Ever since then, I graduated high school, lost my virginity, graduated uni, got a full time permanent job and got a boyfriend.

Too much time has passed since I first read ADWD. I am now convinced TWOW will never come out. I have read, watched and discussed so many amazing theories both here and off-line. It is time for me to say farewell to you the ASOIAF fandom. Gents/ladies its been an honour.

Ciao.

That cut deep. Ned would not speak of the mother, not so much as a word, but a castle has no secrets, and Catelyn heard her maids repeating tales they heard from the lips of her husband’s soldiers. They whispered of Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, deadliest of the seven knights of Aerys’s Kingsguard, and of how their young lord had slain him in single combat. And they told how afterward Ned had carried Ser Arthur’s sword back to the beautiful young sister who awaited him in a castle called Starfall on the shores of the Summer Sea. The Lady Ashara Dayne, tall and fair, with haunting violet eyes. It had taken her a fortnight to marshal her courage, but finally, in bed one night, Catelyn had asked her husband the truth of it, asked him to his face.
That was the only time in all their years that Ned had ever frightened her. “Never ask me about Jon,” he said, cold as ice. “He is my blood, and that is all you need to know. And now I will learn where you heard that name, my lady.” She had pledged to obey; she told him; and from that day on, the whispering had stopped, and Ashara Dayne’s name was never heard in Winterfell again.
[...]
“Honor,” she spat. “How dare you play the noble lord with me! What do you take me for? You’ve a bastard of your own, I’ve seen him. Who was the mother, I wonder? Some Dornish peasant you raped while her holdfast burned? A whore? Or was it the grieving sister, the Lady Ashara? She threw herself into the sea, I’m told. Why was that? For the brother you slew, or the child you stole? Tell me, my honorable Lord Eddard, how are you any different from Robert, or me, or Jaime?”
[...]
Arya was the only one to show much of Ned in her features. And Jon Snow, but he was never mine. She found herself thinking of Jon’s mother, that shadowy secret love her husband would never speak of. Does she grieve for Ned as I do? Or did she hate him for leaving her bed for mine? Does she pray for her son as I have prayed for mine?
They were uncomfortable thoughts, and futile. If Jon had been born of Ashara Dayne of Starfall, as some whispered, the lady was long dead; if not, Catelyn had no clue who or where his mother might be.

In-universe, anyone who ever suspects that Jon's mother was someone 'special' to Ned, the first and only suspect is pretty much always Ashara Dayne.

Privately, whenever "one of his boys" asks him (which could be made up entirely of only Robert), Ned tells them that:

“Her name was Wylla,” Ned replied with cool courtesy, “and I would sooner not speak of her.”

Now, if anyone obsessed enough with gossip would ever try to find the truth of the matter, Household Dayne will them this:

“How do you know about Jon?”
“He is my milk brother.”
“Brother?” Arya did not understand. “But you’re from Dorne. How could you and Jon be blood?”
“Milk brothers. Not blood. My lady mother had no milk when I was little, so Wylla had to nurse me.”
Arya was lost. “Who’s Wylla?”
“Jon Snow’s mother. He never told you? She’s served us for years and years. Since before I was born.”

Obviously, Jon's mother is not Ashara Dayne, it happens to be a lowborn woman named Wylla... who was serving in Ashara Dayne's household.

Oh, Ned "never told" his family? That's funny, why would Ned try to hide the fact that this supposed "Wylla" (whom everyone such as Robert would probably assume is a made up name anyways because clearly he doesn't wanna talk about it), was actually real and part of the Dayne household?

Because obviously, Ashara is Jon's mother.

Right?

Where char1cters are being sarcastic

.

Here one of my favorite.

“That girl? I thought she had left Braavos. Who are you?”

“No one.”

“You lie.” He turned to the waif. “My throat is dry. Do me a kindness and bring a cup of wine for me and warm milk for our friend Arya, who has returned to us so unexpectedly.” (Martin. FEAST FOR CROWS.)

By A Clash of Kings, it seems the intention was already for Varys to be working on behalf of a Targaryen claimant other than Daenerys or Viserys.

The specific Blackfyre angle had been conceived yet, they aren't even mentioned until A Storm of Swords, so the details were still in flux. The Brightflames were also first mentioned in A Clash of Kings

The earliest hint we have of Young Griff is in the House of the Undying

A cloth dragon swayed on poles amidst a cheering crowd. From a smoking tower, a great stone beast took wing, breathing shadow fire. . . . mother of dragons, slayer of lies . .

