#it's just like...........Brotherhood........the sins of the father and the past........wanting and reaching but the distance is too great..

[navree]

You briefly talked about this one time - what are your thoughts on Maegor and Aenys? Do you think Maegor actually cared about his brother? You would think that that care would carry down to his neices and nephews but once Aenys was dead, he was wiping them all out. What made Aenys different that Maegor actually accepted him instead of trying to immediately remove him from the throne like Visenya wanted him too?

My thoughts on Maegor and Aenys can honestly be boiled down to a crowd in the Coliseum of my mind chanting "sons of the dragon! sons of the dragon! sons of the dragon!" on repeat but I will endeavor to go into more depth.

I actually have gone more in depth on Maegor and Aenys's relationship here and elaborated far more on it here, but my view on them is that it's the quintessential tragedy, it was doomed to fail. Maegor and Aenys's relationship was always going to be tainted by forces outside their control, even from before they were born. Aenys was the son of the favored wife while Maegor was the son of the one Aegon couldn't even stand by the time he was born; Aenys's mental breakdown was always going to stunt his interpersonal relationships other than the one with his father and the one with Quicksilver as he recovered; five years isn't an insurmountable age difference but it's significant in that early childhood development phase. All of this, the circumstances under which Maegor was born and the relationships their parents had with each other and the conflagration of situations that was the First Dornish War and how it affected the family, all of it basically doomed the relationship from the getgo. My view of it was that they were never going to be truly brotherly, not in the way that we see from the modern Starks or Orys and Aegon. But, as I mentioned in those prior responses, I don't think it was all bad. Aenys put a lot of trust and value in Maegor, and Maegor seemed to respect that and respected Aenys's kingship and wanted it to go well. I also find it incredibly important that Maegor accepted his banishment, because we know what happens when Quicksilver and Balerion go head to head. He would have made easy work of his brother and he probably knew that, but instead he accepted Aenys's word as law, left and stayed away until he was recalled by his mother only after Aenys died. That, to me, does speak to the fact that Maegor cared about him. Some of it might be transference, with Aenys as Aegon's clear favorite and Aegon having gone without giving Maegor any of what he might have craved from him (the throne, his approval, his affection, I theorized a lot more on Aegon and Maegor's fractured relationship in that first ask about humanizing him) Maegor might have turned to his older brother in hopes of getting some taste of what he wanted from his father with the only version of his father he has. It's also possible that, once Maegor was a bit older, three to four, Aenys had recovered enough from his ordeals to try and interact with him and be a good brother, in spite of not being raised in the same location. Aenys seems like the type to have wanted to try and do right by his kid brother, if the olive branches he extended to Maegor during his reign when they were both adults is any indication. So even if they weren't close in childhood, Maegor's memories of Aenys when he was a child might have been of someone earnestly trying with him, trying to be good and supportive to someone who doesn't seem to have had much of a support system in the family beyond his mother.

And it should be interesting to note, Maegor does seem to have extended some care towards his nieces and nephews initially. While he did usurp Aegon the Uncrowned, he didn't immediately go after him, he actually let him live unmolested for up to a year, considering that he took the throne in 42 AC and the Battle Beneath God's Eye occured in 43 AC. It was Aegon attempting to muster armies and take back his crown that led to his death, not Maegor taking the throne, for all we know, though it's unlikely, if Aegon had gone into exile the way that Maegor himself had, he might never have died. And while Alyssa and Viserys and Jaehaerys and Alysanne were absolutely hostages, there's no record that they were ever treated badly, not even Viserys who was residing in King's Landing. While I'm sure being a political hostage with the uncle who killed your brother and was slowly becoming more and more mentally unhinged wasn't a picnic, there's no evidence that Maegor ever did anything to Viserys or had anything done to him, and that Viserys didn't live any life other than a comfortable one as a blood relative to the crown. And by the time Visenya died and Alyssa fled with Jaehaerys and Alysanne, Maegor's mental state was already dangerous (this was post coma/Tyana magic interference that may or may not have helped exacerbate him into a crazy person) and that's probably why he responded as badly as he did and had the poor kid tortured to death. Maegor's cruelty to his family can be directly linked to how badly he was doing from a mental perspective, so it's entirely possible that he started out without any intentions to hurt Aenys's kids, because they were Aenys's kids, but as he descended into tyranny and madness, that was one of the core elements of him that was stripped away until only The Cruel remained.

