Small Questions v.10099

[AemonsEyes]

Did we ever find out who delivered Lysa's message to Catelyn?

Luwin brings the box with the hidden message to her and Ned and says "There was no rider, my lord. Only a carved wooden box, left on a table in my observatory while I napped. My servants saw no one, but it must have been brought by someone in the king's party."

I've just started a re-read and can't remember if this messenger is ever mentioned again.

[Lost Melnibonean]

Did we ever find out who delivered Lysa's message to Catelyn?

Luwin brings the box with the hidden message to her and Ned and says "There was no rider, my lord. Only a carved wooden box, left on a table in my observatory while I napped. My servants saw no one, but it must have been brought by someone in the king's party."

I've just started a re-read and can't remember if this messenger is ever mentioned again.

Nope.

[Hugorfonics]

How big is Westeros? In terms of miles, please. What country would you say it's a similar size to?

Thanks

[Crippledtank]

But the NW is not under any of the Kings jurisdiction. The Watch takes no part in the rest of Westoros' politicking. Despite Stannis temporarily being stationed at The Wall and them having to show their courtesies to him, he doesn't have any authority of changing their rules. Thats the different with the NW and the KG, the KG are directly controlled by the monarch. Stannis doesn't have any right to pull Jon away from his sworn duty and would have to do his own duty by executing Jon for desertion. Thats why I don't understand why they're downplaying that.

Probs a bit late but the KGs oaths were based off NWs oaths also the NW owe allegiance to the realm in generAl. Since stannis is helping the watch by garrisoning the castles that Jon wanted garrisoned anyway it's easy to see this as bending the rules.

All laws flow from the king, at a snap of his fingers it can be illegal for the north to worship the old gods... Illegal to be a bastard..... The king can strip rights and titles.... Also as we see with eddard in AGOT he beheaded the deserter in the name of his king.... So basically if the kings says no chopping off Jon snows head then The Lord or warden cannot do so.

[Jon Weirgaryen]

How big is Westeros? In terms of miles, please. What country would you say it's a similar size to?

Thanks

All of the South American continent is often said. The measure are the wall, which is said to stretch for 300 miles across the continent. Use that as a ruler for the rest of the map.

[Hugorfonics]

All of the South American continent is often said. The measure are the wall, which is said to stretch for 300 miles across the continent. Use that as a ruler for the rest of the map.

South America! Damn that's big. Thanks dude

[The Creeping Knight]

Why is The Reach called that?

[BiPolar Bear]

In the books who does Jaime say would have a chance against him?

[Han Lotion]

Did Varys manipulate Aerys into attending the Tourney at Harrenhal so he could manuever Aegon out of King's Landing?

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

Did Varys manipulate Aerys into attending the Tourney at Harrenhal so he could manuever Aegon out of King's Landing?

That would have been quite difficult, even for Varys, seeing as Aegon was born after the Tourney :)

[Ramsay's Penguins]

Why is The Reach called that?

It's reaches inward, and tha Mander does look somewhat like an arm.

Also they invaded the Riverlands, storm lands, Westerlands and Dorne, so they certainly reach out.

Plus the Gardener sigil was a green hand.

[Lost Melnibonean]

In the books who does Jaime say would have a chance against him?

I don't recall that off the top of my head. I do recall him thinking that Gregor, Sandor and Jon Umber were as strong or stronger than him.

[Knight Of Winter]

South America! Damn that's big. Thanks dude

To add to this, we do have one concrete measure in Westeros - the length of the Wall which is 100 leagues. A league is approximately 5 kilometers or 3 miles. Going by that info alone, and having a map by your side, you could calculate every distance in Westeros you want.

Although, IIRC, some people did just that and found out it doesn't match with GRRM's statement that Westeros is size of South America. For his part, GRRM said that he deliberately avoided giving accurate distances in the books, for the very reason that people would have nitpicked on unrealistic time characters spent to cross a distance (i.e. this character couldn't have arrived so fast or why did this one take so long for such a short distance? )

[Balerion the one eared cat]

Do children of highborn bastards have any social standing/any kind of highborn status?

So I was thinking, what if the Starks' lives had played out as they were meant to before Ned was asked to become Hand. I'm assuming that Ned would arrange good matches for all of his children (or assuming R+L=J) including adopted children (maybe even Theon, unless he returned to the Iron Islands). If Jon is actually Rhaegar's son, I do not believe Ned would try and get Jon legitimised as a Stark, because it is not his true identity. So Ned arranges some kind of marriage for Jon and he has children. Do these children take the last name Snow? Or are they more likely to take their mother's house name? Is there a "legal" naming system of any sort, or is it all personal preference?

Or, an easier example: say Ramsay had not left Lady Hornwood to starve to death, and they had children. At this point he was still a bastard. What are his children's titles/rights?

Even more complicated...what if a highborn bastard has a bastard? Again, let's go with Jon for simplicity. Jon is associated with House Stark, one of the greatest houses in Westeros (arguably). The whole point of being given a bastard surname is to acknowledge that you are highborn, of a sort (or at least from a highborn line), but also a bastard. So I find it hard to believe that natural children of highborn bastards would be completely disregarded. Would they take the name Snow too? Would they even have a name?