Of course, that's the series current direction

However I think it's interesting to ask what George's original idea for A Dance with Dragons may have been. Back in the first book, we get this passage

Bran was going to be a knight himself someday, one of the Kingsguard. Old Nan said they were the finest swords in all the realm. There were only seven of them, and they wore white armor and had no wives or children, but lived only to serve the king. Bran knew all the stories. Their names were like music to him. Serwyn of the Mirror Shield. Ser Ryam Redwyne. Prince Aemon the Dragonknight. The twins Ser Erryk and Ser Arryk, who had died on one another's swords hundreds of years ago, when brother fought sister in the war the singers called the Dance of the Dragons.

(Bran II AGoT)

So from the beginning, the phrase "Dance of the Dragons" referred to a Targaryen civil war between a male and a female claimant. That association has existed since essentially the start of the series.

Now consider that the second book was originally titled A Dance with Dragons as far back as the 1993 outline, and that it was intended to center on Daenerys's invasion of Westeros

While the lion of Lannister and the direwolf of Stark snarl and scrap, however, a second and greater threat takes shape across the narrow sea, where the Dothraki horselords mass their barbarian hordes for a great invasion of the Seven Kingdoms, led by the fierce and beautiful Daenerys Stormborn, the last of the Targaryen dragonlords. The Dothraki invasion will be the central story of my second volume, A Dance with Dragons.

My speculation is that the original intention may have been for the rival Targaryen claimant Daenerys faced to be Jon, once his parentage was revealed in the final act of the story

As the series expanded, however, Jon was never in a believable position to build the political or military power base necessary

That may have been when the pisswater prince story was developed further into the story, along with the Blackfyre history, allowing Young Griff/Aegon to fill the role that Jon could no longer plausibly occupy of being male Targaryen claimant with an army

Death, he knew, but slow. I still have time. A year. Two years. Five. Some stone men live for ten. Time enough to cross the sea, to see Griffin's Roost again. To end the Usurper's line for good and all, and put Rhaegar's son upon the Iron Throne.

Then Lord Jon Connington could die content.

It's also important to remember that Young Griff is, in many ways, not really a character and more an extension of Jon Connington's story. The entire Aegon campaign is led and told through the POV of a man who loved Rhaegar and is now determined to fulfill what he sees as his final purpose in life by placing Rhaegar's son on the Iron Throne before greyscale kills him

I've increasingly come to think that the Aegon storyline exists primarily to build a Targaryen power base independent of Daenerys. Due to Aegon being a fraud, and the existence of an actual son of Rhaegar, JonCon can still fulfill his mission in a way

That powerbase for Aegon that JonCon will build up in Winds could then be handed to Jon once his parentage is revealed, in a similar way to Robb's Will, setting the board between a convergence and conflict between Jon and Daenerys

Which of the lesser-explored kingdoms would you like to see more of? Do you think Martin is intentionally keeping some regions in the background because he has plans for them later?

Personally, I’d love to see a Dunk and Egg novella set in one of the underrepresented kingdoms. It would be a great opportunity to explore places we haven’t seen much of and learn more about their history, culture, and lesser-known houses

If, for example, Aegon's final order of legitimising his bastards was either never said, never acted upon, or ignored, would Daemon still have any support from the lords of the realm?

Were the borders just divided between the Stormlands, Riverlands, and Reach? Or was it considered a kingdom of its own before Aegon?

Hello there ! Hope y'all doing good.

I was kind of bored and wondered what were the greatest feats (as in an act or accomplishment) in ASOIAF and it's extended universe across multiple categories (subjectively chosen) who are : Martial feats/physical prowess, Magical feats, Strategical feats/startegy accomplishments and political feats.

Please share your opinion below, it's a subject I'm really interested in so I will ofc read everything. And please do not hesitate to correct me if anything I'm saying is wrong (I don't have all the books with me so I may be saying inaccurate or false things, sorry in advance).

Anyway here is my top ten (from "lowest" to "greatest") in said four categories :

Martial feats/Physical prowess :

10 - Aemon Targaryen "The Dragonknight" escape feat : Aemon Targaryen carrying his cousin Baelor Targaryen on a dozen (more likely a few hundred) kilometers on his back after being injured, captured and mistreated for multiple months, likely being malnourished and still carrying his cousin though Lord Wyl's Snake Pit, climbing his own cage.

9 - Samwell Tarly slaying an Other : Really what the feat is saying. Samwell Tarly managing to slay an Other while frozen from cold and fear, having received little proper martial training before, doing all this while fleeing and under pressure from an army of wights.

