#I know it's not for Martel

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

The Knight of the Laughing Tree by Joshua Cairós

created for the 10th anniversary of The World of Ice & Fire

[holly-mckenzie]

“I will not fight you,” Princess Meria told Rhaenys, “nor will I kneel to you. Dorne has no king. Tell your brother that.”

“I shall,” Rhaenys replied, “but we will come again, Princess, and the next time we shall come with fire and blood.”

“Your words,” said Princess Meria. “Ours are Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken. You may burn us, my lady…but you will not bend us, break us, or make us bow. This is Dorne. You are not wanted here. Return at your peril.”

Thus queen and princess parted, and Dorne remained unconquered.

FIRE & BLOOD | Aegon's Conquest

[fruitsofthepalmyrah]

“Uh actually ☝️🤓 Elia knowing and accepting Rhaegar and Lyanna’s relationship gives her agency”

Oh yeah? Where? How? Is it when her place at court is being threatened and her children’s rightful claim to the throne has the very likely possibility of being challenged à la Blackfyre Rebellion? Is it when Rhaegar abandons her to run off with Lyanna and she’s taken as hostage in KL to be used against her homeland so her people fall in line and die for the mad king (her uncle included)? Does it give Elia more agency in indirectly causing her own death and her children’s? bsffr it makes NO SENSE for her to accept Rhaegar and Lyanna’s relationship.

I would argue that her being accepting of the whole relationship, even encouraging it, *removes* her agency. Like she has no opinion and should take these slights with a smile and let her husband walk all over her. Why should Elia’s agency revolve around other people and helping them to her detriment, instead of helping herself? That doesn’t sound like agency to me. It would make much more sense and give her a semblance of power if she disapproves and confronts Rhaegar about this, as an act of defiance, before he rides to battle, instead of making her a foot stool for Rhaegar and Lyanna. Her disapproval for all of those reasons I stated would show her undying love for her children and her homeland and give her more character and agency than whatever sloppy reason she would accept Rhaegar’s relationship for. Objecting your husband when society tells you to obey him, be silent about whatever he does and accept it, makes her much more interesting. THAT is agency. It gives her a voice rather than being pushed to the background. 

“But she’s dornish!!!”

Okay, and? Not every Dornish person is the same. Also, in Dorne, one takes a paramour with their spouse’s consent, and we don’t know if she approved, though it’s more likely she didn’t. If you do take a paramour, it shouldn’t threaten the position of your spouse or your trueborn children, which is clearly not the case here. Plus, in Dorne, men *and women* can have paramours which is not how it works in the rest of Westeros. A man can be unfaithful, in fact he’s expected to sleep around, whereas a woman should ever be dutiful to her husband and would be considered a whore for seeking out other men. This creates an unfair imbalance between Rhaegar and Elia, because at the end of the day they are not in Dorne, and Elia has to follow the customs of the noble court. 

[archamion]

“I’m sorry.”

What if Rhaegar had won the war? (AU)

[alongtherubyford]

in my perfect asoiaf world rhaegar and elia are madly in love behind closed doors.

a sweet man that’s melancholic around the people he’s not comfortable with and a great man with those he is. he dotes on rhaenys, gifts her the toys she asks for and handcrafts toys for her kitten. he hold aegon at night, admiring his baby boy as his son grips his finger with baby strength.

elia is the one rhaegar answers to. he asks her for her input, and every time he listens, something prospers. she holds the future of the kingdoms in her hands, her love willing to do whatever she wants. she’s kind enough to keep that power within the walls of the red keep. rhaegar knows he would do anything she asked of him. he would go to war for her.

[sunspearesque]

oberyn and ashara at harrenhal when rhaegar started playing that emo dramatic ass song

[thaliajoy-blog]

Posting the second piece I did for the Unburnt Daenerys collab cause yeah I did two.

It's Daenerys vision of Quaithe and I decided to represent the whole menagerie she talks about in her little prophecy : "Soon comes the pale mare, and after her the others. Kraken and dark flame, lion and griffin, the sun's son and the mummer's dragon."

[pedro-pedrito-pascalito]

might be staring at his skin a bit too much 😬

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

Is there a comprehensive list of actors GRRM cites as faceclaims or is it all in disparate blog posts?

Most of it isn't in blog posts at all, it's things GRRM's said at conventions or interviews. (Note for anyone going "Them, really?", check the dates and what the actor looked like at the time.)

So, a quick list:

Sandor Clegane: Ron Perlman

Cersei Lannister: Nicole Kidman

Jaime Lannister: Cary Elwes

Tyrion Lannister: Peter Dinklage

Tywin Lannister: Kurtwood Smith or Robert Duvall

Renly Baratheon: Adrian Paul (also for young Robert)

Arianne Martell: Apollonia Kotero

Nymeria Sand: Janina Gavankar

Daenerys Targaryen: Tamzin Merchant

And sources:

November 2000, fan con report: "Pearlman, from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, would be great for Sandor. Best guy for Tywin: the father on THAT 70s SHOW and who was the father of the kid, who shot himself, in THE DEAD POETS SOCIETY (I think I spelled it all right)."

