jedimaesteryoda

[jedimaesteryoda]

What do you think happened to Red Ralf Stonehouse?

Red Ralf had to "sail the corsair's road along the northern coast of Sothoryos . . . there were always provisions to be had for men who were not afraid to pay the iron price" in the Basilisk Isles.

Of course, Victarion didn't hear the news mentioned in the previous book of a corsair king having risen in the Basilisk Isles and raided Tall Trees Town. Raiding Tall Trees Town, and getting away with it is no mean feat given it's the largest and most important port city in the Summer Isles, and would be well-defended with the Summer Islanders having a tradition of archery with goldenheart bows, sailing and warships impervious to battering rams.

If Red Ralf started raiding the Basilisk Isles, he'd likely run afoul of this corsair king who'd command a fleet of pirates larger than Ralf's and would not tolerate any intrusions on his home turf. Red Ralf was likely killed or captured along with nearly his entire fleet with the exception of the nine ships that escaped.

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #house greyjoy #victarion greyjoy #ironborn #iron islands #corsair

[jedimaesteryoda]

Why do you think Vargo Hoat and Ser Amory Lorch hated each other so much? Amory seems like the kind of guy the Bloody Mummers would typically recruit?

Amory is a highborn knight sworn to the Lannisters not immune to the prejudices of men of his class such as xenophobia towards Essosi and classist contempt for lowborn mercenaries. He wouldn't see himself working for Vargo.

Vargo would have returned those feelings against a hypocritical aristocrat who was a rival in Harrenhal.

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire

[jedimaesteryoda]

Do you think Ned Starks’s emotional distance is at least partially responsible for Theon Greyjoy’s arrogance and obvious cries for acceptance we see throughout AGOT and ACOK?

Theon was grew up in an abusive family where he was bullied by his two older brothers, and after the Greyjoy Rebellion he found himself heir to Pyke and among the Stark kids he was now the older "brother." He did better at Winterfell than at Pyke. His arrogance stemmed from his entitlement and maybe overcompensating for his own insecurities.

Theon looked up at the Lord of Winterfell and he wanted acceptance from Ned who was the only father figure he had at Winterfell with his own father Balon being at best distant. By the time Theon met Ned, the latter was a guy who had lost his father and two of his siblings. Ned also knew he would be the one to take Theon's head if his father rose up again, so there was some distance.

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #ned stark #theon greyjoy

[jedimaesteryoda]

Does the Gift/New Gift extend over the mountains and all the way to the West Coast (south of Westwatch-by-the-Bridge), or would those lands be held by the Hill Clans? The maps are unclear.

It extends to all lands north of the boundary for the New Gift from sea to sea, which I think would include any mountains within. The mountain clans like Lord Stark might have had their misgivings, but had little choice except to accept the Iron Throne's decision.

#a song of ice and fire #asoiaf #nights watch

[jedimaesteryoda]

“It was there I saw Lynesse, a maid half my age. She had come up from Oldtown with her father to see her brothers joust. I could not take my eyes off her. In a fit of madness, I begged her favor to wear in the tourney, never dreaming she would grant my request, yet she did. I fight as well as any man, Khaleesi, but I have never been a tourney knight. Yet with Lynesse’s favor knotted round my arm, I was a different man. I won joust after joust. Lord Jason Mallister fell before me, and Bronze Yohn Royce. Ser Ryman Frey, his brother Ser Hosteen, Lord Whent, Strongboar, even Ser Boros Blount of the Kingsguard, I unhorsed them all. In the last match, I broke nine lances against Jaime Lannister to no result, and King Robert gave me the champion’s laurel. I crowned Lynesse queen of love and beauty, and that very night went to her father and asked for her hand. I was drunk, as much on glory as on wine. By rights I should have gotten a contemptuous refusal, but Lord Leyton accepted my offer. We were married there in Lannisport” . . . “In half a year my gold was gone, and I was obliged to take service as a sellsword. While I was fighting Braavosi on the Rhoyne, Lynesse moved into the manse of a merchant prince named Tregar Ormollen. They say she is his chief concubine now, and even his wife goes in fear of her.”