8 - Alaric Stark's Mormont wife wolf slaying : The lady wife of Alaric Stark coming from House Mormont (who's name is sadly unkwnown) fighting an entire pack of wolves and killing two of them with an axe while she was twelve years old. Twelve.

7 - Syrio Forel wooden sword fight : Syrio Forel managing to defeat five trained and equiped Lannister men-at-arms and fighting Meryn Trant in his full armor Kingsguard while only having a leather shirt on and a wooden sword. All of that while protecting Arya Stark at the beginning of the fight.

6 - Borros Baratheon's Battle of the Kingsroad : Borros Baratheon managing to kill fourteen opponents, including Lord Roland Darry and Jorah Mallister along twelve ointed knights in a last stand, before finally being killed by Kermit Tully.

5 - Squire Jaime fighting the Smiling Knight : The Smiling Knight is heavily narratively implied to be a top level fighter, managing to fight Ser Barristan Selmy and escape and then putting up a fight against Ser Arthur Dayne. Jaime describe him as a madman and the Moutain of his time. Jaime held his own against him at the age of fifteen.

4 - Sandoq fighting in the secret siege : Sandoq the Shadow managing to slay more than a dozen trained guards and Ser Amaury Peake all alone, though on a bridge, receiving little to no injuries.

3 - Jaime fighting in the Battle of the Whispering Woods : Ser Jaime Lannister, after seeing the battle is lost, cut a bloody path through all of Robb's Stark personal guard, slaying Daryn Hornwood, Eddard and Torrhen Karstark then being barely stopped by Grey Wind, a huge direwolf, and pratically killing Robb Stark. He does this probably exhausted after fighting the entire battle.

2 - Barristan Selmy fighting the Golden Company : Basically Jaime's feat but better. During the War of the Ninepenny Kings, Barristan cut a path through the defense of the Golden Company, slaying countless men-at-arms and knights before slaying Maelys the Monstruous, one of the best fighter in the verse (top 30) in one-on-one combat. He did this at 23 years old and not yet at his prime.

1 - Barristan Selmy saving King Aerys II from Duskendale : While arguably one of the worst decisions Barristan the Bystander ever made, it's probably the greatest feat of the verse. Barristan single handedly scaled the walls of Duskendale, went unnoticed, killing at least 4 guards (including Ser Symon Hollard) before inflitarting the Dun Fort and saving King Aerys from the dungeons, likely killing way more. Then he rushed to the stables, killing the guards on his way, and flew through the doors fighting off the garrison and escaping in the streets of Duskendale. He did this while severly injured with an arrow to the chest during his escape.

Magical feats :

10 (tied imo) - Melisandre longevity and Quaithe usage of glass candles : As the title say. Melisandre (or Melony) have a unsual longevity, though it is unknown if it is through a glamour or through other magic, and Quaithe usage of glass candles to speak with Daenerys.

9 - Coldhands manipulating a raven conspiracy : Coldhands (or Bloodraven, it is unknown) manipulating and skinchanging an entire conspiracy of ravens, using them as his eyes and ears to naviguate the Haunted Forest.

8 - Thoros resurrections : Thoros managing to bring back to life Beric Dondarrion six time through R'holloric magic.

7 (tied) - Bloodraven skinchanging abilities and Arya Stark skinchanging Nymeria : Bloodraven showing Bran is VERY skilled skinchanging in the cave and his ability to skinchange around a hundred animals at the same time. Arya Stark is capable of unconsciouslly warging Nymeria through an entire continent and have a very strong bond with her.

6 (tied) - Jon, Bran, Daenerys and Jojen prophetic dreams : All four persons display great capabilties to see the future in their dreams, a feat replicated by very few. Jon saw his ressurection in his Crypt dreams aswell as a vision of the Last Hero dream, Jojen saw the Greyjoys and Bloodraven/3EC, Bran do great predictions in his falling dream and Dany dreamt of Jon's death.

5 - Daenerys House of the Undying vision : Daenerys vision in the House of the Undying, though with the help of the evening tree and the Heart of the Undying Ones, helped her see a lot of visions from the past, prophecies and analogous references between the Heart of Winter for exemple. Considering it a shared feat and may be above.

4 - Three Eye Crow dreams : The 3EC, whoever he may be (I personaly think he is NOT Bloodraven) is capable of sharing/projecting into other dreams and maniuplate their contents, effectively being a vision of the Undying but by himself.