December 2003: "...I have a few people in mind. I think Nicole Kidman would be good as Cersei. I always liked Ron Perlman, the actor I worked with on 'The Beauty and the Beast’. He would be great as Sandor Clegane. Ron is very good in heavy make-up and he’s also a big, strong kind of guy. He has a great voice that he can do all sorts of wonderful things with. I think he would be terrific as the Hound. For Jamie Lannister, a couple of years ago I would have said Cary Elwes but he might be too old now. I don’t know…"

c. 2006: "Myself, I'd love to see Tywin played by Kurtwood Smith (as in DEAD POET'S SOCIETY) or Robert Duvall (THE GREAT SANTINI)."

July 2006, fan con report: "On being asked about "the casting game" (picking actors to play the characters), he said the only one who he would definitely choose was Ron Perlman to play Sandor "The Hound" Clegane because of Perlman's aptitude for acting through prosthetics."

February 2007, fan con report: "When asked about ideal casting choices, he formally endorsed the idea of Nicole Kidman playing Cersei. He says she has the perfect look for her. But it would never work, because where are you going to find a guy that looks like her to play Jaime? I really got a kick out of that. He also said Ron Perelman would be perfect as the Hound -- but I am pretty sure I had hears or read that somewhere before."

date/source uncertain, but c. 2007: "Adrian Paul and I actually worked together once, long before the Dreamsongs audiobook. Wonder if he remembers. Back then he had a great look for Renly…but of course, that was twenty years ago."

February 2008: "Much as I *cough* admire Salma Hayek, I picture Arianne as looking more like Appollonia Kotero, as she was around the time of PURPLE RAIN."

November 2008, Elio Garcia: "George has said in the past that Adrian Paul is Baratheonish in looks (years ago he said he could see him for a young Robert or Renly)"

May 2009: "Playing Tyrion Lannister will be Peter Dinklage, who was almost everyone's "dream casting" for the role (he certainly was mine)."

August 2009: "I know my readers play the casting game. Well, confession time, so do I. Ever since I began A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE (way back in 1991, thought it wasn't until 1994 that I got writing in earnest), there was always a little part of me that would watch every television show and movie with one eye looking for actors and actresses who might work as my characters.

And so there I was, watching THE TUDORS (which I have VERY mixed feelings about, I confess), when Tamzin Merchant came on screen as the fifteen year old Katherine Howard, Henry VIII's fifth wife. I sat up at once, thinking, "Hmmm, she could be a good candidate for Dany.""

July 2011, Janina Gavankar: "George just told me I look like Lady Nymeria." (additional link 1) (link 2)

[francy-sketches]

obsessed with the ugly little sigils at the end of the books they look so silly <3

[atopvisenyashill]

targaryen copies

aegoons

there’s four irrelevent dead infants, alysanne & jaehaerys’, alyssa & baelon’s, laena & daemon’s, and rhaella & aerys

aegon the uncle

aegon the uncrowned

aegon the usurper

aegon the unlucky

aegon the unworthy

aegon the unlikely

aegon the ummmm

aerea is here also bc this is my list

rhaenyses

rhaenys the conqueror

rhaenys the queen that never was

rhaenys martell targaryen

rhaenyra da queen is here at suggestion that i agree with

rhaegaruses

rhaegar the hole in chest

rhaegæl could both go here too

rhaego as well actually, our og plot relevant dead baby

and this goes after rhaenys for the same reason aerea goes with aegon

visenyas

visenya the conqueror

visenya the…dragonborn. included bc she’s not an irrelevant dead infant she’s actually a plot relevent dead infant bc of the dragon stuff

jaehaerbitches

jaehaerys the conciliator

jaehaerys the…idk i actually really hope he gets a cool epithet in f2b or something

there’s a dead infant too (relevent for the very last point)

alyssas - westerosi, probably andal name

alyssa velaryon

alyssa targaryen

rhaenas

rhaena the black bride

rhaena the dragon twin

rhaena the septa

rhaellas

rhaella the septa

rhaella the queen

rhaelle baratheon - i’m throwing her in here it’s my list

rhae is here for the same reason

daellas

daella arryn

daella the briennencestor

viserii

viserys the dead prince

viserys the peaceful

viserys the…he needs an epithet too

viserys the beggar

daeneryseses

daenerys the little

daenerys of dorne

daenerys stormborn

aeryses

aerys the magical

aerys the mad

baelors

baelor the blessed

baelor breakspear

daerons

daeron the dumb ass

daeron the young dragon

daeron the good

daeron the drunken dreamer

daeron the gay married

daeron the dead infant (relevant for last point)

aemons

aemon the pale prince (silver prince? no that’s rhaegar it’s pale)

aemon the dragonknight

aemon the maester

aemon the jon 🤭

martell copies

nymerias

nymeria of ny sar

nymeria sand

mors

mors martell

mors ii

there’s a dead infant mors as well

elias

elia of dorne

elia sand

stark copies

sansas

sansa my girliepop

sansa manderly stark

aryas

arya flint who married a stark

arya my babygirl

artos the implacable bc i am wondering given his entire detailed background and the fact that he has a statue in the crypts even tho he isn’t a lord…if there’s a link here of some kind

theon

if i included the alyssas i should include this one esp since the theon origin is likely first men (or potentially, whatever mystery people the ironborn descend from)

there’s a few theon greyjoys that were kings

theon the hungry wolf

theon greyjoy

jon

i decided to add them.

