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Why didn't Tywin just take a Valyrian Steel sword from poorer lesser houses instead of offering to buy it?


mystickristoff

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House Lannister has no VS ancestral sword since theirs got lost in Valyria. Tywin attempted to buy a replacement from lesser, poorer houses but was always rebuffed. Why didn't he just take it by force or something or have it secretly stolen? He seems brutal enough and poorer lesser houses wouldn't be a threat.


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I think if a westerlands house had one he probably would take it by force but he would be interrupting the kings peace by trying to take it from a house from a different kingdom. Not to mention creating even more enemies and pissing off that lord paramount.

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People tend to exaggerate Tywins brutality. For 20 years he was Hand of the King, he got that position from Aerys because of what he did to the Reynes and Castameres.



Yet with all that power he never bullied a weaker House in the Westerlands or Westeros in giving up their Valyrian sword. He was perfectly fine with Lords who kept the peace.



Tyrants take what they want, despite the similarity in names Tywin was no Tyrant.


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Even Tywin isn't bad enough to start a war just because he wants something. It would be undisciplined and wasteful to him. It would also make him lose what little loyalty he had from his bannermen that he developed by fear. Tywin understands justice as something that he needs to cultivate in order to hold power. So he can't just start a war to get a sword. If they rebel, it gives him the excuse, but none of the rebels had a VS sword.


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Another question comes to mind... why did Tywin even bother giving a VS sword to Joffrey when house Lannister always wanted a VS sword. He made Jaime keep a VS sword but I think it was only because Jaime was the "golden child" of his offspring.



Also, he doesn't have to declare war. Some influential threats like what Baelish does should do the trick. Who would want to mess with House Lannister if you're a lesser house?


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House Lannister has no VS ancestral sword since theirs got lost in Valyria. Tywin attempted to buy a replacement from lesser, poorer houses but was always rebuffed. Why didn't he just take it by force or something or have it secretly stolen? He seems brutal enough and poorer lesser houses wouldn't be a threat.

He did.

That's why the Starks no longer have ice.

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It's just a bit of fluff to buff the in world value of Valryian swords by stating a man as powerful as Tywin tried to acquire one and couldn't.

Personally I find it a stretch to think some lesser house wouldn't part with a sword for the actual power and prestige that comes with wealth and Lannister backing so I don't read too far into it to be honest, then again there's always the idea that old Tywin might not want to start a war that could snowball over a sword or make House Lannister look petty for doing so.

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why did Tywin even bother giving a VS sword to Joffrey when house Lannister always wanted a VS sword. He made Jaime keep a VS sword but I think it was only because Jaime was the "golden child" of his offspring.

Also, he doesn't have to declare war. Some influential threats like what Baelish does should do the trick. Who would want to mess with House Lannister if you're a lesser house?

1. He DID give them to House Lannister. HE considers Jaime and Joffrey to be the oldest males of his line and his heirs, because he doesn't consider Tyrion to be a "true" Lannister. Not that he isn't from his loins, though he would love that to be true, but that he's ugly and short and has his and his father's "weakness" with women (unless Shae was a plant).

2. Threatening war would be just the same as declaring a war. All his bannerman has to do is tell Tywin to fuck off. If Tywin starts a war, everybody in the 7 Kingdoms will know that Tywin is a thief and not to be trusted as a Lord.

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Because it could never work.

Robert may have been a pushover when it came to the lannisters but that's just crossing the line. He would be told to give it back and then Tywin will have to face the embarrassment of giving back a stolen good. And if he refused, kept it and fought for it he would become a laughing stock. Just because of how childish that sounds, imagine that Tywin saying to the king "finders keepers it's mine"

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Because it could never work.

Robert may have been a pushover when it came to the lannisters but that's just crossing the line. He would be told to give it back and then Tywin will have to face the embarrassment of giving back a stolen good. And if he refused, kept it and fought for it he would become a laughing stock. Just because of how childish that sounds, imagine that Tywin saying to the king "finders keepers it's mine"

Tywin was Hand for 20 years before Robert got the Kingdom and Aerys wouldn't have given a shit if Tywin bullied some small House into giving up their prized sword.

Tywin simply wasn't a Tyrant, he didn't feel the need to bully another House out of their Valyrian sword. He could have done, even with Houses in the Westerlands. He just didn't.

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Tywin was Hand for 20 years before Robert got the Kingdom and Aerys wouldn't have given a shit if Tywin bullied some small House into giving up their prized sword.

Tywin simply wasn't a Tyrant, he didn't feel the need to bully another House out of their Valyrian sword. He could have done, even with Houses in the Westerlands. He just didn't.

I suppose it depends on when tywin hypothetically stole this VS sword. Cause during the last bit of Aerys reign Aerys grabbed at any chance he could to embarrass him.
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I suppose it depends on when tywin hypothetically stole this VS sword. Cause during the last bit of Aerys reign Aerys grabbed at any chance he could to embarrass him.

I guess its easier for some people to see in black and white. Tywin has done some villainous things so automatically everything he does must be evil and the only time he is not doing evil is because he was scared of what Aerys and Robert would do to him.

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1. He DID give them to House Lannister. HE considers Jaime and Joffrey to be the oldest males of his line and his heirs, because he doesn't consider Tyrion to be a "true" Lannister. Not that he isn't from his loins, though he would love that to be true, but that he's ugly and short and has his and his father's "weakness" with women (unless Shae was a plant).

Jaime sure, but Joffrey is a "Baratheon" so Tywin pretty much gave a VS sword to House Baratheon.

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Jaime sure, but Joffrey is a "Baratheon" so Tywin pretty much gave a VS sword to House Baratheon.

He is still his grandson and it would be a longlasting gift. Imagine events had gone differently and in a 100 years time the great grandson of Jofrrey, King whatever, would be reminded of his cousins the Lannisters by his valyrian sword.

Plus he gave the longsword to Jaime, while Joffrey got the smaller sword.

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