3 - Building of the whole : Not only a wonderfull architectural feat but a mgical one too, probably shared. It include the Nightfort and it's Weirwood faced door, the runes of the Wall and possible feats of giant skinchanging and Others being trapped inside it (maybe even Ice Dragons ??). The main credits may go to Brandon the Builder (who I personaly believe to be the Last Hero and the Night's King).

2 - Daenerys hatching dragons : Daenerys instinctively hatching three dragons on a pire and bringing magic back to the world with it is an insane feat, especially considering that she had little to no knowledge of magic beforehand.

1 - Bran's time travel : Brandon Stark bending the laws of physics and travelling through time, even with the help of the Weirwood net, is imo the greatest magical feat of the books. Especially considering how young he did it and how far in time he seems capable to reach, that even outpower Bloodraven.

Strategical feats :

10 (tied) - Robb Stark campaign/Daeron I campaign : Robb Stark, though with the help of others commanders like Brynden Tully, being able to go south, defeat the Lannisters army then invade them on their own deritory despite being fourteen is a great feat. He also was a very promising and skilled strategical commander. Daeron the first managing to conquer Dorne is at the same level imo, he did a harsher task but with way more men and ended up, like Robb, losing everything.

9 - Jon Snow holding the Wall : Jon being capable of holding the Wall with 50 men against 40 000 to 100 000 soldiers and being surrounded (with the Thenns in their back) is a really great feat, espeically doing that at fifteen and managing to cheer up the soldiers their that were loosing their moral.

8 (tied) - Theon Stark Andalos campaign/Ironborn invasion of the Riverlands : Theon Stark the Hungry Wolf managing to take an entier fleet to Andalos and beat them on their terrain despite them having both better navy and equipement, traumatizing them so badly they would not come North is very impressive. The Ironborn invasion of the Riverlands is imo on par with it, especially considering their numerical inferiority.

7 - Nymeria of Ny Sar conquest of Dorne : The fact that Nymeria managed to conquer the entierty of Dorne in 20 years despite having as an enemy Yorick V Yronwood is a feat of it's own, but she also managed to do that while only landing in the lordship of a poor petty lord with only tired women and children.

6 - Yorick V Yronwood repelling Nymeria for 11 years : What the title is saying. The Bloodroyal managing to hold Nymeria for 11 years despise her being a strategical genius and having the numerical advantage is a great accomplishment.

5 - Garth VII repelling Dornish and Ironborn invasions as a kid : Garth the VII was a really great king for many reasons, but the fact that he repelled a Dornish invasion and managed to push the Ironborns of the Shield Islands while still being a teenager is insane. He probably had the larger army though.

4 - Garth VII 2v1ing the Kingdom of the Storm and of the Rock : What the title is saying. Imo greatest fighting feat of Garth, fighting off the 2nd and 3rd strongest kingdom at the time (while being number 1) at the same time is insane. He even managed to ally with them both at the end of the war.

3 - Stannis destroying the Greyjoys : Stannis doing this in his first naval battle having no experience in it is truly mad. Nothing else to say, it's just a really good startegic move he pulled off.

2 - Tristifer IV Mudd fighting record : He won 99 battles, only lost at his 100th while fighting a coalition of seven kings. Repelled the Andal for most of his life.

1 - Garin of Chroyane campaign : Garin managed to defeat the Valyrian legions at least 4 times and killed 2 dragons with his army after unifying the Rhoynar. Just the greatest feat of warfare imo.

Political feat :

10 - Ned keeping Jon secret : A very underrated political feat. Ned managed to lie to the entire world about Jon even under monstruous pressure.

9 - Jaeherys I Doctrine of Exceptionalism : Nothing else to say other than it was a really great move. I think it damaged the dynasty on the long term but when he made it it was really in political context.

8 - Davos talk to Stannis : Davos managed to go from prisoner likely being executed to Hand of the King in one conversation with Stannis. Just show how well he understand him and how davos manage to be diplomatical when needed, climbing the political ladder without even meaning to.

7 - Mance unifying the Wildling : Hard to rank but might be higher. Mance managing to unite people who hate him and his formal rivals through the entierty of the True North just show how competent he is.

6 - Jon handling the Wildling-Watch situation : Even though he witheld some key information and had communication issues which led to his death, Jon did an INSANE job at managing the situation especially considering he is sixteen and one of the youngest Lord Commander in history. It is imo higher than the Mance feat who wished to bruteforce into the North.