jon the snow

jon iii

brandons

lmao

there’s a few others besides the ones here, there’s like three king brandons that don’t have epithets, there’s a lord brandon and two other random brandon’s, post conquest

brandon the builder

brandon of oldtown - might be the same as above but

brandon the shipwright

brandon the breaker

brandon the burner

brandon the daughterless

brandon ice-eyes

brandon the bad

brandon the boisterous

brandon the boastful

brandon the baby (the one nan nursed)

brandon the… burned

branda is here as well bc the arya-rodrik parentage is interesting for her & i don’t want to forget it

bran the WINGED WOLF OF HOUSE STARK, THE TENTH (?) OF HIS NAME, KING OF THE TRIDENT THE MANDER AND THE BLACKWATER RUSH, THE IRON KING, THE LAST HERO, THE THREE EYED CROW, THE BROKEN, THE LAST GREENSEER AND REBUILDER OF WESTEROS

[moeblob]

As Tales of Symphonia was my first Tales game and the only game I've beaten like five times completely... it holds a special place in my heart. I really love the cast and I was a walking strategy guide for it back in the GameCube days.

I had all the unlockable outfits carried over into NG+ (gotta collect those swimsuits baby) and honestly. I just. Really like this game. I haven't played it in a while but I have it on PS3 and now I long to hook it up and play it (sorry to my many other Tales games I haven't beaten once on PS3......).

[cicimellie]

i am NOT off my pedro pascal insanity yet. any time i watch anything he's in i feel like winona ryder when she's all "here he is telling me about his poor dead mother and all i can think about is his hands unbuttoning my dress." joel miller im sorry i was looking at your biceps when your daughter died. maybe you could call me 'baby' too... also sorry about gnawing on my knuckles and screeching in deranged hunger when you were torturing a guy. oberyn martell is talking about the tragic death of his sister and i am NOT listening. let's make out.

[alwritey-aphrodite]

Thinking about Elia Martell again

Thinking about how whenever she’s mentioned in the book, all they talk about is that she wasn’t pretty enough to marry Rhaegar

Thinking about how this is how she felt her entire life, small and sickly and plain looking

Thinking about how no one could ever see past the things she lacked, except for her baby brother Oberyn, who didn’t care about her looks or her slowly failing health and just wanted to play with his big sister. His big sister, who he soon towered over, who only felt like herself with him because no one else could see past her shortcomings except her baby brother, who only saw his perfect big sister

Thinking about how excited she was when she married Rhaegar, thinking about how she tried her hardest to block out the voices of every slighted lady in all of Westeros, thinking about how she had to deal with whispers about her and her family, thinking about how quickly her dream turned into a nightmare

Thinking about her having her first baby, and the pain and terror and sickness that followed, and thinking about how Rhaegar got her pregnant again, knowing this birth would likely be a death sentence, thinking about how loving and kind and wonderful she was to her children, to her beautiful daughter who was healthy and strong and so much like her baby brother and her tiny little son who was so very small when he was born

Thinking about how ever after her death, all anyone can talk about is how she wasn’t pretty enough or strong enough, as if the only things that mattered are her looks and her ability to have children, thinking about how kind and gentle she was, because there is strength in remaining kind

[agiroflee98]

HAPPY (BELATED) 50TH BIRTHDAY PEDRO!!!!! Words can’t describe how much I love this guy - I’m just so happy that he exists & I’ll never forget all of the sunshine he has brought into my life. He has worked so INCREDIBLY hard & he deserves all of his achievements & then some. Here’s hoping that he’ll have another 50 years of love, light, & adventures!!!!! 💜💛💜💛💜

[sukibenders]

Look, I enjoy the Targaryens as much as the next person and think that their house, their family mess, all of it is very interesting. I want a dragon so bad and they are one of the reasons, I get it. But, on the same hand, it gets annoying when people say/act like they are the only interesting house within ASOIAF (this rhetoric is mainly on Twitter, from what I've seen) and it primarily has to do with them having dragons (to which, for a time many Targaryens didn't have after the dance and until Daenerys came into the picture). Look, having dragons is cool and all, but if that's all that makes a house interesting then maybe that house is boring. And, could be just me, but by saying that I feel like it's lowkey disrespecting all the work GRRM put into the other houses and their characters. If the Targaryens are your favorite that's fine, but there's no need to act like the lore behind other houses also isn't just as important. I'm new to this fandom, but there are so many aspects that have pulled me in and it's sad that people ignore it just because it's not a part of one particular house.