A Read of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones, Part 2. Welcome back to A Read of Ice and Fire! Please join me as I read and react, for the very first time, to George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. The only spoilers in the post itself will be for the actual chapters covered and for the chapters previous to them. As for the comments, The Powers That Be at Tor. Any spoileriffic discussion should go there, where I won’t see it.
Non- spoiler comments go below, in the comments to the post itself. Ned had seven men to their three, but when it was over only Ned and the crannogman Howland Reed were left alive after the three knights refused to pledge fealty to Robert. He wakes to find Vayon Poole at his bedside, who tells him he’s been unconscious for over six days, and that the king has commanded that Ned go to him as soon as he wakes. Ned tells him to tell the king that Ned is too weak to leave his bed, and Robert can come here if he wants.
See more about Game Of Thrones, Sansa. Childhood Photos Childhood Games Cast Photos Photos Of Ahh Game Game Of Thrones Cast. We dive into the themes underlying 'The Winds of Winter,' the latest episode of Game of Thrones. Entertainment; Local; NFL; NBA. Casterly Rock is bankrupt and her.
He assures Ned his daughters are well, though he comments that Arya seems furious, and that Jory and the others have been sent home for proper burial. Robert offers him wine, but Cersei declares Ned is lucky to still have a head on his shoulders. Robert tells her to shut up. Ned tells Robert that Catelyn is blameless in the Tyrion affair; she was acting on his orders, as his right as the King’s Hand.
Robert demands that Ned have Catelyn release the Imp and Ned apologize to Jaime. Ned asks if he is to forget his men that Jaime had butchered, and Cersei claims that Ned was returning drunk from a brothel and attacked Jaime and his men, not the other way around. Robert admits that Littlefinger had confirmed they were coming from “some whorehouse”, and Ned angrily tells him he was coming back from checking on Robert’s bastard daughter. Robert is abashed at this, and Cersei cold and silent. Ned shoots back that he is glad he is no longer the King’s Hand then, if this is Robert’s idea of justice. Cersei taunts Robert, asking him how he tolerates such insolence, and declares that he ought to be in skirts and she in mail. Robert backhands her hard enough to knock her down, and she tells him she will wear the bruise as “a badge of honor”.
What’s your favorite Game of Thrones fan. I will let myself be consumed with maggots before mocking the family name and making you the heir to Casterly Rock.”. I believe a hint lies in A Game of Thrones. House Tully of Riverrun is one of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms. Edmure is to be held in genteel captivity at Casterly Rock. Page 40 A Game of Thrones. A Game of Thrones Full : Chapter Forty, Author : George R.R. Free Novels Online >>Fantasy. Follow/Fav The Heir of Casterly Rock. I do not own Game of Thrones. This is purely a fiction exercise. Also because English is not my native language you may have to excuse some mistakes I may write. Ser Jaime Lannister is a major character in the. Magazine photo of the Game of Thrones cast. Tywin demands that Jaime quits the Kingsguard and take his place as the heir of Casterly Rock.
He pulls out the sigil of the Hand and tosses it at Ned, informing him that he is the King’s Hand again whether he likes it or not. Ned asks why Robert would want him if he refuses to listen to Ned’s counsel. Someone has to rule this damnable kingdom. Put on the badge, Ned. And if you ever throw it in my face again, I swear to you, I’ll pin the damned thing on Jaime Lannister.”Commentary. Oh, good, Ned’s alive. I was half- wondering, the last time we saw him, whether Pycelle wasn’t going to poison him, or at least attempt to do so, since I’m about two- thirds convinced it wouldn’t be the first time he’s offed a Hand of the King that way.
I’m not sure I’m right, but currently I think Pycelle is my top suspect for Jon Arryn’s murder. Which isn’t to say that I think he was in on it alone, of course, but based on what I’ve seen from him I think there’s a very good chance that he was the one who actually did the deed. I knew Ned wouldn’t get away from this snake pit of a royal court. Mostly because otherwise there wouldn’t be a story, but also because no one gets off that easy in this series that I’ve seen. I guess the only way out is through. Someone who is so easily manipulated, and so totally ruled by their excesses, shouldn’t be in charge of a kiddie pool, much less a nation.
I’m pretty sure I’ve said that already, but if ever a sentiment bears repeating, it’s that one. The man is a walking disaster waiting to happen. Or maybe he already has happened, and the damage is just taking a while to kick in.
