#asoiaf sorcery

[horizon-verizon]

Why is Daemon getting all this Old Gods magic thrown at him when... he's a Targaryen? He comes from a family with their own magic, not just dragon dreams but probably some sorcery that was conveniently lost after the Dance and/or Baelor, and even if it was more rumor than anything else, the writers had the power to make it more than rumor, AND a kind of magic that would make sense for the Targaryens AND help show what they would lose in the Dance. So why all the woods witch and old gods magic then? Am I missing something?

But probably some sorcery that was conveniently lost after the Dance and/or Baelor, and even if it was more rumor than anything else, the writers had the power to make it more than rumor.

Like they did with Aegon's Prophecy, which I think if it was "lost" amongst the Targs, it'd be when Maegor killed his nephew Aegon...bc Aenys would have told Aegon and Aegon the Uncrowned had no sons/declared heirs. Aegon I might not have told Maegor but maybe Visenya did. And even then Visenya died way before Jaehaerys took the throne so why would she tell Rhaena, Jaehaerys, Alysanne, or Alyssa Velaryon? Maegor likely didn't either.

Anyway, to your question. To "fix the toxic man" (superficial claim to feminist writing here & not bc men shouldn't grow but bec Daemon already showed loyalty to her & gave up chances to rule several times even in the show but they chose to fuck it all up) and give Daemon an arc this season. And to introduce Alys' magic/her role in the Riverlands/hype her up. Esp for Aemond's arrival and their own messed up relationship they know people are going to gag over. finally, bc they are in love with PARALLES-PARALLELS, in this case, Daemon's parallel to Rhaenyra's religiousity arc as well as juxtaposition to Aemond's own selfish rise to power.

[horizon-verizon]

[Part 2 of branwyn-the-half-witch's ideas]

My Questions:

in light of the Black Gate being, in this theory, being a door that only the night's Watch could open...and the Night's King obviously being a traitor to humankind canonically...could the night King have asked a singer/"child" or a group to create such a door for his mysterious lover? It still baffles me that a singer would create a door that can let an Other in when they helped to create the Wall? Why be so careless (even if we say they trusted the Night's Watch) unless they were tricked? But what exactly, then, could the singers believe this door would be made for? A door within the Nightfort or some other castle, thereby not needing an anti-Other element? Or has the Night King corrupted the Gate into allowing an Other to pass after he acquired it from a singer/singers? And then, if so, how? By the instruction form his lover/an Other?! Or were the children/singers forced/coerced to create the Gate?

When we see the Undying, we see they hunger for Dany/her dragons/the magic here and also try to drain Dany. Is it possible that even if in Essos magic is more or less "flourishing" that that emptiness is not just their greed but also their way of trying to "replenish" a core/huge element of their own magic, thus suggesting that they have lost so much from the dragons' loss years ago and slowly became what they were, unmoving mono-colored evil beings resembling ice in their seeming immortality? Or is it that they have corrupted themselves either through slavery/exploitative destruction and it's just greed and the self attrition created by their greed that increases their "hunger"? In other words, I'm still very unclear how how different these two entities--the Undying and the theorized magic-eating Wall--have different mechanisms AND purposes of energy-draining. If at all.

So if the purpose of Dany bringing the dragons back is so much more for Westeros then for the "entire world"? If so, all this Wall-as-drainer feels like material for the Dany-loses-most-or-all-her-dragons-during-the-new-Dance theory.

Why then, does Melisandre's powers get more potent, as noted? If the dragons can't be that close to the wall and even get drained by it if closer, then how would Melisandre be getting stronger even if she is passively using the dragons' magic?

If we go by the theory that the Wall as always meant to go down [in part 2], then it'd have been a temporary solution against the Others to be addressed by later generations OR it'd be foretold already amongst the first builders that magic would decrease and they were desperate; it'd then be a little more feasible to suspect that it was created to ward off the Others and got corrupted to then be too potent/overpower/outpace the now-scant magic from the severely decreased/disabled numbers of the children, giants, and magic practitioners in the West, which kinda works nicely with the implied idea of the "balance" of the world not being the entire world's magical system point blank, but that there is a mistake in how the Westerosi understood there needed to be a "balance" that they interpreted as keeping their exploitative systems alive, their man-made boundaries and classes present? Or is this something more meta, that we the readers are purposefully confounded on what sort of balance the dragons restored/begin to restore. in other words, what exactly kind of "balance" have people been misunderstanding and what the Planetos/Westeros needs? And what was the purpose of the Amethyst Empress/The Blood Betrayal and the implied imbalance from that in Essos?

The Wall and the Waning of Magic: 1/2

(this was originally a Twitter thread; re-posting here for ease of reading)

The Wall is an edifice created, best guesses conclude, some 8000 years prior to the events of A Game of Thrones; it was constructed by some combination of the First Men, led by Bran the Builder, those they called ‘Children of the Forest’, more rightly known as those who sing the song of earth (hereafter ‘singers’) and giants. It is patrolled by the Night’s watch, who protect the realms of men from what lies beyond; notably the Others, although this mission has been forgotten until very recently, with the so-called ‘Wildlings’ (Free Folk) taking the place of the great foe.

It is commonly accepted that the Wall is a net good, both in-universe and without, and that any distaste we may have about the necessity of the Night’s Watch pales in comparison to the horror that will occur when the Wall comes down.

