#acok lb

[mormontdacey]

stannis dropping “smuggler” like a casual slur whenever davos tries to gentle parent him into being a decent king

[aerithisms]

renly lived served cunt died.... rest easy king 😔

[weirwoodking]

So if Drogon needs a 40 foot wingspan before Dany can ride him, how big must the Stark direwolves be?

Well... here’s me again, putting way more effort into thinking about this than GRRM ever did or needs to.

So, the best description we have of the size of a full-grown direwolf is with the first appearance of one:

Half-buried in bloodstained snow, a huge dark shape slumped in death. Ice had formed in its shaggy grey fur, and the faint smell of corruption clung to it like a woman's perfume. Bran glimpsed blind eyes crawling with maggots, a wide mouth full of yellowed teeth. But it was the size of it that made him gasp. It was bigger than his pony, twice the size of the largest hound in his father's kennel. (Bran I, AGOT)

So if a full-grown direwolf is larger than a rideable pony (I’m assuming they’re not exceedingly larger than ponies), then the direwolves need to be about that size. We don’t know what the difference of maturation between common wolves and direwolves are, but since common wolves mature in 2 years (and the series has taken place over 2.5 years), I’m assuming they’re nearly there.

The best information we have to go off of when trying to figure out their size and growth rate is that of Ghost’s descriptions:

But when they reached the ringfort, Ghost balked again. He padded forward warily to sniff at the gap in the stones, and then retreated, as if he did not like what he'd smelled. Jon tried to grab him by the scruff of his neck and haul him bodily inside the ring, no easy task; the wolf weighed as much as he did, and was stronger by far. (Jon IV, ACOK)

So, if Ghost weighs at least as much as Jon does, and if we think about the average height and weight of a 15-year-old boy being around 5’7”/170 cm and 130 lbs/59 kg (personally I think of him as 5’5”, but just for the sake of the estimation, we’ll say 5’7”), that means Ghost (in ACOK) weighs at least that much. And he’s still only a about one year old here. I’d put Ghost’s ACOK size at somewhat bigger than this Timberwolf, who is full-grown and weighs 115 lbs/52 kg.

Between ACOK and the end of ASOS, Ghost grows even more:

He turned toward the wood, and there he came, padding silently out of the green dusk, the breath coming warm and white from his open jaws. "Ghost!" he shouted, and the direwolf broke into a run. He was leaner than he had been, but bigger as well, and the only sound he made was the soft crunch of dead leaves beneath his paws. (Jon XII, ASOS)

Ghost is still growing, even at two years old.

The king's men were much in evidence in the yards of Castle Black. They stopped as Jon went by, and gaped at him. None of them had ever seen a direwolf before, he realized, and Ghost was twice as large as the common wolves that prowled their southron greenwoods. (Jon XII, ASOS)

So, if a common wolf is usually around 100 lbs/45.4 kg (I don’t see any reason why common wolves in Planetos would differ from common wolves in our world), Ghost is probably somewhere around 200 lbs/90.7 kg at the end of the third book. If this is “twice as large” line is referring to height, Ghost is probably around four feet tall at the shoulder.

(Quick note about Nymeria: In AFFC, Nymeria is described multiple times as “monstrous”. Female wolves are typically smaller than male wolves, and it’s said that early on that Ghost was the largest at the time of Robert’s visit, but Nymeria is still now large enough to be described as “monstrous”. Although this is because she is a direwolf, we can assume that she’s already very noticeably larger than any full-grown common wolf. She has also been exposed to much more prey than Ghost was during his separation from Jon.)

Ponies are 58 inches (147 cm) or less (anything taller is a horse). So I’d say the direwolves are all pretty close to being full-grown by TWOW. Personally, I think a full-grown direwolf is about the size of the two smaller wolves in Princess Mononoke.