I think a huge part of what made Aenys different, to Maegor at least, really is just that familial connection. Visenya didn't have any connection to Aenys beyond the fact that he was Rhaenys and Aegon's child, and that doesn't do much for her (even though I do think she loved them both, especially Rhaenys, it's just that the whole Dornish War thing and the rift probably turned any potential affection for her nephew into pure apathy. Not to get into Visenya conjectures and whatnot, but that Downton Abbey quote after Matthew dies where Mary says "with Matthew's death, all the softness he found in me seems to have dried up" is soooooo Visenya/Rhaenys coded, that's exactly how I imagined Visenya eventually went after Hellholt. Leave me here to die.) so she was more willing to be harsh and critical of him, especially when compared to the child of her own body and her own direct lineage. But for Maegor, that's his brother. A connection to his father, and someone he had a relationship with in his own right. He seems to have cared enough about that, perhaps even loved Aenys enough, that it really meant something to him, and that he didn't want to directly steal his own brother's birthright in spite of how bad he felt Aenys was at it or not. He could have felt grateful, moved even, by the trust Aenys was putting in him as a brother by giving him Blackfyre and making him Hand and trusting him to secure his reign, and wanted to live up to that trust, prove worthy of it. Their relationship wasn't ever fully reconcilable, in my mind, due to the circumstances it came about it that were entirely out of their control, but it feels like they really tried, on both sides, to bridge that gap as much as they were emotionally able.

TL;DR I think that it was doomed from minute one, but neither of them entirely let it just go into that good night and they probably did have best intentions with each other, even Maegor, considering that he accepted Aenys's rule and helped him and he does seem to have tried to be good to Aenys's kids before he went completely doolally. Probably best summed up as "there was some kind of love there, but love isn't always enough".

[stormxblooded]

the courts offer bread and salt to tristan vance of house vance. many say that the thirty year old lord of wayfarer’s rest is known to be confident and responsible, though ill tongues whisper that he is cynical and gloomy. when his name is uttered , one is reminded of dusty rooms and broken furniture, the thunderous hooves of an army of horses, candle wax solidified into heavy droplets, staying up late to gaze upon the stars. may he be blessed and protected in this war of crowns.

BASIC INFORMATION

Full Name: Tristan Vance Nicknames: Tris (a childhood nickname) Age: 30 Occupation: Ruling Lord of Wayfarer’s Rest Religion: Faith of the Seven (Publicly), Atheist (Privately) Character Tropes: Desperately Craves Affection, Grumpy Bear, Jade-Coloured Glasses, Unscrupulous Hero Character Inspiration: The Beast (Beauty and the Beast), Anakin Skywalker, Katniss Everdeen, Mr Darcy, Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh), Fenris (Dragon Age II), Sandor Clegane Personality Type: INTJ Alignment: True Neutral Enneagram: Type 8 - The Individualist Deadly Sin: Lust Heavenly Virtue: Humility

FAMILY

Three Sisters Son : Hugo Rivers

BACKGROUND

tw - childhood neglect

Despite being a much anticipated heir for Lord Vance, Tristan was never a wanted child - simply a necessity. His parents had not married out of love, and though Lady Vance longed to look upon the faces of her children and feel the maternal instincts she had always expected, it didn’t come. In her shame, she distanced herself from them, a cold and lonely figure, leaving them to flounder under their father’s demanding eye. 