I propose differently; I propose that the Wall is sickening and weakening the world, and it coming down will be one of the greatest moments of the tale – and moreover that the Wall was potentially always intended by its makers to be thrown down.

Magic Lingers

ASOIAF takes place in a world where magic is waning, to the point that learned men will insist magic is gone from the world entirely – and many of them consider this a good thing. The disappearing of magic is largely attributed to the death of the last dragons, and the revival of magic following Daenery’s miraculous rebirth of dragonkind seems to be proof of that.

However, the truth is more complex; we learn from several sources that magic is not entirely gone from the world, even prior to the dragons’ cradle-pyre. It is simply gone from the west of the world following the Doom of Valyria – further east, we are told, magic still exists and its practitioners endure, and even thrive in places such as Asshai.

More intriguingly is this from Maester Luwin, that supposes magic was fading even before the Doom, describing Valyria (a magical empire lasting thousands of years) as merely an ‘ember’. It cannot therefore solely be the death of dragons that caused magic to fade in the West.

The Sad Fate of the Singers

Westeros was once home to a large number of magical beings; unicorns, mammoths, direwolves, ‘great lions’ and, of course, the giants and the singers. All of these are now believed to be extinct, as per Maester Luwin above. Those who venture or live beyond the Wall know that this is not the case; these beings cling on, albeit in scant numbers.

We know that the singers fought and lost a terrible long war with the First Men, and that they retreated to the deepest forests upon the Pact that saw the end of the war. We know also that they were still present in the South in some numbers when the Andals arrived.

However, common wisdom says the singers have been extinct for thousands of years; we know they still linger beyond the Wall...but why? The North remained a bastion of the Old Gods, yet even the northmen believe them gone. Why did they not remain in the deep forests of the North? Why did their numbers continue to decline even after the wars? Why go beyond the Wall, closer to the Others?

The Evil of the Wall Magical and Mundane

The Wall is made of ice. This is an obvious statement to make, but its curious to consider what it means in the context of this world, where cold is the enemy and ice represents death, darkness and crucially – the Others.

If we take as given that Bran the Builder built the Wall, why was it made of ice, when his other claimed works are all of stone? The magic of the singers likewise is in earth and tree and water. So why is the Wall made of ice, the very symbol and strength of the enemy the Wall was built, allegedly, to keep out?

The Wall has its own collection of spooky, disturbing myths that have grown up around it, many of them centring around the Nightfort, formerly the seat of the Night’s Watch. The one that concerns us here is that of the Night’s King, allegedly the 13th commander of the Watch who took to wife a woman commonly been believed to be one of the Others – and from the description of her, that’s highly likely.

However, observe that the Night’s King brings that woman back beyond the Wall to his fortress – it does not keep her out, any more than it keeps out the two wights that awaken in Castle Black in AGOT.

But the Wall was created to keep the Others out, no? Coldhands indeed asserts that he, almost certainly some kind of dead man, cannot pass beyond the Wall due to the spells it is imbued with, presumably those created by the singers; but there is a gate.

The Black Gate, situated beneath the Nightfort, is itself a source of much theorising; it is magical, made of weirwood, and a sad construction that sheds a tear as Bran passes beneath it. The use of weirwood – and the face especially – suggest that this is the work of the singers, who made a door that only the Night’s Watch could open.

It seems unlike that the singers, aiding in the building of an anti-Others defence, would create a door that an Other could pass through; Bloodraven’s cave seems thus warded, so far successfully. But why is the Gate blind? Why is it described as resembling a corpse? This could be a function of the sheer age of the Gate, but I believe it to be more significant than that.

Of Silverwing

Queen Alysanne Targaryen made a visit to the Wall and visited the Nightfort in particular. The castle gave the Queen such bad vibes that she arranged it to be abandoned – immediately – paying for the replacement herself.

That’s quite a reaction, and one that should be contrasted with Stannis, who plans to make the place his seat (and note that Sam considers the possibility that the Black Gate is not permanent – which is very intriguing).

More interesting than Alysanne’s reaction to the Nightfort is her dragon Silverwing’s reaction explicitly to the Wall itself. She is disturbed by the winds from it – and I reject the notion that this was solely the cold, as the cold at Winterfell makes Vermax ‘ill tempered’, not disobedient and disturbed.

It is suggested that the Wall is anathema to creatures of fire – and yet Melisandre is seemingly stronger at the Wall than she is Asshai!

It is also suggested that Silverwing feared not the Wall but what lay beyond – but the Others had not yet begun to stir, so what was she sensing? I posit that the Wall was drinking in the magic that Silverwing generated, effectively draining her.

Also pertinent is the fact that Jon Snow loses all sense of Ghost when the Wall is between them. An unbreakable powerful bond that endures over great distances is rendered inert due to the Wall. This could be a matter of inexperience on Jon’s part, but it is worth bearing in mind.

Waning of Magic

Taking everything together, I propose that the Wall is draining the magic from the world. The magical peoples and creatures of Westeros exist only beyond the Wall, having died out everywhere else, notably the singers who have disappeared even from presumably safe strongholds.

Dragons, whose mere existence makes magic stronger (and possibly what is actually empowering Melisandre), mislike and possibly even fear the Wall, to the degree that Alysanne was deeply disturbed for long after. It needs must be noted also that the dragons of the Targaryens did not reach the size and strength of their forebears in Valyria, dwindling ever more with the years. Perhaps this was due to the Dragonpit, to the betrayal of the house’s women, tied so completely to its dragons. Perhaps it was something more insidious.