Something like this is probably never going to occur in ASOIAF... it's just interesting!

[Lost Melnibonean]

Do children of highborn bastards have any social standing/any kind of highborn status?

So I was thinking, what if the Starks' lives had played out as they were meant to before Ned was asked to become Hand. I'm assuming that Ned would arrange good matches for all of his children (or assuming R+L=J) including adopted children (maybe even Theon, unless he returned to the Iron Islands). If Jon is actually Rhaegar's son, I do not believe Ned would try and get Jon legitimised as a Stark, because it is not his true identity. So Ned arranges some kind of marriage for Jon and he has children. Do these children take the last name Snow? Or are they more likely to take their mother's house name? Is there a "legal" naming system of any sort, or is it all personal preference?

Or, an easier example: say Ramsay had not left Lady Hornwood to starve to death, and they had children. At this point he was still a bastard. What are his children's titles/rights?

Even more complicated...what if a highborn bastard has a bastard? Again, let's go with Jon for simplicity. Jon is associated with House Stark, one of the greatest houses in Westeros (arguably). The whole point of being given a bastard surname is to acknowledge that you are highborn, of a sort (or at least from a highborn line), but also a bastard. So I find it hard to believe that natural children of highborn bastards would be completely disregarded. Would they take the name Snow too? Would they even have a name?

Something like this is probably never going to occur in ASOIAF... it's just interesting!

The wee ones would be legitimate. Assuming The Ned had granted Jon a keep and lands for him and his heirs to hold in perpetuity, they hould be akin to landed knights. I would expect they would take a new family name to go along with their house. Their arms would probably include a bar sinister or the Stark colors reversed.

[Knight Of Winter]

Do children of highborn bastards have any social standing/any kind of highborn status?

So I was thinking, what if the Starks' lives had played out as they were meant to before Ned was asked to become Hand. I'm assuming that Ned would arrange good matches for all of his children (or assuming R+L=J) including adopted children (maybe even Theon, unless he returned to the Iron Islands). If Jon is actually Rhaegar's son, I do not believe Ned would try and get Jon legitimised as a Stark, because it is not his true identity. So Ned arranges some kind of marriage for Jon and he has children. Do these children take the last name Snow? Or are they more likely to take their mother's house name? Is there a "legal" naming system of any sort, or is it all personal preference?

Or, an easier example: say Ramsay had not left Lady Hornwood to starve to death, and they had children. At this point he was still a bastard. What are his children's titles/rights?

Even more complicated...what if a highborn bastard has a bastard? Again, let's go with Jon for simplicity. Jon is associated with House Stark, one of the greatest houses in Westeros (arguably). The whole point of being given a bastard surname is to acknowledge that you are highborn, of a sort (or at least from a highborn line), but also a bastard. So I find it hard to believe that natural children of highborn bastards would be completely disregarded. Would they take the name Snow too? Would they even have a name?

Something like this is probably never going to occur in ASOIAF... it's just interesting!

Lot of stuff here: you might want to check out Concordance's info about bastards - http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/Concordance/Section/2.3.2./ .

Otherwise, bastards have little rights on their own i.e. they have exactly as much rights, privileges and status and their noble father gives them. And naturally, this varies greatly upon a father in question, for we've seen various behavior from various lords: Ned with Jon, Roose with Ramsay, Robert with Edric, Robert with other kids, Robb with his and Jeyne's potential unborn son, Lord Hornwood with his bastards (fostered with Glovers)...

[Knight Of Winter]

In the books who does Jaime say would have a chance against him?

In the books Jaime doesn't seem to think of anyone as his equal:

She is stronger than I am.

The realization chilled him. Robert had been stronger than him, to be sure. The White Bull Gerold Hightower as well, in his heyday, and Ser Arthur Dayne. Amongst the living, Greatjon Umber was stronger, Strongboar of Crakehall most likely, both Cleganes for a certainty. The Mountain’s strength was like nothing human. It did not matter. With speed and skill, Jaime could beat them all.

[Ser Leftwich]

Even more complicated...what if a highborn bastard has a bastard? Again, let's go with Jon for simplicity. Jon is associated with House Stark, one of the greatest houses in Westeros (arguably). The whole point of being given a bastard surname is to acknowledge that you are highborn, of a sort (or at least from a highborn line), but also a bastard. So I find it hard to believe that natural children of highborn bastards would be completely disregarded. Would they take the name Snow too? Would they even have a name?

Something like this is probably never going to occur in ASOIAF... it's just interesting!

A bastard's bastard would still be a bastard. Something like 'Fitz,' but more illegitimate.

[Lost Melnibonean]

Why does Alliser hate Jon so much?

[aryagonnakill#2]

^ Alliser fought for the Targs, so he probably hated Ned. Also, since Mormont took Jon as his steward he probably viewed him as a rival for LC after Mormont. Once Benjen disappeared that it.