Tristan never did do much good when he felt like he was being controlled. A child who had felt little love in his life, he had taken to grasping for attention by any means possible, acting out to receive his father’s attention. Even harsh words and punishments were better than escaping his attention at all, surely? Any other father might have felt glad to have a child such as Tristan, strong and clever and, when he felt like it, utterly charming. Lord Vance was a different matter, though. He felt no care for his children in the slightest, beyond what he could use them for, and in his eyes, no son would ever be good enough to follow in his footsteps - not even Tristan. 

The young Lord was just eighteen when his mother passed away, with little ceremony or fanfare. As Lady Vance held love for nobody, very few held love for her. It wasn’t long after that when he made his decision - there was nothing for him in the Riverlands. It was time to go. Crossing the seas to the free cities, Tristan joined the Golden Company, where he proved to be an excellent soldier, quickly making his way up the ranks to become an officer fairly quickly. He was twenty-five when the news of his father’s death reached him. It was time to go home, and take his place as the Lord of Wayfarer’s Rest. 

 Being back in Westeros didn’t suit Tristan. He hated his family home, and missed the camaraderie of the Golden Company. Wayfarer’s Rest was filled with unhappy memories, and it wasn’t long before Tristan made it known that he did not welcome visitors. Once a bustling hub, the halls fell silent, left with nothing but the Vance family and a rapidly dwindling household staff to fill it.

Devoid of purpose, never fully educated in how to be a ruling Lord, Tristan became more withdrawn, and more miserable as time went on, never truly allowing anybody to get close to him. He has tried, though. Attempts to marry, to find somebody to bear him an heir and bring warmth that his household has long been missing have been made, and then ruined by Tristan’s own hand. However, he has recently found something to give him drive once more, finding something of a makeshift family through joining the Brotherhood Without Banners. It’s not much, but it’s something, enough to forget the demons that plague him for a short while. 

WANTED CONNECTIONS

Lovers: Tristan is a handsome man, and never short of female attention. Devoid of affection for most of his life, he craves it desperately, leading him to take lovers to his bed frequently. It never last long - after a while, he grows uncomfortable with their attentions, and breaks off their entanglement. 

Ex-Betrothals: Similar to the above, Tristan has made attempts to marry. However, he grows doubtful of his ability to be a husband, and continually breaks betrothals, believing he has little to offer a potential wife. 

Brothers in Arms: Unlike his relationships with women, Tristan does far better dealing with soldiers, finding in them a family unit he has never gotten in a traditional sense. This connection would involve his friendship with former members of The Golden Company and The Brotherhood Without Banners.

Enemies: Tristan is a prickly person with a negative outlook on life, leading to him to rub people up the wrong way and make enemies of some powerful people. 

Misc. Friendships: If anybody can make it past his issues and grumpy personality, they’ll find a loyal friend and devoted companion. 

[chthonicbeekeeper]

The Book of Joseph. Chapter 12

“We will build our fortress and it

will be impregnable. Nothing

will be able to shake loose the stones

cemented in place by our faith.”

Sermon from the Project at Eden's Gate.

If I had commanded it, I know that every last person would have followed me as far as Alaska, and even to the North Pole.

But our promised land was in Montana, and after meandering through several states, our journey ended here in Hope County.

The scene was marvellous.

A wide, lush valley with sparkling rivers lay before our eyes. The foothills of the Rocky Mountains lay in the distance. Deep forests flanked the valley, shielding it from the outside world. There were few roads leading in or out, making the site easier to defend. Sheltered in our bunkers, we could withstand a siege here, even against the rest of the world.

Everywhere barns, wind turbines, and windmills were evidence of the region’s wealth of agriculture, and white church steeples in the scattered towns appeared to be another promising source of recruits. There were even small airfields.

We had reached the end of our exodus, and we had been given a promised land that exceeded all our hopes and dreams. The last remaining humans will re-emerge from the hollows of this land. To all the generations that follow, this will be the land of their forefathers, the land of the first people.