Where magic does exist still, it exists in the further East; in Qarth, Asshai and so forth. These places also had a lack of dragons post-Doom, also endured the Long Night, so it cannot be solely these factors. But they are much further away from the Wall; their magic is weakened but endures.

To touch also on the seasons as an aside, WOIAF offers some further credence to the Wall-as-problem. The seasons used to be normal, we are told, only in the most ancient tales. Tales presumably predating the Wall.

If the issue of seasons were solely one of balance between Ice and Fire, when why were there no world-ending catastrophes when Fire was ascendant? The Doom impacted only Valyria, after all.

We must return to the symbolism; where Ice is death, silence, darkness and inhumanity and Fire is life, song, light and passion.

TBC

[thewatcher0nthewall]

In the dungeons of Gogossos, torturers devised new torments...

...In the flesh pits, blood sorcery of the darkest sort was practiced, as beasts were mated to slave women to bring forth twisted half-human children.

[jonsnowunemploymentera]

And remember kids, the next time someone tells you, "George R. R. Martin wouldn't make Jon Snow the typical fantasy hero because that's cliche".....

Oh yes he would!

One viewer wants to know what character would you play (on the show)? GRRM: If I could magically clap my hands and become a different person, it would be cool to play Jon Snow who's much more of the classic hero. Everybody wants to be the classic hero! ABC Interview, 2014

GRRM: And the character I’d want to be? Well who wouldn’t want to be Jon Snow — the brooding, Byronic, romantic hero whom all the girls love. Meduza Interview, 2017

In fact he already has ☺️

[shiftyllama3000]

Elric of Melnibone vs Bloodraven by @retroillustrates please check out their art, they do some of my favorite elric pieces. I just had to have grrm's elric tribute in the same style

[thaliajoy-blog]

Malora, the Mad Maid.

"Lord Leyton’s locked atop his tower with the Mad Maid, consulting books of spells. Might be he’ll raise an army from the deeps. Or not."

👉 Malora seeing the birth of Daenerys' dragons in a miniature Hightower brazier.

I'm not sure why some think Hightowers are anti-magic ? They're literally introduced to us as rumoured sorcerers.

"Subtle and sophisticated, they have always been great patrons of learning and the Faith, and it is said that certain of them have also dabbled in alchemy, necromancy, and other sorcerous arts."

And call me crazy but Helaena might have been adapted the way she was in HoTD with Malora in mind ?

To have some fun, imagine Malora talking to Leyton about that vision :

"I see a dead horse, I see a pale girl embracing a pyre. I hear thunder & screams & cracks & songs. Father, you could not imagine how wondrous it sounds. I feel like I am a girl again and the world is brighter, more colors dance in and around me. The moon is giving birth. Father, we should go out. I want to see the sky."

[cecilyneville]

i'll go MY LORD but you are making a mistake MY LORD you are sending the wrong man MY LORD just the sight of me is going to anger mance MY LORD would have a better chance of reaching terms if he sent--

[mellysanders]

Related to people saying they picture asoiaf as looking like 90's fantasy TV-

I want an asoiaf adaptation that looks like a Roger Corman low-budget, absolute piece of crap 80's sword-and-sorcery movie. That's the aesthetic I think we deserved

I want that Mystery Science Theater 3000-ass look

[edenmemes]