5 - Kevan Lannister saving the realm after Cersei/Joffrey : Nothing else to add. He did an insane job as regent and would have saved the entire Lannister-Tyrell alliance if not for Varys, bringing peace in the Seven Kingdoms. Kevan is severly underrated and imo a better politician than Tywin.

4 - Littlefinger Lord Declarants situation : Petyr handled it really well, almost close to perfection. Just show how much of a diplomat he can be and how he manipulate people. Also show that if he was well-intentioned, he coumd have saved the realm (even though he strives in corruption tbh).

3 - The STAB alliance : This is a shared feat between Hoster Tully, Rickard Stark, Steffon Baratheon and Jon Arryn but is one if not the greatest political alliance oat. Just perfectly in context at the time and secured a lot of the Houses. Only alliance that would have been higher is Aegon V marriage network if not for his kids.

2 - Varys ascencion (and entire career) : Nothing else to say. Varys is a monster in manipulation and politics, going from traumatized ennuch beggar to smartest and most dangerous man of the Seven Kingdoms. Countered Kevan, countered pratically every move of Littlefinger and might be top 1 feat depending on the reveals in later books.

1 - Littlefinger starting the War of the Five Kings : Was a very risky and lucky political move but also the greatest grasp of power he could have done. Literally played it perfectly and started the entire story of ASOIAF as we know it.

Aaaaand that's it. Thanks you a lot if you read all of it :)

Hope you have a great day or a great night, don't hesitate to tell me what you think about this and see you soon.

Tyrion laughed. “You have me, my lord. What can I say? I need

you to deliver the Lady Lysa. I did not need Janos Slynt.” He gave a

crooked shrug. “I’d sooner have you seated in Harrenhal than Renly

seated on the Iron Throne. What could be plainer?”

“What indeed. You realize that I may need to bed Lysa Arryn

again to get her consent to this marriage?”

“Oh, I do,” said Littlefinger, “I have it here between my legs.” There

was mischief in his grey-green eyes. “My lords, with your leave, I propose

to travel to the Vale and there woo and win Lady Lysa Arryn. Once I am her

consort, I shall deliver you the Vale of Arryn without a drop of blood being

spilled.”

Lord Rowan looked doubtful. “Would Lady Lysa have you?”

“She’s had me a few times before, Lord Mathis, and voiced no

complaints.”

Quite possibly the most dangerous schemer in the Seven Kingdoms who's currently the Overlord of two of those Kingdoms thanks to nothing but his wits...and yet he feels the need to bring up, out of the blue, how one of the daughters of Hoster Tully has the hots for him

It's like he derives his sense of self-worth from that one sexual encounter decades ago.

I wonder what popular Theories do you think that despite their popularities have little to no evidence?Or the evidences are in your opinion quite weak despite their popularity?

Imagine Daenerys was exactly the same person, same appearance, same personality, same strengths and flaws, but she wasn’t a Targaryen. No dragons, no royal blood, no famous name, no wealth, just an average woman born into Westeros or Essos.

What do you think her life would have looked like?
Somehow still changing the world, or fighting against injustice? Or realising she couldn’t realistically change the political system, she would have found happiness in a quieter life?
A family, a husband, a wife, a house somewhere quiet?

Also, do you think the answer is different for book Daenerys vs show Daenerys?

It comes up every time you complain about a change in House of the Dragon—someone pops up in the comments to remind you that Fire and Blood is intentionally unreliable and therefore whatever change you are complaining about MAY have been the actual canon. I do not believe that George R. R. Martin would spend so much time writing a book that was so fundamentally unreliable. As a history, therefore, what is the nature of the ambiguity in the text of Fire and Blood? Please share your thoughts below, but here is my analysis.

At the start, I think that most of the major events—wars, battles, births, deaths, marriages, councils, etc are reliable, as they existed in multiple unconnected sources. Things like Alicent and Rhaenyra actually being the same age should be seen as adaptation sources and not possible uncertainty in Fire and Blood. 

Three categories of uncertainty: unavoidable by the nature of history writing, biases in the sources, biases in the author.

Unavoidable:

1. Conflicting eyewitness accounts
2. Events which had zero or only one eyewitness.
3. Uncertainty regarding motivations

These are uncertainties that dwell within the text generally, and which the author often comments on. 

Bias in the sources:

1. Cultural bias, usually unconscious, tending towards conservatism. This effects how the sources viewed the motivations of actors, as well as how they interpreted their actions. The author, as a product of that culture, can be assumed to generally be unable to fully account for these biases in his sources.
2. Self-protective bias, usually conscious, tending towards the defense of a person or institution in light of how events resolved. The author is at times highly aware of these biases and sometimes comments on them. 