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #jorah mormont #jorah #fozzie bear #the muppets

[jedimaesteryoda]

Where do courtiers and other members of the royal court live in King’s Landing? I assume they rent a manse or something. Would a queen’s lady (like Taena to Margaery) live in the Maidenvault?

With the exception of the small council, nobles don't live at court permanently, and so many often have quarters within the Red Keep when they visit for important events and preferred it since it gave them closer proximity to the royals. The members of the small council would of course be the exception to the rule and be given permanent quarters since they worked there full-time.

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #kings landing #red keep

[jedimaesteryoda]

Happy 4/20

"Manses of woven grass as large as castles"

-A Game of Thrones, Daenerys IV

Vaes Dothrak:

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #daenerys targaryen #dothraki #essos #4/20 friendly #april 20th #cannabis #420life #ganja #weedlife

[jedimaesteryoda]

In a sense, would you consider Theon Greyjoy to be Ned Stark’s son, as Jon Snow (despite his true heritage) very much is?

That's what Theon realizes in ADwD. Ned had actually been more of a father and the Starks more of a family to him than Balon and the rest of the Greyjoys.

It's seen in ACoK when he tries to be the Ironborn reaver his father wants yet he can't due to Ned's influence.

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #house greyjoy #theon greyjoy

[jedimaesteryoda]

What do you think caused one of Walder Frey’s few positive traits: making sure all of his family members are looked after, at least materially?

Walder shares the commonality with Tywin of being an overproud, greedy narcissist with an abusive parenting style in treating his progeny like tools to further his ambitions. He treated his wives like brood mares and bed warmers and his offspring like shit. He has no true loyalty except to himself and is a coward.

Looking after his own and impressing that onto his heir Stevron was one of his very few positive traits.

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #house frey #walder frey

[jedimaesteryoda]

Regarding Jon VI, ADWD: Was sending out the three parties of rangers a worthwhile endeavour on Jon’s part, or do you think the mission was always doomed to fail? Additionally, what are the chances we will see Alliser Thorne again, in your view?

Sending out rangers is necessary for scouting and gathering information about what's going on beyond the Wall, especially with the Long Night coming. They need to know things like enemy movements. Jon didn't expect the Weeper to fall upon one party, but those are the accepted risks of ranging.

I think we will see Alliser Thorne again given he and Jon still have some unfinished business and there needs to be some kind of conclusion whether it be a confrontation or conciliation.

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #nights watch #jon snow #lord commander #the wall #a dance with dragons #alliser thorne

[jedimaesteryoda]

Hello, I have a question regarding Brienne IV, AFFC:

“He agreed. "Brune's too old to go climbing wallwalks, and his sons and grandsons went off to the wars. No one left in there but wenches, and a snot-nosed babe or three."

It was on her lips to ask her guide which king Lord Brune had espoused, but it made no matter any longer. Brune's sons were gone; some might not be coming back.”

Based off this brief passage, who do you think the Lords of Crackclaw Point likely supported during the War of the Five Kings?

They likely stayed out of the fighting for the most part, or fought on behalf of the Iron Throne given they are part of the Crownlands. That may change when Daenerys arrives.

#a song of ice and fire #asoiaf #house targaryen #robert's rebellion #brienne of tarth

[jedimaesteryoda]

Will you be watching WrestleMania this weekend?

No, I've never really been into wrestling or sports in general.

[jedimaesteryoda]

You often miss how similar Jorah Mormont and Petyr Baelish are in some respects.