asoiaf: a dance with dragons starters

❝ i fear i make you uneasy. ❞ ❝ knowledge is a weapon. arm yourself well before you ride forth to battle. ❞ ❝ go on. show your steel. give me cause to do the same. ❞ ❝ fear is what keeps a man alive in this world of treachery and deceit. ❞ ❝ these woods are not as empty as you think. ❞ ❝ promise me that you will never turn against me. i could not bear that. promise me. ❞ ❝ the only time a man can be brave is when he is afraid. ❞ ❝ if i must die, i will die with an axe in my hand and a curse upon my lips. ❞ ❝ tales are told of you. i hear them everywhere. people fear you. ❞ ❝ go too far down that road,  and  mistrust  can  poison  you,  make you sour and fearful. ❞ ❝ you mistake me. that was a command, not an offer. ❞ ❝ sorcery is a sword without a hilt. there is no safe way to grasp it. ❞ ❝ prophecy is like a half-trained mule. it looks like it might be useful, but the moment you trust in it, it kicks you in the head. ❞ ❝ it is not the foes who curse you to your face that you must fear, but those who smile when you are looking and sharpen their knives when you turn your back. ❞ ❝ i rose too high, loved too hard, dared too much. i tried to grasp a star, overreached, and fell. ❞ ❝ they think that this will break my pride, that it will make an end to me, but they are wrong. ❞ ❝ tell me of the things that make you happy, the things that make you giggle, all your sweetest memories. remind me that there is still good in the world. ❞ ❝ one war ends, another begins. there is always someone fighting someone somewhere. ❞ ❝ this is what i was made for. the dance, the sweet steel song, a sword in my hand and a foe before me. ❞ ❝ my enemies have told you i am dead. those tales are false, as you can see. ❞ ❝ not all that a man does is done for gain. ❞ ❝ i know that you believe me weak, frightened, feeble. ❞ ❝ it takes a man to rule. kill the boy, and let the man be born. ❞ ❝ do you mean to spend your whole life running away? ❞ ❝ kingdoms are at hazard here. our lives, our names, our honour. this is no game we’re playing for your amusement. ❞ ❝ however gentle the words, there are always darker motives underneath. i do not trust you. ❞ ❝ a good honest face, but you should smile more. ❞ ❝ my throne is made of burned bones, and it rests on quicksand. ❞ ❝ you are so radiant today i fear to look on you. ❞ ❝ prove yourself more trouble than you are worth, and you can go your own way. ❞ ❝ you need not look so pale, i was only playing with you. ❞ ❝ this is not the day i die, i promise you. ❞ ❝ i wanted you from the first time i saw you. ❞ ❝ was i so blind, or  did  i  close  my  eyes  willingly, so i would not see the price of power? ❞ ❝ men should not go wandering in this place. ❞ ❝ hold your tongue and do as you are told, or you will soon wish you had. ❞ ❝ you won’t try. you will obey. ❞ ❝ kneel and live. or go and die. it’s your choice to make. ❞ ❝ are you so blind, or is it that you do not wish to see? ❞ ❝ that is not a place you want to go to. ❞ ❝ i will not go back without doing what i came for, no matter how hopeless it may seem. ❞ ❝ the fairest woman in this world...i am drunk with the sight of you. ❞ ❝ secrets are worth more than silver and sapphires. ❞ ❝ we have come too far to turn back now. ❞ ❝ what have i done to make you hate me so? ❞ ❝ you meet so few men who value friendship over gold these days. ❞ ❝ it is true, i am a bolder man than most. ❞ ❝ i cannot go home. but i dare not stay here much longer. ❞ ❝ foes and false friends are all around me. ❞ ❝ the fewer folk who will know of this, the better. ❞ ❝ all you have i gave you. remember that. ❞ ❝ will you make me say it twice? go and do as i commanded you. ❞ ❝ love is madness, and lust is poison. ❞ ❝ i feel safe when i’m with you. ❞ ❝ have you no smile for me? am i as fearful as all that? ❞ ❝ why did i ever allow myself to be talked into this farce? ❞ ❝ don’t think i don’t see what you’re doing. ❞ ❝ i will tell you nothing. do me the same favor. ❞ ❝ if i look back i am lost. ❞ ❝ a crown should not sit easy on the head. ❞ ❝ we must show a little trust, you and i. ❞ ❝ trust only your companions, and do your best to avoid attracting notice. ❞ ❝ you’re not going to try to kill me again, i hope. ❞ ❝ if you will forgive me for saying so, you look...weary. are you sleeping? ❞ ❝ your clothes are stained with blood. take them off. ❞ ❝ every fool loves to hear that he’s important. ❞ ❝ my father used to tell me that a man must know his enemies. ❞ ❝ you are a harmless creature, to be sure. as innocent as a lamb. ❞ ❝ till then, let us drink and dream. ❞ ❝ you will be tempted to betray me. to run or fight or join our foes. i’ll not hear you deny it. ❞ ❝ soon enough you may have grave need of me. do not refuse my friendship. ❞ ❝ it is best that no man knows that you are here. ❞ ❝ i kill kings, haven’t you heard? ❞ ❝ should any ill befall you, this world would lose its savor. ❞ ❝ some will look at you and see only another doomed pretender. ❞ ❝ i think life is a jape. yours, mine, everyone’s. ❞ ❝ i will forgive those words...once. but never presume to threaten me again. ❞ ❝ your father would be so proud if he could see you. ❞ ❝ just once you might try to give me an answer that would please me. ❞ ❝ they love me well. none would betray me. ❞ ❝ i have sins enough to answer for; i’ll have no part of this one. ❞ ❝ i mean you no harm, you know. ❞ ❝ i do not trust you, but i need you. ❞ ❝ we’ll both sleep, and dream of sweeter days. close your eyes. ❞ ❝ since you ask so nicely, how can i deny you? ❞ ❝ no wine is half so intoxicating as your beauty. ❞ ❝ why should i beg for what is owed me? ❞ ❝ a lord may love the men he commands, but he