The place was vast and yet nearly uninhabited. The land was fertile, the forests full of game, and the scenery magnificent, but the winters were harsh and cities few and far between. Many people suffered from loneliness and left to seek happiness elsewhere. We, who had come from this elsewhere, could have told them that it was exceedingly rare to find happiness out there. It was a challenging land, made for pioneers, for the courageous and the confident. It was a land made for us — for our family.

It was the land of the Project at Eden’s Gate.

We had no trouble settling down in Hope County. Thanks to John and his fortune, we acquired land and farms without hassle. The locals were friendly. As we had imagined, they were used to the arrival of communities fleeing society and its vices. John quickly formed relationships with the political authorities of the valley’s towns. In just a few months, he had become friendly with all the mayors, sheriffs, and important leaders. And in those few months, he found out all of their dirty little secrets.

Humanity is the same everywhere. Even in this paradise, where everything speaks of virtue and devotion, people cheat one another, steal, lie, and give in to every conceivable sin to obtain power, glory, and riches. This world deserves to die a thousand times over.

Thanks to John, our family is protected. We live together according to our own morals, and no one disrupts our way of life. Many faithful followers have joined us since we arrived in Hope County. They are mostly men and women who attended my sermons and were enlightened by my message. For others, the prospect of a healthy, structured life in the Eden’s Gate community was their last hope.

Though the spiteful and envious will always spread baseless lies about our community, among honest people in the area, we have a reputation for working miracles.

It is said that the greatness of our Project, our morality, and the support we give to one another have pulled people from the depths of the darkest depressions and the deepest addictions. Such was the case with Faith — it doesn’t matter what her name used to be. When she showed up on our doorstep, she was a young woman ravaged by drugs. She was strikingly beautiful, despite the scars left by addiction and the profound despair evident on her face.

I told her that drugs and alcohol were strictly forbidden in our community, that the only highs we experienced came from our faith.

I said that I didn’t judge her past, that many of us had turned to bottles and needles in order to forget the cruelty of the world and the loneliness that weighed upon us, but she had to understand that things were different now: She was no longer alone. In the Eden’s Gate community, siblings support each other. We are one big family. The last family and the first. Faith underwent a painful, gruesome period of withdrawal. More than once, she nearly gave up. But with the help of her brothers and sisters, she held strong.

In her worst moments, we permitted her a dose of scopolamine, a medication that gave her some respite and helped her forget the needles and syringes.

And thus, Faith was purified.

Today, she follows in the footsteps of others who came before her and helps people forget. She is the sister who offers carefree moments of joy.

Whenever she deems it necessary, she helps our chosen ones find peace, as she found in her times of delirium and suffering. Not everyone is able to withstand the destiny I reveal to them. How can I blame my children for losing sleep when they learn that the world as they know it will disappear forever?

Thanks to Faith, the members of our community are able to accept and internalise the word, to obey without doubting, to give themselves over entirely to the family, melding together to become a single unit with the sole objective of achieving the destiny of the chosen ones.

Combining their vast knowledge, Faith and Peter have set up a laboratory and, through people John knows, obtained equipment that normally only hospitals have access to. Today, with no outside help, we have the ability to provide medical treatment and manufacture medicines that will help us survive. Some valley residents say we are conducting animal experiments in our lab.

Wherever there are people, there are envious people. They sow discord, spread rumours, and live to slander others. Soon they will no longer exist, and when flames shoot from their mouths, the lies they tell will be silenced forever.

The fact that Peter was the first geneticist to settle in the area was enough to set people talking. Or maybe it was the accidents that had been occurring in the woods for some time. Hunters had been found dead and torn to pieces, sending the valley into a flurry of speculation. Like you, I am repulsed by the idea of altering the creations of the divine. I respect its creatures. But the world will cease to exist soon, and in any case, these stories help drive away curiosity seekers.

