warsofasoiaf - Tumblr blog

[warsofasoiaf]

Dan Abnett seems to be the big warhammer writer to an outsider like me, but are there any other writers prominent, popular or get your personal vouch ?

Graham McNeill and John French are good, and Chris Wraight has made the White Scars come to life. ADB Night Lords is excellent.

Thabks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

Balon Greyjoy is an idiot of the highest order. I am not questioning that. What my question is though, did Balon reach out to the Lannisters in the hopes of an alliance because he was starting to realize that he did not have enough men and resources to take the entire north?

It's certainly possible, but it reinforces my theory that Balon had no strategic concept of victory and no true commitment to the Old Way, despite his grandiose claims in A Clash of Kings. True Iron Kings do not deign to treat with the greenlanders as equals - indeed, the Old Way presupposes a natural supremacy of the ironborn. So again, my point is that Balon had no designs on being a truly effective pirate lord, the terror of the Sunset Sea where ships sail only by his munificence, but rather Balon is a wholly small man looking to avenge himself against Eddard Stark who took his beloved Maron from him and stole away Theon as a hostage so that he could serve as a living embodiment of Greyjoy weakness.

So when Balon goes, begging Tywin to let him keep his meager conquests without anything to offer, to me that suggests that Balon didn't enter his war looking to establish himself as a truly independent Iron King, but rather to avenge his humiliations and satisfy his own personal ego via a Jungian totemic representation of their weaknesses.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

That does speak to a larger idea at play with the War of the Five Kings. Few actors are rational, and hilariously enough Robb, for all his mistakes, comes out north of average in his planning and assessment. Lysa needs to be rational instead of under Peytr's thumb in a sickeningly dependent sort of way, so the Vale breaks for him. Balon needs to be just venal and greedy and not desperately seeking a way to avenge the loss of his sons over the stupid war that Balon started, so the Ironborn hit Lannisport. It extends even further - Doran needs to ignore the slights of the Targaryen regime because the restoration undoes the time where the Martells were victims at the hands of a more righteous force.

GRRM's hand at play, of course, because he loves character work and there's nothing more human than doing something stupid because it makes you feel good in the moment.

-SLAL

From his plan for taking advantage of the interregnum after Balon's death, Robb seems to gained a better grasp on Ironborn succession through talks with Theon than the actual iron islander himself had (albeit with wishful/hopeful thinking blinders affecting Theon). A. Maybe he's not a political idiot? B. Do you think he was doubtful about making an ally of Balon, and maybe let Theon go primarily so he wouldn't have to kill him if Balon joined Team Joffrey or something?

I've always subscribed to the idea that "Robb is a political idiot" is an overly simplistic interpretation that tries to force the fit of Robb as a false protagonist to over-emphasize the virtue of the protagonists that remain. Robb makes mistakes, yes, and it is worthwhile to criticize him for them, but to mark him as somehow unique in this regard is largely a limiting one.

Honestly, I think Robb was expecting Balon to be more rational than he actually was, and that's not an entirely unrealistic expectation. If Balon wanted to be a pirate lord and seek out total personal advancement, Robb would have been correct. What Robb didn't understand is that Balon is much more of a small, petty man and an irrational actor besides. Balon isn't a man looking for his own personal glory, he's looking to avenge himself against Eddard Stark's ghost for making him feel small. Robb thought that Balon being a king would be enough, but that's not enough for Balon - he's willing to go to Tywin hat in hand begging to hold his meager conquests, shaming himself if it means he could have said that once, he fought against the Starks to avenge his pathetic loss. Shame of the new conquest is secondary, Balon just can't stand being made to feel small. It's pathetic and stupid, and that's why Robb can't predict it.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

From his plan for taking advantage of the interregnum after Balon's death, Robb seems to gained a better grasp on Ironborn succession through talks with Theon than the actual iron islander himself had (albeit with wishful/hopeful thinking blinders affecting Theon). A. Maybe he's not a political idiot? B. Do you think he was doubtful about making an ally of Balon, and maybe let Theon go primarily so he wouldn't have to kill him if Balon joined Team Joffrey or something?