cannot be a friend to them. ❞ ❝ let them try and trouble us, we’ll show them what we’re made of. ❞ ❝ a leader should be feared, by friend and foe alike. if men think me cruel, so much the better. ❞ ❝ the enemy of my friend is my enemy. ❞ ❝ a book can be as dangerous as a sword in the right hands. ❞ ❝ i am an old man, grown weary of this world and its treacheries. ❞ ❝ these are desperate days, and like to grow more desperate. ❞ ❝ we need to find shelter before nightfall. ❞ ❝ there are footsteps behind us. we are being followed. ❞ ❝ this is no common fog. it stinks of sorcery. ❞ ❝ i am glad you came to me. it is good to see you again, my friend. ❞ ❝ the man who does nothing also takes a risk. ❞ ❝ the women are the strong ones. ❞ ❝ afraid, are you? i would be if i were you. ❞ ❝ tell me a tale. some tale of valor with a happy ending. ❞ ❝ i’ll have a cup of wine as well. to clear my head. ❞ ❝ we may lose our heads, it’s true...but what if we prevail? ❞ ❝ keep your swords sharp. we’ll have us a real fight soon. ❞ ❝ this is going to end badly. ❞ ❝ what are you doing here? how did you get past my guards? ❞ ❝ it is so hard. to be strong. i don’t always know what i should do. ❞ ❝ let us instead speak of love, of dreams and desire. ❞ ❝ you wound me, wandering off like this. have you grown tired of my hospitality so soon? ❞ ❝ with this sword i defend my subjects and destroy those who menace them. ❞ ❝ it is too late for such misgivings. you made your choice. ❞ ❝ in times as confused as these, even men of honor must wonder where their duty lies. ❞ ❝ why? what did i ever do to you? ❞ ❝ we must be certain that we do not choose the losing side. ❞ ❝ dream sweet dreams. there are no monsters here. ❞ ❝ i know who you are. i know what you are. ❞ ❝ a little honest loathing might be refreshing, like a tart wine after too much sweet. ❞ ❝ a bloody sword is a beautiful thing. ❞ ❝ a ruler belongs to their people, not to themself. ❞ ❝ if the ones i killed come haunt me, i will kill them all again. ❞ ❝ you shine so brightly, you will blind every man who dares look upon you. ❞ ❝ a fair bargain leaves both sides unhappy, i’ve heard it said. ❞ ❝ there’s blood on your hands, aye, same as mine. ❞ ❝ i have done wicked things, i know, but i could not bear for you to hate me. ❞ ❝ it is good to see you smiling again. ❞ ❝ i have doubts enough without you throwing oil on the fire of my fear. ❞ ❝ blood pays for blood, a life for a life. ❞ ❝ go home, if that is what you want. i am staying. ❞ ❝ a man’d think there’s no trust between us. ❞ ❝ i would choose freedom over comfort every time. ❞ ❝ you are even lovelier than i was told. ❞ ❝ stay. i do not wish to be alone. ❞ ❝ treachery on treachery. is there no end to it? ❞ ❝ dreams and prophecies. why must they always be in riddles? ❞ ❝ one wrong word, and this could turn to blood in half a heartbeat. ❞ ❝ you lie. i can see the truth in your eyes. ❞ ❝ throw down your steel and stand aside, and no harm need come to you. ❞ ❝ you are supposed to be my friend. why must you mock my hopes? ❞ ❝ it is better to die with honor than to live without it. ❞ ❝ it does no good to brood on lost battles and roads not taken. ❞ ❝ i see you are deaf to sense. ❞ ❝ you are no better than me. we’re just the same. ❞ ❝ a man should never draw his sword unless he means to use it. ❞ ❝ you kill men for the wrongs they have done, not the wrongs that they may do someday. ❞ ❝ close your eyes. close your ears. turn away. you do not need to see this. ❞ ❝ the sooner we are gone from this place, the better. ❞ ❝ i am sorry my actions have displeased you. i did as i thought best. ❞ ❝ you do not need to trust a man to use him. ❞ ❝ if you cannot do this thing, you need only say so. there is no shame in that. ❞ ❝ never wound a foe when you can kill him. dead men don’t claim vengeance. ❞ ❝ this is what i wanted, what i worked for. so why does it taste so much like defeat? ❞ ❝ honest men should never need to hide their faces. ❞ ❝ i am not the trusting fool you take me for. ❞ ❝ men’s lives have meaning, not their deaths. ❞ ❝ he’s dead. he won’t bite. ❞ ❝ if this is the price for peace, i pay it willingly. ❞ ❝ it makes me wonder whose side you are on. ❞ ❝ dreams and prophecies. why must they always be in riddles? ❞ ❝ i will not say that you are welcome. nor will i deny that i have hoped that you might come. ❞ ❝ you have the eyes of a wolf and a taste for blood. ❞ ❝ men are mad and gods are madder. ❞ ❝ one war ends, another begins. there is always someone fighting someone somewhere. ❞ ❝ not all risks lead to ruin. ❞ ❝ is there some place with fewer eyes and ears? ❞ ❝ i need you now as i have never needed you before. ❞ ❝ tell me, is there any fight left in you? ❞ ❝ it was the wind that you heard screaming. ❞ ❝ crying? i was not crying. why would i cry? ❞ ❝ are you some butcher of the battlefield, hacking down every man who stands in your way? ❞ ❝ rain. a storm is coming. ❞ ❝ that was simple. simpler than i dared hope. simpler than it should have been. ❞ ❝ see that you do not speak of this. i’ll not have this tale spread. ❞ ❝ how could i be so blind for so long? ❞ ❝ you had a bad dream, that was all. ❞ ❝ are you prepared to defend that boast with sword or lance? ❞ ❝ i will do it. i said i would. i will. ❞ ❝ think that. believe that. tell yourself it’s true. ❞ ❝ you have more enemies than you know. ❞ ❝ i have no heart. i only have a hole. ❞ ❝ it has been too long since i’ve killed a man. ❞ ❝ words are wind. words cannot harm me. ❞ ❝ have you forgotten who i am? ❞ ❝ too many good men died that day. ❞ ❝ it is so good to see your face, your sweet face. ❞ ❝ it is still not too late to abandon this folly. ❞ ❝ i will not stay here to be insulted. ❞