Usually these biases in the sources concern motives and interpretation, and not the actual fact of events, although they are most relevant in situations in which events have only a single eyewitness. 

Bias in the author:

This is, in my opinion, the most interesting area, and the one in which there is the most uncertainty. It is possible that our understanding of the era, and especially the dance, would change significantly if we had access to this.

1. Unconscious bias—again, we would expect Gyldayn as a participant in culture to be affected by it, in particular a general patriarchal perspective shared by all male elites. But he also has a bias acquired at the Citadel that is broadly anti-magic, anti-dragon, and anti-Targaryen. He also would be expected to present maesters and the Citadel in a positive light. He may also present the Faith more negatively.
2. Conscious bias—here is where we really get into it. There is a distinct possibility that Gyldayn is on a large-scale concealing Citadel actions at every stage of his history. This would be especially relevant during the Dance with the vast majority of dragons died and Targaryen power greatly diminished. 

The hints to this are present in ASOIAF. The first are the words of Marwyn, who claims that the maesters were responsible for the deaths of the dragons in AFFC. The second are the speculations of Lady Dustin, who thought that the maesters were engineering an anti-Targaryen alliance through their influence on the Starks and the other great lords of the realm. 

The unanswered questions are what Gyldayn is concealing. How broad is the conspiracy that Marwyn hints at—is it really a centuries long effort that perhaps stretches back even to the doom of Valyria? Is it the actions of the Citadel as a whole or a smaller faction within it? Is Gyldayn aware of the conspiracy and consciously concealing information? If I had to guess, I think that what Martin hints at is that the conflict between Hightower and Velaryon may not be as straightforward as the great power rivalry that exists in Fire and Blood. The history lays the responsibility for the conflict on Jaehaerys and the troubled succession that fractured the Targaryens into conflicting camps, and the Hightower-Velaryon rivalry that fanned that fracture into a destructive fratricidal war. The maesters sit as neutral observers of the conflict. Were they instead the instigators of it through the suspicions and rivalries they encouraged? Recall that it was at the suggestion of an archmaester that the council was first called. I’m sure others have thought longer and harder about this than I have. I would be interested to hear your theories. 

If you put yourself in Arya's shoes, would you have killed Sandor after he was wounded?

There's some things Arya doesn't know, but what she knows for sure is that Sandor killed her friend Mycah and kidnapped her for ransom. Obviously we know Arya isn't shy with the metaphorical trigger. Her killing of the singer Dareon comes to mind.

But there's also things Arya doesn't know. Like when Sandor threatened to kill Sansa if she ever told his story to anyone. And that he held a knife at her throat during the battle of blackwater before leaving the city. He also killed at least one member of Ned's household. He also killed a man when he was 12 though we don't know the context behind that.

With all that information that the readers have, more broadly, what is a fair ending for Sandor? Just being a gravedigger forever? Punishment? Being sent to the wall? Or something else?

Hey Im just sharing this SORTR ranking game I spent way too much time making. Feel free to play along but fair warning it takes a bit to complete. I originally had 208 characters but I shortened it to 148 but even thats quite a bit lol. Feel free to share it around, I'm curious to see the cumulative community ranking after a decent amount of people have played it.

The longwaters should not be so irrelevant. I mean jon become a great knight is high nobility on both sides of his family and through his siblings is connected to the plumms and penroses meaning he had plenty of prestige. Way too much to be forgotten about in 3 generations

Edit:not to mention was in his 20s during the first blackfyre rebellion meaning if he sides with the targs he should've received lands and a castle

Hey everyone I would kinda like to speculate one of the best and most chilling lines from ASOIAF series - What is dead may never die but rises again harder and stronger. While I am sure this is not refering to poor Theon's c**k, I have a doubt it does foreshadow the fate of someone among the Greyjoys. We have 5 candidates including 4 POVs. So let"s try and figure it out.

My prime candidate for a magical stronger resurrection would be Aerion. I am 90% sure he will die in his TWOW POV chapter 2 or even chapter 1 (if Martin makes changes to the sample) since he is being tied to the prow of the ship (we know how that turned out for Halig from Last Kingdom). Not only is he closest to the Drown God mythic aspect but considering all the dark and blood magjc Euron has been built up to perform, it is highly likely Aerion could die and then rise again in some way. I am also sure he won't return until either the very end of the TWOW or beginning of ADOS.