I've always subscribed to the idea that "Robb is a political idiot" is an overly simplistic interpretation that tries to force the fit of Robb as a false protagonist to over-emphasize the virtue of the protagonists that remain. Robb makes mistakes, yes, and it is worthwhile to criticize him for them, but to mark him as somehow unique in this regard is largely a limiting one.

Honestly, I think Robb was expecting Balon to be more rational than he actually was, and that's not an entirely unrealistic expectation. If Balon wanted to be a pirate lord and seek out total personal advancement, Robb would have been correct. What Robb didn't understand is that Balon is much more of a small, petty man and an irrational actor besides. Balon isn't a man looking for his own personal glory, he's looking to avenge himself against Eddard Stark's ghost for making him feel small. Robb thought that Balon being a king would be enough, but that's not enough for Balon - he's willing to go to Tywin hat in hand begging to hold his meager conquests, shaming himself if it means he could have said that once, he fought against the Starks to avenge his pathetic loss. Shame of the new conquest is secondary, Balon just can't stand being made to feel small. It's pathetic and stupid, and that's why Robb can't predict it.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

I know Maegor never followed through with the plan, but would Bennifer’s scheme for detaching Clarissa Dayne’s house and lands from Dorne by marriage to Maegor even have worked, given in Dorne, women our lords in their own right, and their husband does not automatically acquire the rule?

As I've mentioned before, this is so critical to marriages between Dornish and non-Dornish houses that the clarification of such inheritance rights would be explicitly written into the marriage contract itself, observed by multiple witnesses likely to include both maesters and septons.

Given Maegor's failure to sire offspring, probably not, especially if Lady Clarissa had children or siblings of her own which would possess a stronger claim than Maegor's heir.

Thanks for the question, Ekendall.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

Do you know why Racefortheironthrone has been inactive?

Unfortunately, Professor Attewell passed on this past April.

-SLAL

[warsofasoiaf]

Why would Robert be so mean to Roose? Their only interaction was Roose wanted to kill Barristan, who, frankly, wasn't a keeper in hindsight. His idea of civics is that because House Baratheon institutes mandatory retirement, Aerys' tyranny was OK & he might as well sign up with a couple of kids as long as a 60 year old with no medical training thinks they're not obviously crazy. And way to be the only Small Councilor to miss the twincest, which is also total supervisory failure wrt Jaime.

Who said anything about being mean? Robert would think Roose is freaky because of his behavior. He talks in a whisper and is leeched regularly. In ACOK, he even does it in full view of his subordinates in an LBJ-esque dominance display, which would certainly be the talk of gossip if he did it. Faced with all that, Robert is probably going to think Roose is pretty freaky.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

I always felt that a stroke was a rather inglorious way for Aegon to go. He was the man who forged the iron throne and brought Westeros to heel. But he doesn’t die in glorious battle or peacefully in his bed. Instead he dies showing two of his grandchildren how he had carried out his conquest, one moment there and the next moment gone.

Well, that is kind of the way strokes go. And it is a very real thing particularly when you get into your older years. Aegon I was not "old" old, but he was 64, definitely no spring chicken, and that can just happen.

-SLAL

[warsofasoiaf]

What do you think Robert Baratheon thought of Roose Bolton?

Freak.

-SLAL

[warsofasoiaf]

On a scale of Little Boy the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Fat Man a nuke that stretches 8 km into the sky, B83 the most powerful weapon in the US nuclear arsenal equivalent to 1.2 mil tonnes of TNT, Castle Bravo the biggest nuke ever detonated by the US ever, and finally the Tsar Bomba, the most powerful nuke ever created and tested on earth equal to 50 million tonnes of TNT (but detonated at half its payload), where would you say dragons range? Thanks love your blog!

Smaller by a whole heck of a lot. Visenya was struck by a bow while performing draconic attacks, that puts a dragon's fire maximum range at roughly 1,000 feet if she was struck by one of the longest range longbows in existence (for the medieval time period). The fire is an incendiary, there is no detonation. This makes dragons far weaker than nukes, a testament to the awesome power of nuclear weapons.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

Hello! Concerning Duskendale, do you put any faith in the theory that Tywin used lord Denys as a fall guy to get Aerys murdered? He seemed awfully calm saing they had a better king in Rhaegar should Aerys die.

