The Sand Snakes in The Winds of Winter

While at Comic-Con in 2014 GRRM confirmed that we will be seeing a lot of the Sandsnakes in The Winds of Winter. I will admit that I am not the biggest fan, but since he mentioned it (and I know I've posted about them individually with their relevance to certain plotlines), I thought it might be fun to generate some discussion on their roles in TWOW.

Background

If you are unaware, the Sand Snakes (wiki article) are the bastard daughters of Oberyn Martell:

• Obara (28) daughter of an Oldtown whore
• Nymeria (25) daughter of a Volantene noblewoman
• Tyene (23) daughter of a septa
• Sarella (19) daughter of a Summer Island trader
• Elia (14) daughter of Ellaria Sand
• Obella (12) daughter of Ellaria Sand
• Doreah (8) daughter of Ellaria Sand
• Loreza (7) daughter of Ellaria Sand

and while the youngest 3 (Obella, Doreah, Loreza remain in different parts of Dorne) the rest (besides Sarella) are now headed to different parts of the realm (after swearing to Doran) and will be involved in different plotlines.

Obara

Location: Chasing after Darkstar (en route to High Hermitage)

POV: Areo Hotah

If interested: The Showdown at High Hermitage

Doran has tasked Obara with taking Hotah and Balon Swann after Darkstar:

The girl will ask him to hunt down the man who hurt her. If he is the man I judge, Swann will not be able to refuse. Obara, you will lead him to High Hermitage to beard Darkstar in his den. -ADWD, The Watcher

and while there is no guarantee the plotline actually heads to High Hermitage, it could go to Starfall, but either way I expect to get some Dayne info (Elio mentioned we would likely get a Dayne family tree in TWoW).

Nymeria

Location: King's Landing (Small Council)

POV: Cersei (currently only POV in King's Landing)

The time is not yet come for Dorne to openly defy the Iron Throne, so we must needs return Myrcella to her mother, but I will not be accompanying her. That task will be yours, Nymeria. The Lannisters will not like it, no more than they liked it when I sent them Oberyn, but they dare not refuse. We need a voice in council, an ear at court. Be careful, though. King's Landing is a pit of snakes."

Lady Nym smiled. "Why, Uncle, I love snakes."

Nymeria should likely be the first to notice Robert Strong.

Tyene

Location: King's Landing (Septa at Great Sept of Baelor)

POV: Cersei (currently only POV in King's Landing)

"Your mother was a septa. Oberyn once told me that she read to you in the cradle from the Seven-Pointed Star. I want you in King's Landing too, but on the other hill. The Swords and the Stars have been re-formed, and this new High Septon is not the puppet that the others were. Try and get close to him."

Note: This assumes both Nymeria/Tyene reach King's Landing. They are currently en route taking Myrcella back, but there is an expected trap.

If interested: The Dornish Party en route to King's Landing

That said Arianne assumes they have made it in Arianne II:

Nym and Tyene may have reached King’s Landing by now, she mused, as she settled down crosslegged by the mouth of the cave to watch the falling rain. If not they ought to be there soon.

Sarella

Location: The Citadel/Oldtown

POV: Samwell Tarly (potentially Aeron)

If interested: Sphinxes of Ice and Fire

If you are unaware it is very likely that Sarella is actually disguising herself as Alleras (novice at the Citadel in Oldtown).

Elia

Location: En route to Storm's End

POV: Arianne, potentially JonCon

If interested: What is Lady Lance going to ruin in TWOW?

Doran has sent Elia along with Arianne to go treat with JonCon:

And Elia Sand, oldest of the four girls that Prince Oberyn had fathered on Ellaria, would cross the Sea of Dorne with Arianne. "As a lady, not a lance," her mother said firmly, but like all the Sand Snakes, Elia had her own mind. -TWOW, Arianne I

We see a good amount of Elia Martell in Arianne's released TWOW chapters and she seems to constantly forget the danger/mission at hand (as a girl of 14 probably would) and seems to see it as a game. They should arrive at Storm's End relatively soon and witness the "battle" between Young Griff and Mace Tyrell.

I would argue that Sarella is probably my favorite Sand Snake just due to her differences from the others. I also expect to see a couple of them die in TWOW as well (and a couple succeed or maybe a combination of both).

TLDR: Just a quick rundown of where the Sand Snakes are/will be in TWOW.