John also helps ensure that the sheriffs don’t come too near. After all, no one wants to risk being the focus of small town gossip.

As for Jacob, he is free to build the arsenal that will aid our defence when dazed apocalypse survivors seek us out and try to loot our resources. We must purchase weapons — many, many weapons. We need trucks, and tanks, and airplanes.

Our men must be strong and hard of heart. They must become ruthless. For the day will come when all those who remained deaf to my message will fall at our feet, begging for mercy. They will hold out their terrified children and ask us to feed them, to take them in. They will call on our humanity, on our love. But that is not the divine plan: only a handful of chosen ones must be saved. So we must build walls around our hearts and our homes. We must renounce in order to be reborn, abandon our status as men to become the swords, the vengeful arms of the grand plan that I have revealed. Every member of the family is ready to die for our Project, but from them, Jacob has selected three hundred warriors. Many of them are former soldiers. They are the fiercest and the most skilled. They form an elite troop of three hundred Spartans who will guard the entrances to our refuges, against which the waves of violence and despair will crash. Until everything quiets down.

In the meantime, as we await the inevitable storm, we lead a simple life at Eden’s Gate.

Our family’s first concern is to fortify our faith. When the day comes, our souls must be filled with courage and confidence. We support and help each other we pray and sing together.

I tell them what the Voice told me, again and again. When doubt creeps in, the most fragile members confess to John. Everyone has known misfortune in one way or another. A father would have to be uncompromising indeed not to forgive their moments of weakness. Here, everyone has suffered, whether at the hands of others, from addiction, or from their own decisions. They all have families, friends, and memories, and deep down they know that all of them will die. When it’s all too much for them to bear, Faith helps them find peace.

Sometimes they must be punished, as all children must, but we always keep in mind that everyone here has accepted my message, and therefore everyone here is sacred.

Our world is no longer ruled by greed and selfishness, but rather by a brotherhood and an unshakeable faith strong enough to overcome any addiction and make us new again.

We live apart from the outside world. We live together, far away from the vile, rotten society that nearly devoured us all at one time or another. We live away from its lies, its false idols, its obscene music, and its overwhelming desire for material wealth.

We keep as far as possible from the toxic fumes of airplanes, hidden messages in advertisements, the hypnosis of television and the internet, and the lies taught in schools. We are hidden from the government that monitors our every move.

We have rejected the poison they put in our food, that they inject us with — all those chemicals, and the physical and mental manipulations whose purpose was to enslave us and distance us from original virtue.

We work hard toward the noble goal of preparing for the end of this detestable world. We sow, reap, and preserve. The days are long, but here, everyone knows they have been chosen, and no one spares any effort. We must build shelters, store food, construct defences, and maintain weapons and equipment. Each person works according to his or her ability. The cooks feed us, the soldiers guard us, the farmers’ harvest, and the carpenters build. Everyone digs and shores up the tunnels where we will take refuge when the end comes—when we are given the sign that we are ready each day to receive.

That is the life of the chosen ones.

[zeldrispendragon]

Interlace II

Voice in my head: start studying you fucking bitch! You have exams tomorrow! Don't you want to go to college?!

Me: anyway, anywho! Here's part two! A really really short one!