[atopvisenyashill]

alright here is my rec list for everything george rr martin:

(link will be in reblog). in it you will find:

the list of all the asoiaf books and related supplemental books and graphic novels (just to like, cover all my bases here)

books and authors across all genres that george has name dropped as having an influence on the series, from historical books written in the late 1800s about random scottish castles to the beginnings of the sword-and-sorcery genre written in serials in magazines.

books about the history he's taken inspiration from besides the ones he's name dropped - basically i found non fiction books that seemed well reviewed on an academic level but also sounded like narrative non fiction bc i can’t do anything too dry or technical. however,,,, i included notes in this section on what part of the story is inspired by each book. i kept it to the stuff that he’s name dropped - like dorne being a mash up of wales, moorish spain, and palestine, or hadrian’s wall or the anarchy - so if you think something sounds interesting but the book i picked was ass, basically every subject had a bunch of books on it!

(caveat i mean, i picked stuff that was readily available to me through my library system as someone in the greater chicagoland area lol so ymmv as to whether there's a lot of info available to you. if you want to know about how to use libby, hoopla, or kanopy tho, hit me up!!)

books i think it's very likely he took inspiration - this is the smallest section, i’m not about to project onto this man, its at the very bottom of the sheet & it’s just like, lolita, some fairy tale stuff, and other books george has written, so it’s also about further understanding his ~style~ + i am simply interested in these titles.

if anything is kind of unclear or if you noticed i missed something george has said, feel free to let me know!

[yanderes-galore]

Yandere brynden rivers vs aegor rivalry hcs? Hopefully this is okay since you're still accepting asoiaf requests

Honestly, considering their rivalry over Shiera, makes sense to me! There isn't much I could find of them as I think their tale is primarily in A World of Ice and Fire (Although Brynden/Bloodraven is technically in the main books). So this is entirely speculation and HC about the little I know of their rivalry. I apologize if some things are wrong.

This is more focused on Brynden Rivers than Aegor. If there is ways to write them both better, I'd love to hear them.

Yandere! Brynden Rivers vs Aegor Rivers

Pairing: Romantic - Rivalry

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Violence, Blood in two lines, Murder, Manipulation, Possessive behavior, Mentioned/Implied Targcest, Mature themes, Mature language, Stalking, Imprisonment, Dubious relationship.

If you think about it, a similar thing has already happened in the books in canon.

Not the yandere bit, but the rivalry over a woman they both loved.

In canon, Brynden (Bloodraven) and Aegor (Bittersteel) fought over the love of Shiera.

All three were known as the great bastards of King Aegon IV.

Shiera was known to love Brynden, although Aegor loved her too.

The two ended up fighting in the first battle of the Blackfyre rebellion, both out of different allegiances and possibly jealousy.

How I'd write this idea is this;

You'd definitely take the role of Shiera (Regardless of gender for this concept, I'm just covering potential behavior for now).

I'm not saying you also have to be a great bastard, but somehow you take the role regardless of your relations with the two.

We can assume Brynden is very cunning, speculated to have planned everything to set up The Prince Who Was Promised.

He can put together plans well, he's also a known sorcerer who utilizes spies and spells.

Brynden is an albino with a birthmark similar to a raven, earning him the nickname "Bloodraven".

Aegor was another great bastard like Brynden, one who never got along with Brynden in the first place due to their mothers being part of warring families.

Not only that, but Aegor's mother was replaced with Brynden's mother for Aegon IV.

Safe to say Brynden has... reasons to be bitter.

Even more so when the two meet you.

The two become very fixated on courting you.

Something that only opens the rift between them larger.

The two have little interest in getting along.

They are rivals when it comes to the Iron Throne due to their blood, but that matters little to them.

All they seem to care about is fighting for your hand in marriage.

Drama would only increase if you actually loved one of them and not the other.

For example, going down the Shiera route, you love Brynden... which causes Aegor to grow more bitter and try even harder to show he's the better option.

Ever since the two saw you in the Red Keep, it was like there was a spark.

A spark that ignited adoration... and a raging fire that brings dangerous ambition that soon came after.

Aegor was a skilled warrior that became a hired mercenary in his time alive before being killed in another battle for the Blackfyre Rebellion.

Brynden is a sorcerer or spends most of his time planning and spying, he lives for a long time due to his magic and always makes sure things go to plan

I feel, regardless of if you love Brynden or not, he'd win you.

His experience in sorcery and his spies would certainly be enough to get rid of Aegor, if he didn't get rid of himself first.

I can see Brynden still adamant on you being his, yet he takes his time more.

When he was younger, before the Blackfyre rebellion, Brynden always felt jealousy towards Aegor.

Aegor felt the same, determined to take you for himself.

Aegor seems like he'd use brute force, while Brynden thinks more about planning.

The two often fought over you when they were young, yet they didn't try to kill one another until the first Blackfyre Rebellion.

Aegor sided with Daemon Blackfyre, while Brynden sided with Daeron II.

If you still wish to go down the Shiera route, Brynden probably joined Daeron II because you sided with the king.

If you sided with Daemon, then he probably would still try to pry you from Aegor's grip.

All while Aegor aims to slaughter the Bloodraven.

It doesn't matter what side you choose, or if you even pick a side, their first attempt on each other's life is with the death of Daemon Blackfyre.

It's in this fight that Aegor flees and Brynden comes back with one eye.

Blood is shed for the both of them, the red liquid coating one another before they part.

A nauseating sight for everyone involved.

If Aegor took you with him, Brynden plans ways to get you back into his own arms.

If Brynden took you, Aegor plans ways to drag you into exile with him... yet Brynden is more clever with his plans.

If you side with Aegor, he keeps you with him and founded the Golden Company.

Aegor would keep you safe beside him, promising to keep you from the Bloodraven.