When it was announced that I was to wed Brandon Stark, Petyr challenged for the right to my hand. It was madness. Brandon was twenty, Petyr scarcely fifteen. I had to beg Brandon to spare Petyr's life. He let him off with a scar. Afterward my father sent him away. I have not seen him since." -AGOT, Catelyn IV Yet with Lynesse's favor knotted round my arm, I was a different man. I won joust after joust. Lord Jason Mallister fell before me, and Bronze Yohn Royce. Ser Ryman Frey, his brother Ser Hosteen, Lord Whent, Strongboar, even Ser Boros Blount of the Kingsguard, I unhorsed them all. In the last match, I broke nine lances against Jaime Lannister to no result, and King Robert gave me the champion's laurel. I crowned Lynesse queen of love and beauty, and that very night went to her father and asked for her hand. I was drunk, as much on glory as on wine. By rights I should have gotten a contemptuous refusal, but Lord Leyton accepted my offer. We were married there in Lannisport, and for a fortnight I was the happiest man in the wide world." -ACOK, Daenerys I

They pursued beautiful highborn women far above their station who, and both being southron women who married northern lords. Petyr pined for Catelyn Tully, and fought a duel for her hand against her betrothed, Brandon Stark. Jorah won a tourney with the favor of Lynesse Hightower, he crowned her queen of love and beauty and managed to marry her when he asked for her hand.

Their stories have a romantic element to them with Petyr dueling for Cat's hand and Jorah winning a tourney with Lynesse's favor, but they end up being subverted with neither getting a happy ending. Petyr loses the duel and is nearly killed, and then SAed by Lysa and sent from Riverrun. Jorah's marriage didn't work out, exhausting his family's coffers to provide her the luxuries she was used to and after selling poachers to slavers, which forced him into exile. Catelyn ended up marrying Ned Stark and Lynesse ended up leaving Jorah to be a merchant-prince's concubine.

After that, they found themselves in service to women with Lysa Arryn having Jon Arryn raisie up Petyr and him later serving Queen Cersei while Jorah ending up serving Daenerys in exile. They also end up betraying the people they serve with Littlefinger having a hand in the War of Five Kings and being behind Joffrey's murder, killing Lysa and Jorah spying on Daenerys.

"I've told the khal he ought to make for Meereen," Ser Jorah said. "They'll pay a better price than he'd get from a slaving caravan. Illyrio writes that they had a plague last year, so the brothels are paying double for healthy young girls, and triple for boys under ten. If enough children survive the journey, the gold will buy us all the ships we need, and hire men to sail them." -AGOT, Daenerys VII "I'm a good girl," Jeyne whimpered. "They trained me." -ADWD, Theon

Another thing they have in common is their attitude towards children and sex slavery. Petyr took the orphaned Jeyne Poole, forced her into sexual slavery at one of his brothels as shown by the whippings she endured for refusing and mentioning "she was trained." He then sent her to Ramsay Bolton of all people, likely not being ignorant of the things he had heard about him. Jorah had no qualms selling kids into sex slavery en masse, and when Dany tells him to stop Eroeh from being raped, he initially pushes back saying the Dothraki are claiming "their reward."

"You shouldn't kiss me. I might have been your own daughter . . ." "Might have been," he admitted, with a rueful smile. "But you're not, are you? You are Eddard Stark's daughter, and Cat's. But I think you might be even more beautiful than your mother was, when she was your age." -ASOS, Sansa VII "What did she look like, your Lady Lynesse?" Ser Jorah smiled sadly. "Why, she looked a bit like you, Daenerys." -ACOK, Daenerys I

It fits their creepy attitude towards the opposite gender with their fixation on young girls after the loss of their previous interests of affection. Petyr fixates on Cat's daughter Sansa Stark who does bear a noted resemblance to her mother while Jorah fixates on Daenerys who he admits looks like his ex-wife.

