It just goes to say how much I've forgotten that for one moment I thought, "who's Athanar?"
(oh, how I've missed this emoticon
). Anyone any less major I pretty much don't have recollections of. Heck, I couldn't remember my own characters off the top of my head. I have a lot of reviewing to do.
Thinking about my characters, though, I'd say a 3-5 year leap would be better than a 10 year one. I think 10 is a tad too much. As for character development, Ledwyn is a young widow with a 2 year old son, whose husband died in some working accident or other (can't remember who he was) - or so she says. I think I know where she's going.
Oh how young and innocent I was when I created her! I could go all Game of Thrones on her, but I don't think that would be fitting here, though I do have a very appropriate twist in mind. But regardless, that doesn't stop her from being young and single, and she's not the only wench around. That should give this gathering of men something to ponder.
As for the general storyline, I think we need a calamity. There's only so much you write about cooking breakfast. I think the last biggie that happened was the trouble with the minor lords (correct me if I'm wrong - my memory is simply marvelous). But even that wasn't really serious. Not as serious as it can get. We should have something where lives are at stake - a war is probably not realistic in the setting, but a full out rebellion could be pulled off. Or a famine. Or some other natural disaster, if human enemies of that golden age aren't really a danger. Any cataclysm would do. Not right away of course - we'd first need to set the stage of how things look X years from now. What do you think?