However, GRRM has left this quite vague. If he wants to make the direwolves full-grown in TWOW, then that’s that. If he wants to have the Stark kids ride them, he will. I don’t think he’d put much thought into the logic of it, it would just be a simple “they’re full-grown now.” The most likely candidates for wolf-riding, and the soonest that it would most likely happen, are probably Rickon and Arya in TWOW.

[lariskapargitay]

Brienne of Tarth is Lightbringer

Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow and Stannis Baratheon.

All three are grey heroes in the series, one of which is the most popular character in the book and especially the show. All three are legendary figures from their respected Houses- the one true king who should have been Lord of Stormsend, the secret prince born of ice and fire, and then there is the Mother of Dragons, Mysha, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains and the last (so far as we know) Dragon.

All three have been, supposedly, chosen by the Lord of Light, and all three are the leading choices for Azor Ahai with their individual weapons (dragons, a valyrian steel sword and a burning sword) acting as the legendary weapon Lightbringer.

It makes sense; the great leaders who’ve been prophesied to end the long night. One even has DRAGONS, it would be absolute folly to imagine anyone else’s from three big huge players, one of whom the series is named for whose story is so heavily linked to the Others, to act as Azor Ahai or the weapon prophesied to end the Long Night; Lightbringer.

This post isn’t to dissuade those three or others from being AA or LB, but rather to put forth a new candidate to act as the legendary metaphorical ‘sword’. Someone who was a supporting player for the second and third books, ignored in the show, and for some reason people consider boring when she finally gets a chance to shine in her own POV.

Brienne of Tarth.

The ugly girl who wants to be a knight, a noblewoman whose house isn’t a great one, who has blood ties to both the Targaryen and Baratheon dynasty and who were kings and queens in their own right once upon a time. Not much is known about House Tarth apart from their sigil, rose and azure quartered with yellow suns and white crescent moons, the name of their keep Evenfall. Their descendants were not always called ‘Tarth’ though, their family name was once ‘Evenstar’, which has been passed down to be the official title of the Lord of Tarth.

Their House seems to have a fond appreciation for the sky and all that comes from it, including naming the small little island off Tarth ‘Morne’ to stand for morning, with only House Dayne as a challenger in regards to their love and admiration for the celestial. All that to say; House Tarth values light, in all its natural forms. The sun, the moon, the stars, the morning dawn… Their sigil and title literally brings light *looks directly at the camera like I’m in the office*, and it is one of only sigils where no matter what; it cannot be killed. No matter if the Dead or Living wins the war, the sun and moon and the evenstar will rise day after day until the end of eternity. Dragons and krakens and crows and stags and direwolves and lions can be killed, but the lights in the sky can never be.

The title of Evenstar itself also has connections to Lightbringer. Lucifer means ‘Lightbringer’ and it is the Latin name for the planet Venus. Venus used to be called ‘Evenstar’, and Evenstar is, as covered above, the title of the Lord of Tarth. With Faegon attacking Tarth, it is safe to presume that Selwyn, her father, is dead and Brienne is now the Lady of Tarth making HER the Evenstar which literally, not metaphorically, makes her, Lightbringer (which is something no other contender can claim.)

Another language fact is Tarth means smoke or fog in the Welsh language. “Born amidst salt and smoke,” is a large part of the prophecy of AA & LB and Brienne, being born on an island that means smoke in the middle of a salt sea…

ACOK Davos I

“To oppose it, the hero must have a hero's blade, oh, like none that had ever been.”

AFFC Brienne I

>When she was small, her nurse filled her ears with tales of valor, regaling her with noble exploits of Ser Galladon of Morne, Florian the Fool, Prince Aemon the Dragonknight and other champions. Each man bore a famous sword, and surely Oathkeeper belonged in their company, even if she herself did not.

Brienne often thinks of Oathkeeper as a ‘magic sword’, and here she not only calls it a heroes sword, but she is humble enough not to consider herself amongst them. The sword is worthy of being a part of something great but not Brienne herself. And right after she refuses to call herself a hero, she kneels, blade in hand, and says a prayer to the Crone whose known to bring light *once again looks at the camera like I’m in the office* to help guide people who would ask for it.