Part of the narrative in A Song of Ice and Fire lies across the narrow sea from. In A Game of Thrones, out of the nineteen castles built along the. They are ruled by House Lannister of Casterly Rock.
How do you fight someone if you can’t hit them?” Confused, the king shook his head. Seriously, why did anyone think you were smart enough to be a king? Anyone who hits anyone else who, for whatever reason, cannot hit back, is scum, full stop. Just because you are apparently too stupid to get why that makes you scum does not reduce your essential scumminess.
Oh, and feeling bad about it afterwards? Plus, all it means is that she won, Robert; you let her goading get to you, and that makes you the weak one.
And that common violence is the only way you can find to reply to her poisonous words makes you pathetic. And doomed to fail, ultimately. I have such deep contempt for people who are so profoundly weak- minded, so afraid of those under their power that physical abuse is their only way to compensate for that fear, that I can hardly express it. Though I’m pretty sure I just gave it the old college try.
He unsheathed Dawn and held it with both hands. The blade was pale as milkglass, alive with light. A storm of rose petals blew across a blood- streaked sky, as blue as the eyes of death. I’ll just note it for future reference, shall I? Who knew?). Lastly, this is random, but I could not figure out for the life of me whether “crannogman” was a term that had a real- world meaning, or if it was something Martin had made up. A quick Google for it, though, only shows results for ASOIAF wikis and such, so I’m assuming it’s the latter and it will be explained to me at some point. Rodrik says that Lysa meant to tell her about the letter only after the duel, which Catelyn calls “a mummer’s farce.” Catelyn says Lysa let Tyrion play her “like a set of pipes”, and declares her intention to leave that day regardless of the outcome.
They are met by her uncle Brynden as he storms out, furious at Lysa’s refusal to send men to aid Edmure. He has resigned his post as Knight of the Gate and intends to head to Riverrun at nightfall; Catelyn convinces him to accompany them instead, and promises him that she will get him the men he needs. Catelyn tries to convince Lysa to call off the challenge, telling her the Imp has no value dead, and if he should win. She reminds Lysa that Tyrion is Catelyn’s prisoner, but Lysa shouts that he murdered her husband and she means to see him pay. She remembers that Lysa’s original letter had named Cersei, not Tyrion, but now she seems to have changed her mind. Rodrik points out that poison might be something Cersei or Tyrion would use, but is an unlikely choice for Jaime. They discuss young Robert’s need to be away from his mother to learn discipline, and overhearing them, Maester Colemon mentions that Lord Jon agreed, and had been planning to send the boy to foster at Dragonstone.
Lysa mentions proudly that the sword Vardis is using is Jon’s, and Catelyn thinks it would have been better for Vardis to use his own. The duel begins, and it quickly becomes clear that Bronn intends to wear Vardis down. Catelyn remembers the duel many years ago between Brandon Stark and Petyr Baelish, and how Petyr hadn’t stood a chance, but refused to yield until Brandon had almost fatally wounded him. At Lysa’s urging Vardis makes one last charge, but Bronn pins him underneath a statue and kills him.
There is a shocked silence. Young Robert asks if he gets to make the little man fly now, and Tyrion tells him no, and declares his intent to leave.
Furious, Lysa is forced to allow it, and orders that Tyrion and Bronn be given horses and supplies and set free at the Bloody Gate. Catelyn knows that leaving them to traverse the high road alone is as just as much of a death sentence, and thinks Tyrion knows it too, but Tyrion only bows and remarks that they know the way. Commentary. Well, I don’t know how much the gods had to do with it, but that duel ended the way it should have, for my money. Yay, Tyrion lives to snark another day!
It always sucks the most when nice guys get the shaft (er, literally, in this case) just for doing their duty. Actually, Catelyn talks nothing but sense this entire chapter. Like this, for instance. What will we gain by the dwarf’s death? Do you imagine that Jaime will care a fig that we gave his brother a trial before we flung him off a mountain?”.
Preach it, sister. Not that Jaime doesn’t seem bound and determined to start some shit anyway, but no, I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t have helped. A direct and completely unambiguous reference to male homosexuality! Gosh, it’s been ages since I’ve seen one of those! It remains to be seen whether the other big hurdle on this front will be accomplished in ASOIAF: a gay character with a significant speaking role . Shh!). Back to the plot(ting), we also have here Maester Colemon’s extremely intriguing information here that Arryn planned to send young Robert off to be fostered with Stannis (who I believe is at Dragonstone, right?) even before King Robert decided to send the boy to the Lannisters after Arryn’s death.