I don't think so - it would have required Tywin to predict the notably paranoid and irrational Aerys II. I think rather than being a pre-planned assassination, Tywin was being cavalier with the hopes that Aerys *would* be assassinated, but I don't believe he pre-planned it.

Thanks for the question, Rig.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

I was reading about the Defiance of Duskendale. This whole event is baffling. What was Denys Darklyn thinking? The moment he captured Aerys, the Darklyns were doomed. He can't release Aerys even if he reached an agreement with Tywin. How would he ensure that Aerys won't execute him once he is free? He can't kill Aerys and hope that Rhaegar would be more merciful. It would undermine the Targaryen rule. There was not a single good outcome for him. Why did he rebel in such a manner?

I think Aerys probably ranted about how Denys was committing treason or something and the Darklyns panicked. If he had planned from the first to seize Aerys, he probably would have had a ship ready to flee to Essos.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

The use of that specific verbiage with those other relationships does offer a hint of that. Good catch. The "slake hungers" comment isn't as strong, Rhaenyra could just as easily be suggesting that she will take on a lover as it pleases her, which is already an established trait of Rhaenyra's with Breakbones.

-SLAL

So, I saw an argument about HotD which has a scene with Rhaenyra kissing Mysaria, which one person said was a change due to either wanting representation or a nod to the actor's sexuality. But the other guy said Rhaenyra was bi in the books and up to a lot of stuff with women. I'm not great at subtext, it took Jaime's comment about shoving Loras' sword where Renly never went to clue me in about them. Is there textual implications of Rhaenyra going extra-martial with folk other than Harwin?

To the best of my knowledge, the books do not suggest that Rhaenyra ever exhibited sexual interest in women. Depending on what source you believe, she may have expressed sexual interest in Criston Cole and she undoubtedly was attracted to Harwin "Breakbones" Strong - both men. She was known to have female friendships, particularly early when she was the "Realm's Delight," but I don't see anything that suggests she was bisexual.

But that being said, that is not an area that I have particular expertise on, nor is it one I have much interest in. You might want to ask someone else for a better answer.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

So, I saw an argument about HotD which has a scene with Rhaenyra kissing Mysaria, which one person said was a change due to either wanting representation or a nod to the actor's sexuality. But the other guy said Rhaenyra was bi in the books and up to a lot of stuff with women. I'm not great at subtext, it took Jaime's comment about shoving Loras' sword where Renly never went to clue me in about them. Is there textual implications of Rhaenyra going extra-martial with folk other than Harwin?

To the best of my knowledge, the books do not suggest that Rhaenyra ever exhibited sexual interest in women. Depending on what source you believe, she may have expressed sexual interest in Criston Cole and she undoubtedly was attracted to Harwin "Breakbones" Strong - both men. She was known to have female friendships, particularly early when she was the "Realm's Delight," but I don't see anything that suggests she was bisexual.

But that being said, that is not an area that I have particular expertise on, nor is it one I have much interest in. You might want to ask someone else for a better answer.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

What do you think of the recent GRRM blog post that was taken done immediately? Although if it was for spoiler reasons they know people can find it out in a google search or you know read the book it was based on!

I don't think it was for spoiler reasons. It could have been seen as too spicy and might hurt the brand, that GRRM was criticizing the show for poor writing and that could hurt later viewership. You'd be better off asking someone who follows that a bit more closely - I don't watch HotD so these statements kind of just pop up.

Though I'm in agreement with Martin, a lot of adaptations end up doing things that cause ripples through the story that end up with plot holes when they try to spot-weld it all together.

Thanks for the question, James.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[warsofasoiaf]

You’re just going to ignore anything that doesn’t fit with your views, aren’t you? This was pointless.

If you need to believe I was ignoring you after very pointedly listening to you and criticizing your arguments for being very poorly substantiated, go for it. It’s not my fault you couldn’t substantiate your arguments.

-SLAL

[warsofasoiaf]

You think any pious Dornish fought in the Faith Militant uprising?

If they were members of the Warrior's Sons or Poor Fellows, sure, I don't see why not.

Thanks for the question, Ekendall.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King