jedimaesteryoda

[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

[jedimaesteryoda]

One trend I've noticed a lot lately in the speculation of Tyrion meeting Daenerys is how he'll influence her. The argument often is that Tyrion will encourage her more "fire and blood" destructive tendencies when they get to Westeros. However, this view is often one-sided as it's always about how Tyrion will influence Daenerys but never about how Daenerys will influence Tyrion.

"Daenerys, I am thrice your age," Ser Jorah said. "I have seen how false men are. Very few are worthy of trust, and Daario Naharis is not one of them. Even his beard wears false colors." That angered her. "Whilst you have an honest beard, is that what you are telling me? You are the only man I should ever trust?" He stiffened. "I did not say that." "You say it every day. Pyat Pree's a liar, Xaro's a schemer, Belwas a braggart, Arstan an assassin . . . do you think I'm still some virgin girl, that I cannot hear the words behind the words?" "Your Grace—" She bulled over him. "You have been a better friend to me than any I have known, a better brother than Viserys ever was. You are the first of my Queensguard, the commander of my army, my most valued counselor, my good right hand. I honor and respect and cherish you—but I do not desire you, Jorah Mormont, and I am weary of your trying to push every other man in the world away from me, so I must needs rely on you and you alone. It will not serve, and it will not make me love you any better." -ASOS, Daenerys IV

Daenerys is not the sheltered child Aegon was who Tyrion could easily manipulate as shown when she called out Jorah for trying to isolate her from other men. Even Tyrion admitted to Aegon, having never met Daenerys that "she is strong" and "fierce." Daenerys was more worldly at 14 than Aegon is at 16. Even as a small, frightened girl at age 13 in the beginning of the series, she had more street smarts than her adult brother Viserys and has shown to be a prodigy in the series. Tyrion would not be able to manipulate her easily, especially since would initially be wary of him for being a Lannister.

Tyrion at the end of the day would be serving as her subordinate, him being largely dependent on her. Tyrion largely is the way he is because of the toxic family he grew up in. The Lannister vision has no idea of a Good Society, it's just pure self-aggrandizement by any means necessary. As the adage goes, rot always starts at the head. The monarchs Tyrion served as Hand, Joffrey and Cersei, were both cruel, incompetent tyrants with senses of entitlement that outweighed their actual abilities. They also had no concept of the duties of a monarch to their subjects, and instead just abused their power over others, including sexually. The one who actually ran the show for the Lannister regime, Tywin, was a cold, abusive Machiavellian who brutalized the smallfolk and his children, seeing them as pawns in his schemes. Tyrion could be cunning and brutal, because it was both encouraged and necessary for the winner-take-all, dog-eat-dog world of the Lannister court. It was an environment designed to bring out the darker side of his nature.

However, since the beginning we saw hints of the lighter side of his nature such as when he gave emotional support to Jon and designed a special saddle for Bran. He even helped Catelyn when they were attacked by the mountain clans even though she kidnapped him. In A Clash of Kings, we see hints of Tyrion wanting to be something other than the cold Machiavellian like his father when he stands up for Sansa when Joffrey beats her, and he has Morec killed and Slynt sent to the Wall for killing Barra, wanting to "do justice." In A Dance with Dragons, he risks his life to protect Aegon and even in his lowest he looks out for Penny even though she is a complete stranger to him.

Daenerys is a foil to Cersei, whose ruling philosophy is expressed in the statement "Why do the gods make kings and queens, if not to protect the ones who can't protect themselves?" Daenerys tries to live up to the image of an ideal monarch who protects the weak. She liberates the oppressed from slavery and tries to protect them, even performing acts like tending to those afflicted with the bloody flux herself, marrying someone she doesn't want and putting her plan of going to Westeros on hold to achieve peace. Working as Hand to Queen Daenerys, Tyrion may find himself in a change of pace in a different environment where for once his more positive tendencies are encouraged with his fondness for "cripples, bastards and broken things."

In short, in cutting himself off from his toxic family, Tyrion may actually find a new beginning in service to Daenerys. He's the Machiavellian polymath and court politician she needs, and she's the competent, idealistic monarch he needs.

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #queen daenerys #daenerys targaryen #daenerys stormborn #tyrion lannister #house lannister #house targaryen #meereen #queen cersei #cersei

[jedimaesteryoda]

Griffith: You were born with the so-called sword of the king, but to you, besides the burden, is meaningless . . . King of Midland: An imbecile like you wouldn't know the feelings of the king . . . !! For the people's lives and to carry the guilt, do you know how it feels . . . . . .?

Griffith's lifelong goal was to become a king yet when Griffith himself acknowledges that the King of Midland saw his crown as a burden, it never gives him cause to reconsider. Being king, as the King of Midland admitted, didn't make him happy, he wanted Charlotte instead (yuck) or in his own words "warmth." The king meant that he ultimately craved connection with his crown isolating him from others.

On nights of the full moon I'd become a small child and find myself embraced by nostalgic warmth. But when I wake from the dream all that remains is a faint sense of loneliness. That, too, soon fades away along with a single tear. Like morning dew.

Now, that he is the de facto King of Midland, Griffith learns like the King he served that it's lonely at the top, and cutting himself off from humanity to be a member of the Godhand left him isolated. The nights of "nostalgic warmth" he mentioned being his moments as the Moon Boy with Casca and Guts, the two remaining members of the Band of the Hawk who loved him so much they risked their lives to rescue him. He didn't realize he had what the king wanted: not just the love of Charlotte but warmth and companionship. The Band of the Hawk was his own kingdom.

Guts at the start has a similar issue. He wants to become the best warrior on the battlefield and seeks the strongest adversaries. However, we later come across his apostle counterpart Zodd, who had the same goal. In "Revelation (3)," we find Zodd on the battlefield wishing the Skull Knight was there because he was the only person who could best him. Once Zodd became the best, it became too easy since no one could challenge him and it stopped bringing him joy.

The difference between Guts and Griffith is Guts manages to grow and realize that he needed to more than just fight but find a reason for fighting. He ultimately finds his reason for fighting in the people he loves with the Band of the Hawk and later his party from the Conviction arc onwards. Griffith never came up with a reason for becoming king other than his own ambition. He even sacrificed his compassion for his men to avoid the pain in pursuit of his dream only to sacrifice them outright in the Eclipse. He doesn't find the peace he's looking for as Guts does.

#berserk #guts berserk #guts #griffith #nosferatu zodd #zodd the immortal #band of the hawk

[jedimaesteryoda]

The Water Gardens are my favorite place in this world, ser. One of my ancestors had them built to please his Targaryen bride and free her from the dust and heat of Sunspear. Daenerys was her name. She was sister to King Daeron the Good, and it was her marriage that made Dorne part of the Seven Kingdoms. -ADWD, The Watcher For her sake, Ned had built a small sept where she might sing to the seven faces of god -AGOT, Catelyn I

Maron Martell comes off as a Dornish version of Ned Stark to me:

Second child who inherited the seat when his sister married a Targaryen prince/older sibling became ineligible when they went to King's Landing

Married woman from a Great House from a different culture as part of an alliance.

Wife held affections of another man who started a war in part over being denied her

Provides crucial support during a civil war to his good-brother (as opposed to would-be good-brother)

What stands out is he built the Water Gardens so Daenerys who isn't used to the dry heat of Dorne would find an escape. That brings to mind Ned building a sept so his wife, a worshipper of the Seven, could pray to her gods.

I like to think Daenerys and Maron had a happy marriage, because like Ned, Maron proved to be a sensitive husband.

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