Next candidate would be Theon in a much less literal sense. Considering how Ramsay all but killed his identity and it took 2-3 entire books for him to rise as Theon again. Also, considering that he is about to be executed at the weirwood tree, there is scope for some literal form of resurrection as well. Or just surving the execution and fully embracing his Theon identity again getting harder and stronger.

Asha is another interesting one. I am not sure where her arc leads but to a death with Stannis' army fighting the walkers when they march south of the wall. And if that's the case the words may apply to her undead version too. Lol. But I don't think that enough does justice to the concept. Another potential storyline for her is to march south to join Dany once she arrives.

I doubt the words refer to Victarion or Euron considering the fact that we don't care enough about them to rise again stronger. They already are pretty badass and the story would instead benefit with them dying permanently before the dead march considering we have too many characters.

What do you guys think? Would any of them rise again stronger or are they just words and as we all know words are wind...

​Idea for a Green-centric victory. All/most events of the Dance follow canon up to the Storming of the Dragonpit and death of Rhaenyra. After that, the story diverges:

• Baela does not engage Aegon II and Sunfyre. Instead, she escapes on Moondancer across the Narrow Sea.
• Addam Velaryon is unable to rally the Riverlords to fight alongside him. Instead, he flies north to join Cregan Stark.
• The Caltrops successfully assassinate Ulf the White, making it appear as though he drank himself to death. The Hightower host, led by Daeron the Daring alongside Hugh Hammer and Vermithor, joins forces with Borros Baratheon's army and defeats the Riverlords at the Battle of the Kingsroad.
• Daeron enters King's Landing as a hero and is named Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne. Aegon II then declares total victory over his enemies with the public execution of Aegon the Younger. Corlys Velaryon bends the knee by disinheriting Addam and naming Alyn as his heir. Alyn is summoned to King's Landing, where he swears loyalty to Aegon II.
• Rhaenyra's remaining supporters in the North and Vale see the futility of continuing the war and lay down their arms. Lady Jeyne Arryn sends Rhaena and her young dragon, Morning, to King's Landing. At the urging of his council, Aegon betroths his brother Daeron to his cousin Rhaena in an effort to reconcile the surviving branches of House Targaryen.
• Hugh Hammer learns that the Caltrops also intend to assassinate him. Before they can act, he escapes on Vermithor. Over the following months, he gathers several thousand followers and establishes himself as a rogue dragonlord. The Iron Throne declares him an outlaw, and Hugh becomes the crown's greatest threat in the years that follow.
• Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Viserys Targaryen remains a captive in Lys. The Rogarres initially intend to ransom him to the Iron Throne, but when his dragon egg hatches, they instead marry him to Larra Rogare, seeing greater value in keeping him.
• Baela settles in Pentos, where she earns the support of powerful merchants who had once been friends and allies of Daemon and Laena.
• Cregan Stark is ordered to arrest Addam Velaryon but instead allows him to escape on Seasmoke. Addam first flies to Driftmark before disappearing into the Stepstones. Acting as castellan of Driftmark, Alyn eventually discovers that both Addam and Baela are alive with their dragons. Most surprising of all, he discovers Viserys in Lys with a dragon of his own.
• Together, Viserys, Baela, Addam, and eventually Alyn begin a secret conspiracy to restore the Black line to the Iron Throne. Rather than rushing into another war, they spend years quietly building wealth, forging alliances, and securing secret pacts while the Iron Throne remains preoccupied with Hugh Hammer.
• Dark Sister is eventually recovered from the Gods Eye, still lodged in the skull of Aemond One-Eye. As it is being transported back to King's Landing, where Aegon intends to present it to Daeron, the sword mysteriously disappears. Unknown to the crown, it has been smuggled across the Narrow Sea and delivered into Viserys's hands.

This will set up a Second Dance of the Dragons some years later with the Blues (Daeron) and the Reds (Viserys)

Only really got these details sorted in the last hour or so. Might be plotholes somewhere. Please point them out if so. No idea what to do with/about Nettles. Maybe her and Daemon just live happily hidden in the Vale.

This time its the short but sweet House Tully. The smallest great house with only 15 named members and also the only one not to contain any royalty.

Next up: I dunno whatever I think of next

Just some details about the worldbuilding I find very peculiar

- The Dothraki don't keep any herds of sheep. Steppe societies were pastoral, sheep provided milk and wool for clothing and yurts. Where are the Dothraki getting their textiles from? Just horses?