That, my friends, is very, very interesting. I might be wildly overthinking this, and it is admittedly a fairly horrific notion. Is not right in the head. Especially when it comes to her ickle widdle wovey- dovey baby schnookums, there. So many motives, so little time! Which is a good sign I oughta get off this merry- go- round!
Have a prog- rock- FABULOUS weekend, peoples, and I’ll see youze later!
World of A Song of Ice and Fire. The fictional world in which the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R. Martin take place is divided into several continents. Most of the story takes place on the continent Westeros, or the Seven Kingdoms.
It actually consists of nine kingdoms (the North, the Iron Islands, the Riverlands, the Vale, the Westerlands, the Stormlands, the Reach, the Crownlands, and Dorne). The vast continent of Essos lies to the east of Westeros, across the Narrow Sea. The closest foreign nations to Westeros are the Free Cities, a collection of independent city- states along the western edge of this eastern continent. The lands along the southern coastline of the eastern continent, collectively called the Lands of the Summer Sea, include Slavers Bay and the ruins of Valyria, the former home of Westeros' Targaryen kings. To the south of Essos lie the continents of Sothoryos and Ulthos, which in the narrative are largely unexplored.
World and fictional history . Martin set the Ice and Fire story in an alternative world of Earth, a . Tolkien pioneered with Middle- earth. The continent is home to the Seven Kingdoms and lands beyond the great Wall, which makes up a large chunk of Westeros, being roughly the size of Canada, with most of it largely unmapped and unexplored. Martin here drew inspiration from medieval European history. Some time later, the First Men's attempts at cultivating the land led to a war with the Children and was eventually settled by an agreement known as . During that time, the First Men adopted the Children's gods, that later became known in Westeros as the Old gods.
Eight thousand years before the events of the novels, an enigmatic species called the Others emerged from the furthermost north, accompanying a winter named . Only the North remained unconquered and the Children disappeared from Andal lands.
Over time seven kingdoms were forged across Westeros: The North, The Iron Islands, The Vale, The Westerlands, The Stormlands, The Reach, and Dorne. Their powerful dragons overwhelmed six of the Seven Kingdoms through conquest or treaty, but Dorne remained independent for another two- hundred years until it was absorbed through marriage- alliance. The Targaryens made the Iron Throne from the swords of the defeated rulers, fused by dragonfire, establishing King's Landing as their capital city, and remained the ruling power on the continent until deposed by Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon. Part of the narrative in A Song of Ice and Fire lies across the narrow sea from Westeros, an area comprising the large eastern continent named Essos. Being roughly the size of Eurasia. The western coastline is characterized by green rolling hills, the massive Forest of Qohor, and extensive island chains such as Braavos and Lys.
The middle of the continent is covered by the flat grasslands of the Dothraki Sea and the arid lands known as the Red Waste to the east. Beyond the Red Waste lies the city of Qarth. The south is dominated by dry rolling hills and has a Mediterranean climate, with a coastline along the Summer Sea and Slaver's Bay. The north coast of the mainland is separated from the polar cap by the Shivering Sea. To the south, across the Summer Sea, lies the uncharted jungle continent of Sothoryos. After the destruction of Valyria, the cities of Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen regained independence and ruled their respective areas as city- states. The area is known in the books as Slaver's Bay.
Other landmasses . The continent is first named on a map in A Storm of Swords (2. Yeen and Zamettar on it. The narrative itself first refers to the continent in A Feast for Crows (2.
Martin had described Sothoryos in 2. The swampy nature of Sothoryos is briefly referenced by Victarion in A Dance with Dragons, and teak from Sothoryos is said to be used to build ships. A corsair's road runs along the continent's northern coast.
A Dance with Dragons refers to the diseases on Sothoryos in regards to the wealthy but sick Yunkai slave trader Yezzan zo Qaggaz. Victarion compares some people as . Martin said that, unlike other peoples in the novels, the brindled men of Sothoryos were pure fantasy constructs. Asked whether this was another continent, Martin replied, . I am a little unclear on the formal definition of 'continent' as opposed to 'big island.' Also on the size of Ulthos, which after all sits at the edge of the known world.
Terra incognita and all that. Each new book has added one or two maps so that, as of A Dance with Dragons, seven individual maps of the fictional world are available in the books (see table). Martin said in 2. Middle Ages who were unilluminated about distant places. Ward, depending on the books. The old maps were redone to match the style of the new ones. The maps are drawn by illustrator and cartographer Jonathan Roberts based on drafts by George R.