Voice: LISTEN TO ME!

~~~

Several hours ago.

"Estarossa... listen to me..." Zeldris growled watching his older brother who remains stubborn despite all the saliva he had wasted to explain the situation to him. Well, Estarossa never listens to Zeldris, even the yesterday him doesn't.

One way or another, he managed to find barrels of alcohol in some parts of the castle and manage to drag Cusack and Chandler to drink 'along' with him. He had bombarded Chandler with question from then on as a response remained imprinted in his head.

Young master always cared for you...

Six words, just six words and that matters more than the thousands of words that escaped from Zeldris' lips.

"Meliodas betrayed us!" He merely nodded, without even accepting it staring at the bird that was now over his index finger. He yawned, showing disinterest on whatever his younger brother was saying as the raven head groaned. The youngest prince had marched out of his brother's room --- which used to be Merlin's---- slamming the door behind him.

He waited for an hour...

Before he jump off the window.

~

"How on earth did you come here undetected?" Was the first thing he asked after sitting up.

"Remember those days when I run away from my tutor?" He hesitantly nodded.

"I've learn to identify your presence without or with your magic which led me here! Then back then I've learned to conceal my magic so no one would notice!" If circumstances were normal, which means the circumstances 3000 years ago, he would have been proud. Apparently, the circumstances weren't like that... there are people behind him that wants this demon dead.

"Just a sec." He uttered glancing at sins behind him, trying to ignore the terribly heavy atmosphere. He could actually feel how tense they were, it was suffocating.

He grabbed his younger brother's wrist walking out of the bar completely clueless of what he should say, what to do and where to start.

"Your taste in clothes are terrible as usual." Estarossa mocks, crossing his arms as Meliodas rolled his eyes.

"Says the person who waltz through the castle thinking mustard is cool."

"It is cool!"

"If it's so cool then, why are you wearing blue now?"

"I deeply apologize since for I no longer recall when myself started having a terrible taste." Meliodas couldn't help but to snort as the both of them burst into laughter.

"Wait--- no, do you have any idea what dangers could possibly happen after you came here?!" Why does he even care?!

"The four archangels might have killed you!" Yesterday he wanted to slit his throat, now he was concerned for his safety. He was inconsistent, he knows... but like he said... this Estarossa was simply different.

"I'm still alive, am I?" He smiled as if trying to assure that he was alright to his brothers. Meliodas melted, actually missing that damn smile on his face.

"You--- you're going to be marked as a traitor."

"Doesn't matter, dad's an asshole anyway..." He could not believe that he heard him right as Estarossa laughed at his reaction.

"I don't understand what's going on... but I'm sure I want to be with you." Images of their past suddenly flash into his mind. Estarossa begging to him to stay, crying as tried to hold unto him tightly.

They used to be close.

"They told me it's been three thousand years ago, they told me that you betrayed us but I don't care..." if he just knew how much he hated him... How he found joy in hurting him and how he killed him.

Just thinking how his brother would react to that fact scared him, if not for his actions simply implied that he didn't know yet.

He wanted to keep it that way.

"You... hated me..." He tried to atleast tell him half the truth, thinking he'd deserve it. He didn't know why he felt compelled to tell, he just felt like he didn't deserve this attention the silver head gave him.

He pushed him away, hurt him and left him... of course he doesn't deserve this, it was him who severed their brotherhood it shouldn't be Estarossa who tries to fix it.

"Because dad told you that you should make me... " All his heart sank, it was the day that he came of age when his father told me that his closeness with Estarossa was going to bring his downfall. The king had ask him what he wanted, to keep his distance or the king will have to kill Estarossa.

He was left without a choice but to do as he was told. It was painful to brush him off, push him away, watching him try to reach out for him. He had asks him what he did for the blonde to do this, tears staining his cheeks asking where he had go wrong.

Yet he continues to look up to him... his betrayal just woken up the hatred after Estarossa cease trying to understand him. His love for the blonde had blinded him, always understanding his actions, always accepting him although it should have brought him pain. By his very betrayal, he had realize the cruelty the blonde had been doing.

Just bring me with you...

His denial to give the only thing he was asking awaken the most terrifying monster of the demon clan.

He created that monster...

"Well, at least that's what Chandler told me." Chandler probably regrets saying that as of the moment.

"You idiot I thought you knew." The silver head laughed, as Meliodas hung his arms around Estarossa's neck while ruffling his hair.

Was it wrong? To want to interlace the bonds that have been snapped by the war?

To return the brotherhood they once cherished?