Yet... even if you loved him... he still perishes in the end.

During another Blackfyre Rebellion battle, Aegor would pass in battle.

It's never specifically said, but I like to think Brynden planned this (for this concept) in an attempt to remove heirs to the throne... and take you back in this case.

You'd have men, spies, keeping an eye on your every move.

By the time Aegor dies, you're scooped back up and dropped at Brynden's feet with the help 

of Daeron II.

If you were with Brynden from the start, Brynden would just plot Aegor's demise before Aegor can make a move.

Truthfully, you were never intended to be Aegor's.

Not in Brynden's plans you weren't.

Brynden hopes you'll see that, especially when he tells you Aegor took his eye.

That outcast never deserved you in Brynden's thoughts.

Brynden makes sure his plan goes through, that you're his.

And you are his... for years.

No kidnapping needed, not if he plays his cards right.

Even then, it won't be hard to frame you... especially if you sided with the Blackfyres....

Brynden would imprison you if it meant you two could be a pair.

He's a convincing man.

You'd be Brynden's until he himself is exiled by King Aegon V.

Even then he'd still want you by his side... he'd keep you alive with magic just like he does himself...

Before you even know it, Brynden has planned out everything between you...

He won't have anyone take you from him, everything must go to plan, and in the end he knows he'll have you someday... not Aegor.

[horizon-verizon]

The hauntings in Harrenhal do not seem random; they seem to act as "mirrors," forcing those burdened with guilt or regret to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves. One either acknowledges one's flaws and grows or gets crushed under the weight of denial, spiraling into madness. Those without emotional baggage seem to fare better—like the Strongs, who lived there without incident, perhaps because they carried no inner torment. But for those weighed down by guilt, Harrenhal acts like an unrelenting mirror, dragging every hidden flaw to the surface. Cole is a perfect candidate for such torment. Worn down by his choices and haunted by his regrets, he’s a man trapped by his own contradictions. Personally, I would like to see him haunted by the very hypocrisy of his actions, forced to confront the inconsistencies between his beliefs and his choices. Larys once claimed that Harrenhal would drive Daemon mad, but I suspect it’s Aemond who’s most likely to unravel. His desperate need for control/power, combined with the ghosts of his failures and ambitions, could push him to the brink.

Anon is cont a discussion from this post. Also, SPOILERS for a character death.

This is a good analysis, anon, to make for what we do have in the actual show itself. hopefully, for those who still plan to watch this coming season, they will go that route. This pairs nicely with Cole deciding to leave Aemond behind/Aemond refusing to move out with him after their bk!quarrel; the writers can take advantage of that at least. Cole running away from those confrontations, leading up to him dying in a road of corpses and dying without given the opportunity to fight for his life, three arrows as if he were an "animal". The way humans have conceptualized an unthinking nonperson, as Cole refused to delve deeper and reflect on the "the inconsistencies between his beliefs and his choices"--those reflections which make a lot of what we could call "humanity" or "personhood" by way of cognitive consideration of one's own morality and thought patterns.

He didn't "die like a man" ("man" in English language can also mean "human", historically & conventionally, so double meaning..."man's best friend" is a saying not just for males) AND died amongst the already dead--some living men who pretended to be dead and instilled a false sense of safety--who aren't "men" anymore. But the disguises of men pretending to be nonexistent, like some sort of reverse ghost-situation when he thought he left behind "ghosts" at Harrenhal, those noncorporeal figures "confronting" him, bringing forth those inconsistencies that haunt him to further haunt him. It all highlights what realities Cole refuses to acknowledge in general to maintain his black-white, and predatory behaviors. Now he becomes the "prey", going back right where he began and still trapped, just not bey broken, burnt walls. These writers actually could do so much...will they do it, though, hard to say.

Also, what's the deal with Larys? You seem to think Larys knowing abt Alys/Harrenhal's magic might mean that Larys was like to "go mad" or witnessed it in others. Perhaps that is another reason why he left Harrenhal himself?

[mejcinta]

Interesting, about the Hightower sorcery. I had forgotten that.

Good question!!!

If they do go with this bs they could surpriaingly sweep the Targaryen blood superiority/dragon bonding all under the rug earlier than expected in the story (saying it turns out the dragon taming ability could be achieved by anyone) and thus giving Nettles' arc of being able to tame Sheepstealer to Daeron and Tessarion, which I am STRONGLY against, by the way.

This leaves us with another interesting option. IF they want to push a Daeron bastardy arc this could imply that the Hightowers descend from Valyrian bloodlines, which is something that's been theorised because of their Valyrian like features in the books and the foundation of the rock under the high tower in Old Town being made of rock that was also present in Valyria. 🤷🏾‍♀️

So:

a) Daeron gets the Nettles story treatment, basically taking froma major part of her arc.

b) The Hightowers are revealed to be descended from Valyrians.

What do y'all think?

[blububblgum]

Daenerys as a D&D character!!

I love dnd to bits, and I spent a lot of time thinking about how certain asoiaf characters would be if they were made using dnd 5e rules. Obviously, i had to start with dany! She is a shadow magic sorcerer, with the elemental adept feat.

My long, winding thought process about dnd and dany is under the cut, in order to spare you all.

I'm kind of working with like, westeros in the forgotten realms as my base concept, since theres elements of both that are needed for this character build to make sense lol.

