne. she could do it, and so, she squeezed saf's hand. "i'll get halima to make sure other women stay away from him, at least until we get married. see, us ladies have our battle tactics too."

"once you've gotten your revenge justice, i'll help you find a good husband." the blend of revenge and justice was intentional, and for a reason; she was sure it was both. it had to be both?

[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."