The twelve maps in the set are: The Known World, The West, Central Essos, The East, Westeros, Beyond The Wall, The Free Cities, Slaver's Bay, The Dothraki Sea, King's Landing, Braavos and . Martin compared the North of Westeros to Scotland. The North is nearly as big as the other six kingdoms combined, but only sparsely populated. Martin compared the North to Scotland. The region's northern border is the New Gift, a stretch of land 5. Night's Watch. An isthmus of swampland named the Neck separates the North from the South; it is home to small, marsh- dwelling crannogmen and ruled by House Reed of Greywater Watch, bannermen of House Stark. The Neck's narrowness and difficult terrain along with the almost impenetrable Moat Cailin make it a natural border for the North, protecting it from invasion.
The city of White Harbor is described as a thriving port. Illegitimate children born of a noble parent in the North are given the surname Snow. Winterfell. It is built over a natural hot spring and the scalding water runs through the castle walls, warming halls and rooms. There are several open pools where heated water collects within the godswood.
The hot spring also prevents the ground from freezing both in summer and winter. The castle has deep catacombs where the bodies of Starks are entombed behind statues in their likeness with a direwolf at their feet and their swords left in their hands. The tombs range back all the way to the old Kings of the North, called the Kings of Winter, who ruled before Aegon the Conqueror and the arrival of the Andals before that.
The pilot and Season 1 of the TV adaptation used the 1. Clearsky Activity Centre located at Castle Ward in County Down, Northern Ireland, for Winterfell. Cairncastle, meanwhile, served as the location where Ned Stark beheads the deserter Will south of the Wall. It is home to the Night's Watch, a brotherhood sworn to protect the realms of men from the threats beyond the Wall. The Wall was inspired by Martin's visit to Hadrian's Wall, in the North of England close to the border with Scotland. Looking out over the hills, Martin wondered what a Roman centurion from the Mediterranean would feel, not knowing what threats might come from the north.
The top is wide enough for a dozen mounted knights to ride abreast, (approximately 3. Wall's gates are more like tunnels through the ice.
The novels' legends claim that the First Men, or more specifically Brandon the Builder with the possible help of giants, constructed the Wall some 8,0. The Wall has since been maintained by the Night's Watch to guard the realms of men against the threats from beyond, originally the Others and later against the wildling raids. A strip of land known as . In A Game of Thrones, out of the nineteen castles built along the wall, only three are still manned: Castle Black with 6. Shadow Tower and Eastwatch- by- the- Sea with 2. Parts of Castle Black have fallen into ruins.
The TV series' Castle Black and the Wall were filmed in the abandoned Magheramorne Quarry near Belfast, Northern Ireland. They also made a functional elevator to lift the rangers to the top of the Wall. Martin was surprised by the height and thought, . It is wet and rainy, and the mud is thick. The TV adaptation used Iceland as filming location for the lands Beyond the Wall. Martin, who has never been to Iceland, said Beyond the Wall was . And then as you get further and further north, it changes.
You get into tundra and ice fields and it becomes more of an arctic environment. You have plains on one side and a very high range of mountains on the other. Of course, once again this is fantasy, so my mountains are more like the Himalayas. We're not doing anything in postproduction to add mountains or snow or anything. Ruled by House Greyjoy of Pyke, the isles are described as bare and barren, and the local weather as . The members of this seafaring nation are known in the rest of Westeros as Ironmen, and to themselves as Ironborn.
Illegitimate children born in the Iron Islands are given the surname Pyke. For fierce raids, the Ironmen are titled the . They worship the Drowned God, who . The appendix of A Game of Thrones summarizes that the Ironmen once ruled over the Riverlands and much of the western coast of Westeros. When Aegon the Conqueror extinguished Black Harren's line, he chose House Greyjoy as the new rulers of the Ironmen. The television adaptation filmed the scenes of Pyke's port at Lordsport Harbour in Ballintoy Harbour, in Northern Ireland's County Antrim. Pyke's throne is the Seastone Chair.
Lordsport is a village on the far end of the island, overlooked by the castle of House Botley. It is where Kingsmoots are held, and where the Grey King slew Nagga, a sea dragon, and made a court of his bones. The Riverlands. While they form one of the nine regions of Westeros, the Riverlands' central location and geographic features made the region an inter- kingdom battle zone that changed hands rather than becoming its own 'eighth' kingdom of the Seven Kingdoms. The Durrandons conquered the Rivrlands, but lost rule of it to Harwyn .