>**AFFC Brienne I**

>Kneeling between the bed and wall, she held the blade and said a silent prayer to the Crone, whose golden lamp showed men the way through life. Lead me, she prayed, **LIGHT THE WAY BEFORE ME**, show me the path that leads to Sansa.

Now, onto a huge moment for Brienne, where a large bulk of this theory comes from. The dream Jaime has, the prophetic Weirwood dream where most of his prophecies have come true.

>**ACOK Davos I**

>“In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword.

>**ASOS Jaime VI**

>Brienne’s sword took flame as well, burning silvery blue. The darkness retreated a little more.

>Brienne moved her longsword back and forth, watching the silvery flames shift and shimmer.

>Then his sword went dark, and only Brienne’s burned, as the ghosts came rushing in.

Lightbringer is, in its most basic form, a burning sword. Brienne, Stannis, Thoros, Beric, Jon and Jaime are the only ones to use a burning sword. Stannis sword is proven to be a fake, Thoros uses tricks to get his sword to light on fire, and Beric had a legitimate magical burning sword but he gave up his life for Lady Stoneheart. That leaves Jon in his dream then Jaime and Brienne in Jaime’s dream.

Again, this essay is not to dissuade the other candidates, but I personally do not believe that GRRM is the type of writer to let the secret dragon prince, the just leader, the Aragorn of Westeros get the big prophecy fight in the end. Aragorn wasn’t the one to destroy the ring, it was the unsuspecting big footed hobbit who saved the day. In any case Brienne DOES carry a flaming sword she uses to fight the dead, and she is the ONLY LIGHT left in Jaime’s world and the world itself. And yes, Jon does carry a red flaming sword in his dream whereas Brienne carries a silvery blue flaming sword in Jaime’s dream, but Oathkeeper, her sword, is red and black. It’s spell forged, it’s magic, **IT COMES ALIVE IN THE SIGHT OF FIRE**.

>**ACOK Davos I**

>And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes.”

>**AFFC Brienne VIII**

>In the light from the firepit the red and black ripples in the blade almost seemed to move.

Let’s move on to another significant moment in Jaime’s dream is when a naked beautiful Brienne touches him.

>**ADWD Jon III**

>Therefore after Lightbringer was never cold to the touch, but warm as Nissa Nissa had been warm.

>**ASOS Jaime VI**

>She put a hand on his shoulder and he shuddered at the sudden touch. She’s warm.

Brienne is warm in his dream just as Lightbringer the sword is warm, she carries a flaming sword, she brings light, she’s the only light in the world… The dream can be interpreted in a few ways, mostly done to either prove or disprove an eventual romance between Jaime and Brienne, (I 10000% proves it does along with all the other evidence but that’s another 2000 word essay for another time.) But I believes it also offered a substantial amount of proof to my theory that Brienne is in fact Lightbringer. Melisandre even says the Lord of Light created the sun and moon and stars to assist them in ‘keeping the night at bay.’ .

>**ADWD Jon III**

>The Lord of Light made the sun and moon and stars to light our way, and gave us fire to keep the night at bay.”

Once again; let me bring back the Tarth fascination with the celestial

>**AFFC Brienne II**

>The arms of Tarth were quartered rose and azure, and bore a yellow sun and crescent moon.

>**ASOS Jaime IV**

>“I am Brienne of Tarth, daughter to Lord Selwyn the Evenstar, and sworn to House Stark even as you are.”

Brienne is the sun and moon, she is the brightest star in the sky. Yes there was a magic comet that fell for the birth of dragons but it lasted only for a while then died off. The Evenstar will always stay in the sky, as well as the sun and moon. They will always bring light.