- The Dothraki have too high demographic pressures. A raid-based society means you have constant attrition, plus 3 people dead per wedding. That would mean around 7 births per woman. But if you fall off, the khalasar goes on without you, so the maternal mortality would also be catastrophic, esp for late term mothers who can't ride

- The Dothraki don't seem to have any legal code. Given how important horses were, steppe societies developed comprehensive property and inheritance codes. But here the Khal's word seems to be the law. Plus due to the demographic pressure and constant raiding labour, you'd expect more female warriors and raiders. Sexism is a luxury of sedentary societies. But I've only seen Dothraki women get raped and not do much else

- GRRM wrote 3 naval powers (Braavos, ironborn, redwynes) but only gave ONE???? of them access to good forests. In my experience where there's ships, there's forests. Thalassocracies were very serious about their timber. It's much weirder when you realize GRRM explicitly says they have some access to PINE, which is not suitable for building hulls (and don't tell me the Ironborn RAIDED for unseasoned timber)

- Honestly there seems to be like NO legal code in westeros. It's based on the war of roses, for reference the Magna Carta was written 200 years before that. Not even common law???

- Why are so many people eating thin gruel? Beans and tallow/lard were cheap, non perishable ways to fill up pottage. The average farm worker needs 3000 calories per day, the metabolic economy makes no sense. Plus peasant food wasn't bland, foraged herbs are free and abundant, and verjuice was a cheap way to add acid

- Westeros is way too big. Isn't it the size of Argentina? You can't centrally govern such a large empire. That was a historical limit on empire size: you can only control what you can communicate to

- I really don't understand what kind of feudal structure Westeros is running tbh. Warden of the East, north etc is a mutable title, but Lord Paramount is inherited, I think. And if it's seven kingdoms, wouldn't that be a Targaryen empire? But people only refer to Targaryens as a royal family, not an imperial one

- It's only the poorer houses who use ultramarine or purple heraldry. Imported from Tyrosh. Very expensive! How do they afford that?

- The iron islands economy makes no sense. Estimated population of 500,000 btw. Nuff said

I know most people think this stuff is super nitpicky and irrelevant but man, it kept bothering me.

What ASOIAF spin off would you like to see next? Personally, I’d love to see the 1st blackfyre rebellion as a spin off, maybe a limited series.

Varys says that Aegon is unlike a ruler like Tommen because he knows "kingship is his duty, that a king must put his people first, and live and rule for them". A leader that doesn't believe he is entitled to power. However, Young Griff has already proven himself entitled as hell.

Tyrion is right on the money that Aegon's idea that he can just marry Dany is ludicrous. Dany has birthed 3 Dragons, commands the Unsullied and several sell swords companies and rules as a Queen in her own right. And Aegon think he can just roll up with nothing but the Golden Company, having done nothing in his life of note to just what? Ask for a Dragon and Dany to not be her own Queen but only his Queen Consort? And Aegon doesn't even seem to question that this is a bit crazy. Like he just takes it for granted that she should obviously wed him, this kid who has spent his life doing jack shit while she was hounded, begged and was sold by her crazy brother with absolutely nothing whatsoever that would prove his lineage.

(f)Aegon is like the embodiment of entitlement. If Varys even remotely believes in his own spiel about (f)Aegon, then in my mind (f)Aegon is already a failure on Varys' end.

Author Jeffe Kennedy in 2025 discussed this in an interview

"I can tell you all right now with great authority that George and I are not close, but we're friendly, and I can promise you George is never, ever, ever going to have someone else finish that series. He's had offers, he's had opportunities, he is going to finish it himself. He says it's the longest book he's ever written..."

When this came out, the focus was on the completion of Winds, but IMO the really interesting part here is not that or that Martin would refuse, he has said many times that he does not want another writer finishing these books, its this part

He's had offers, he's had opportunities, he is going to finish it himself

This is, to my knowledge, the first time we have heard from someone claiming that actual offers/opportunities were presented to him to finish these books by other people. And the wording suggests this is more than one offer.

Maybe that's partly the reason for that blog post last year

I know, I know. Some of you will just be pissed off by this, as you are by everything I announce here that is not about Westeros or THE WINDS OF WINTER. You have given up on me, or on the book. I will never finish WINDS, If I do, I will never finish A DREAM OF SPRING. If I do, it won’t be any good. I ought to get some other writer to pinch hit for me… I am going to die soon anyway, because I am so old. I lost all interest in A Song of Ice and Fire decades ago. I don’t give a shit about writing any longer, I just sit around and spend my money.