Sorcerer made the most sense, with how the targaryans are thought to have ancient magic, and since dany is quite charismatic, charisma would be her spellcasting stat. I think that the obvious sorcerer subclass is draconic bloodline, but i disagree, since the way dragons are portrayed in asoiaf doesn't match up with the dnd description of dragons. I could maybe see draconic bloodline sorcery for the Fire and blood characters, but for the "modern" targs, i'd honestly lean toward fire genasi (descendants from genies, with specific elemental powers) ancestry, since the immunity to fire is emphasized. Though technically dnd doesn't really work like that, i think as a character dany would be a fire genasi (though without the usual visual traits, i suppose)

since i elected against draconic bloodline, the sorcerer subclass that makes sense for daenerys is shadow magic! its maybe a bit on the creepy/edgy side, but i think aspects work well for dany's life. for starters, if you think of her gaining magic during her life, the deal she made to try and save khal drogo's life would be perfect timing for darker magic to make its home within her. however if you wanted her to have magic from birth, then the dramatic circumstances around her birth could be heightened by there having been shadowfell influences around. also!! at 6th level, shadow sorcerers can summon a "hound of ill omen" which can take any shape, and could easily be a small dragon.

The last aspect of why i chose sorcerer, is that while the spell casting sucks at lower levels, it then really gets good as you gain spell slots (limited per day and necessary to cast any spells) and sorcery points. the spell list for sorcerer is full of damage dealing spells, and dany kinda reads as a glass canon to me (i love sorcerers a lot but they are fragile). I did briefly ponder divination wizard, since daenerys seems to have an inclination toward being a dreamer, but i don't think she had time to study and practice wizardry in her chaotic childhood. whereas we see as she gains power and confidence while growing up, and sorcerer works well with that

last few details! i've portrayed her as higher level here, which is why she is so fancy. since she is upper level (in this i was thinking around 14th), she would have access to feats, and i definitely think fire elemental adept (gives bonuses to spells that do fire damage) would bring back some of the draconic aspects to her spellcasting. for metamagic options, obviously twinned spell (allows a spell that targets 1 person to be twinned to hit two people) cause its the best one, but i was also thinking subtle spell (allows a spell to be cast without speaking or moving) since it would be quite helpful for her. For other potential feats; inspiring leader (bonuses when you give speeches n stuff) and war caster (allows magic to be used better during combat) both make sense. For her stats, i was thinking in order of highest to lowest; charisma, wisdom, intelligence, constitution, dexterity, strength. Maybe i'm doing her a disservice by having her physical stats be her low ones, but i think her mental stats are just stronger.

Anyways if you actually read all this i love you and please message me any opinions you have about dnd/asoiaf

[shiftyllama3000]

All my homies stan blorbo of house wanker who doesn't appear in any of the books or the show but has half a dozen dirty fanarts on tumblrdotcom

[allyriadayne]

will someone explain to me what the deal is with asoiaf lore? i'll see someone talking about something and it will come from martin responding to a fan letter from the 90s? and this is canon?? like who found and compilates all of the stuff he has said besides released books and interviews i guess. i've never been a fan of a series like this, is this common?

this has me genuinely in tears sorry 😭😭😭

okay serious now. i genuinely don't know if this is normal or expected in fantasy book series, at least i don't think it's that common in modern fantasy where the fashion has gone other ways from the expansive sword & sorcery type from the 20th century. i could not tell you if other fantasy authors are as involved as grrm is because i haven't been involved with any other fandom like this either (maybe lotr fans can say something different), but considering the years between publications (let this one be the last 🤞), the massive fanbase and fame of the source material, i think it's normal that his interviews, comments, and fanmail has been archived in the internet.

strictly speaking, everything outside asoiaf (books 1-5), fire and blood, and the dunk & egg books is not considered canon. BUT if the info comes from people like elio and linda like twoiaf book, or like the calendars, cookbooks, official art etc it's considered semi-canonical, just like anything grrm says /outside/ of the books. famous example, it's like when jk rowling said dumbledore was gay /after/ the books were done. it's semi canonical bc it comes from the author themselves, it doesn't affect the main body of work so it can be taken or discarded.

the thing is, martin has done A LOT of interviews and answered A LOT of fanmail and worked closely in answering doubts from the westeros dot org site for their rpg games set in westeros (girl, the dream) during the more than 30 years since the publication of agot. all this is considered semi canon and this archive is called "so spake martin" (SSM), which i think was started by elio & linda in the 90s and it's still collecting info. if you go to the awoiaf wiki, esp in the main series characters you'll see this citation (from tyrion's page):

most will be things like "martin has said tyrion has similarities to richard iii" (i mean duh) but other will be really neat like saying tyrion has been trained in arms, which while not something new (he does fight more or less ably during the blackwater battle) it's interesting to point out when it's a detail that may be lost in the series. it goes from character trivia to how casterly rock is different from the show. most fans take what he says seriously but i know there are people that only consider what's in the book and that's it, which is fine. in any case, most of these is used to enrich theories or character analysis, it's why you will see trivia from a fanmail from 1996 or whatever. i myself haven't read SSM completely one by one but i do like to peruse the wiki often, even if it's not complete.

i've seen a few blogs on here who also "collect" grrm's words like nobodysuspectsthebutterfly's "so spake martin" tag (mostly analysis but really interesting read if u don't want to go thru the westeros org page) or georgescitadel that has specific info about characters or themes in asoiaf.