For half a heartbeat she yielded to his kiss . . . before she turned her face away and wrenched free. "What are you doing?" Petyr straightened his cloak. "Kissing a snow maid." . . . "You shouldn't kiss me. I might have been your own daughter . . ." -ASOS, Sansa VII It was a long kiss, though how long Dany could not have said. When it ended, Ser Jorah let go of her, and she took a quick step backward. "You . . . you should not have . . ." "I should not have waited so long," he finished for her. "I should have kissed you in Qarth, in Vaes Tolorru. I should have kissed you in the red waste, every night and every day. You were made to be kissed, often and well." His eyes were on her breasts. Dany covered them with her hands, before her nipples could betray her. "I . . . that was not fitting. I am your queen." -ASOS, Daenerys I

Their treatment towards these girls can be described as possessive and abusive. While posing to their girls as their protectors, they basically use it to enforce control over them. They force kisses on the girls, and when the girls make it clear they don't want them, simply dismiss them and continue to push. Petyr keeps Sansa in his custody under a false identity, effectively making him her guardian and keeping her completely dependent on him. Jorah tries to isolate Dany from other men in her life from Xaro to Barristan and Daario.

The main difference in Petyr is very vindictive, and works on the downfall of houses Stark and Tully over Cat's rejection and marriage while Jorah stays loyal to Daenerys and tries to seek her favor again. Neither man really takes accountability for the consequences of their actions.

Their fixations will ultimately prove to be their downfalls. Petyr underestimates the danger Sansa potentially poses to him as she is learning from him. Jorah in a desperate act, kidnaps Tyrion, and tries to go to Meereen to regain favor with Daenerys. He likely won't like the Ironborn suitor Victarion, and his actions will likely get himself killed.

#a song of ice and fire #asoiaf #littlefinger #petyr baelish #petyr littlefinger baelish #jorah mormont #jorah #catelyn stark #catelyn tully #daenerys targaryen #daenerys stormborn #queen daenerys

[jedimaesteryoda]

This feels like an obvious question but I haven’t really seen it asked/answered: what is your interpretation of Joffrey pointing at Tyrion while choking to death during the Purple Wedding? Was it Joff straightforwardly implicating his uncle? Or something else in your view?

I think it's possible Joffrey naturally thought Tyrion was the one who poisoned the wine. He instinctively thought it given he was dying and didn't exactly have the time to think it through. And tbh, he wasn't the one to think things through in the first place.

Or Joffrey was reaching out to someone for help out of desperation.

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #house lannister #tyrion lannister #joffrey baratheon

[jedimaesteryoda]

Hi there. Why do you think Jon Snow would delegate Cotter Pyke, his Commander at Eastwatch, the rather important task of retrieving the free folk from Hardhome when he could have given the job to say, Ser Glendon Hewett? Realistically, being he was from the Shield Islands, as well as being one of Jon’s old adversaries from back in ASOS, wouldn’t Ser Glendon be trusted to do a competent job with such an expedition? Would you consider this a mistake on Jon (or GRRMs) part?

Cotter Pyke was a former Ironborn reaver who was likely the most experienced seaman at Eastwatch, and he would have been expected to lead the expedition himself by virtue of being the commander.

Jon didn't know who Pyke would name to run things in his stead. Jon expected Pyke to go to Hardhome, get the wildlings onto the ships and go.

And to be fair, he didn't know the Lyseni pirates found themselves in Hardhome, and deceived the free folk into being kidnapped to be sold into slavery. That really fucked up his naval rescue efforts since now the wildlings didn't feel safe enough to board the ships, leaving them stalled.

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #jon snow #a dance with dragons #nights watch #wildlings #free folk #beyond the wall #the wall

[jedimaesteryoda]

Hello there, I was looking at the asoiaf appendices and noticed House Greyjoy’s current Maester is called Wendamyr - my question is, based on naming conventions in the story, where do you think Maester Wendamyr is from originally and do you think he would be of the nobility or lowborn? Thanks

We don't have a lot of info to go on him. He could be from anywhere. He was sent after Qalen was killed, so it's possible he was Ironborn so he knew enough of the Iron Isles' culture to avoid pissing off Balon.

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #house greyjoy

[jedimaesteryoda]

How do you think Sarella Sand/Alleras would have fared at the Archery contest during the Hand’s Tourney in AGOT?

I think she would have made it to the finals, but Anguy still would have won.

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #house martell