Now, branching off into LOTR territory for a moment, Brienne is given the exact same introduction as Eowyn was when she killed the Witch-King, as ‘no man’ could kill him

>**The Return of the King, book 5, ch. 6 "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields"**

>“But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund’s daughter!”

>**ACOK Catelyn II**

>“He is no man, My Lady. That’s Brienne of Tarth, daughter to Lord Selwyn the Evenstar.”

Don’t you think there’s just the tiniest bit of coincidence that GRRM introduces Brienne using a VERY similar quote to another blonde shieldmaiden who is confused for a man right before she helps destroy the leader of a great and terrible undead army and helps save the day?

Now, all this isn’t to say she’s an absolute shoe in for Lightbringer. That’s not to say it won’t be the obvious choice and Jon and Dany or Stannis save the day and they get to rule Westeros for 100 years and they get to be the ones who tell the Hobbits they bow to no man. But what I am saying is Brienne is just as much in the running to be Lightbringer as them. And just how bards can slay dragons, and Hobbits can destroy rings; an ugly girl who wants to be a knight can most definitely be a Lightbringer.

[princerenly]

‘there are no men like me. there’s only me.’ and he was right

[mormontdacey]

not sure atp if davos is just dogging on the rainbow guard, but obsessed with the idea of renly carefully selecting a color for each new recruit based on their personality. like i made the green staples binder my science one. bryce caron is obnoxious so he gets orange, brienne has blue eyes so she’s brienne the blue, and then loras gets lavender for some reason….

[mormontdacey]

i fear the costume designer for the show was afraid of how hard richard would serve in robb’s crown

[mormontdacey]

theon casually disclosing a painful childhood trauma and then following that up immediately by saying the most out of pocket and delusional shit….. yeah, my father beat me too, but you’re probably pregnant with a royal bastard, so no worries!

[mormontdacey]

one asoiafism i love is when random side characters fall out of the sky to deliver essential characterization or a series thesis statement. for example, donal noye with the baratheon read of all time:

“robert was the true steel. stannis is pure iron, black and hard and strong, yes, but brittle… he’ll break before he bends. and renly, that one, he’s copper, bright and shiny, pretty to look at but not worth all that much at the end of the day.” —george r.r. martin, a clash of kings, pp. 75

clock it!

[mormontdacey]

sansa managing joffrey’s ego at age 12, proving that she would absolutely crush as a queen—before she gets any official political training

[mormontdacey]

ok julie andrews

[mormontdacey]

“the prince is a sentimental man, and he still mourns his sister elia and her sweet babe.” —a clash of kings, pp. 208

…oh? just the one, varys?

[mormontdacey]

wondering why george made both of alicent & cersei’s signature colors green… they’re different characters with motivations and issues to deal with, but he couldn’t have picked any other color?

[mormontdacey]

jeor mormont, jon i, pp. 77: “house lannister has never been a friend to the night’s watch.”

tyrion himself, tyrion ii, pp. 97: “when you see the lord commander mormont, give him my fond regards, and tell him that i have not forgotten the needs of the night’s watch.”

[mormontdacey]

grrm pointing out that robb Does Not Get It in the very first chapter he appears in :(

tyrion i, pp. 42

“has father lost his senses? or did you forge this letter?” she [cersei] read it once more, with mounting annoyance. “why would he inflict you on me? i wanted him to come himself.” she crushed lord tywin’s letter in her fingers. “i sent him [tywin] a royal command!”

“and he ignored you,” tyrion pointed out.

[…]

“i do not require your help. it is our father’s presence that i commanded.”

—

catelyn i, pp. 83

“fourth, the queen will command her father lord tywin…”

[mormontdacey]

tommen’s currently riding at the straw man and i was struck by how he yells for the rock, not storm’s end. he’s eight, so it’s not like he changed his mind over night. and joffrey with his lion’s armor… sansa kind of needles at the truth, but can’t quite see it.. must’ve been obvious to everyone else, though, because cersei wasn’t even trying to hide it lmfao