Arya was the source for Braavos to save women and children at Hardhome

[sweetsunray]

Remember the Lyseni slaver ships? Arya found out how one of them got stuck in Braavos and taken into custody for having slaves. She informed the kindly man where they go the slaves from - Hardhome. And that there were actually 2 Lyseni ships, and how one most likely DID manage to return to Lys with the wildling women and children, and they talk of returning to Hardhome to fetch even more women and children to sell as slaves.

 

 

As the hours passed the tavern filled. Pynto was soon too busy to pay her any mind, but several of his regulars dropped coins into her begging bowl. ... And later three Lyseni, sailors off the Goodheart, a storm-wracked galley that had limped into Braavos last night and been seized this morning by the Sealord's guards.

The Lyseni took the table nearest to the fire and spoke quietly over cups of black tar rum, keeping their voices low so no one could overhear. But she was no one and she heard most every word. And for a time it seemed that she could see them too, through the slitted yellow eyes of the tomcat purring in her lap. One was old and one was young and one had lost an ear, but all three had the white-blond hair and smooth fair skin of Lys, where the blood of the old Freehold still ran strong.

The next morning, when the kindly man asked her what three things she knew that she had not known before, she was ready.

"I know why the Sealord seized the Goodheart. She was carrying slaves. Hundreds of slaves, women and children, roped together in her hold." Braavos had been founded by escaped slaves, and the slave trade was forbidden here.

"I know where the slaves came from. They were wildlings from Westeros, from a place called Hardhome. An old ruined place, accursed." Old Nan had told her tales of Hardhome, back at Winterfell when she had still been Arya Stark. "After the big battle where the King-Beyond-the-Wall was killed, the wildlings ran away, and this woods witch said that if they went to Hardhome, ships would come and carry them away to someplace warm. But no ships came, except these two Lyseni pirates, Goodheart and Elephant, that had been driven north by a storm. They dropped anchor off Hardhome to make repairs, and saw the wildlings, but there were thousands and they didn't have room for all of them, so they said they'd just take the women and the children. The wildlings had nothing to eat, so the men sent out their wives and daughters, but as soon as the ships were out to sea, the Lyseni drove them below and roped them up. They meant to sell them all in Lys. Only then they ran into another storm and the ships were parted. The Goodheart was so damaged her captain had no choice but to put in here, but the Elephant may have made it back to Lys. The Lyseni at Pynto's think that she'll return with more ships. The price of slaves is rising, they said, and there are thousands more women and children at Hardhome."

"It is good to know. This is two. Is there a third?" (aDwD, the Blind Girl, chapter 45)

 
Not long after Tycho arrives at the wall with 3 Braavosi ships. Why does he need 3 ships? He travels all by himself. Jon brings up Hardhome himself and wants all 3 ships to rescue people. It's not the sole things he gets out of the negotiations with Tycho, but he does think afterwards "that was too easy". And then later he gets a letter telling him that the Braavos ships only take women and children.

 

Then the queen beckoned to another curious member of her entourage: a tall gaunt stick of a man, his height accentuated by an outlandish three-tiered hat of purple felt. "And here we have the honorable Tycho Nestoris, an emissary of the Iron Bank of Braavos, come to treat with His Grace King Stannis."

...

The Braavosi halted. "No lord I. Only a simple servant of the Iron Bank of Braavos."

"Cotter Pyke informs me that you came to Eastwatch with three ships. A galleas, a galley, and a cog."

...

"There is always a price, is there not?" The Braavosi smiled. "What does the Watch require?"

"Your ships, for a start. With their crews."

"All three? How will I return to Braavos?"

"I only need them for a single voyage."

"A hazardous voyage, I assume. For a start, you said?"

"We need a loan as well. Gold enough to keep us fed till spring. To buy food and hire ships to bring it to us."

"Spring?" Tycho sighed. "It is not possible, my lord."

...

It took the better part of an hour before the impossible became possible, and another hour before they could agree on terms. The flagon of mulled wine that Satin delivered helped them settle the more nettlesome points. By the time Jon Snow signed the parchment the Braavosi drew up, both of them were half-drunk and quite unhappy. Jon thought that a good sign.

The three Braavosi ships would bring the fleet at Eastwatch up to eleven, including the Ibbenese whaler that Cotter Pyke had commandeered on Jon's order, a trading galley out of Pentos similarly impressed, and three battered Lysene warships, remnants of Salladhor Saan's former fleet driven back north by the autumn storms. All three of Saan's ships had been in dire need of refitting, but by now the work should be complete.

Eleven ships was no wise enough, but if he waited any longer, the free folk at Hardhome would be dead by the time the rescue fleet arrived. Sail now or not at all. Whether Mother Mole and her people would be desperate enough to entrust their lives to the Night's Watch, though …

...

Tycho Nestoris had left behind a copy of their agreement. Jon read it over thrice. That was simple, he reflected. Simpler than I dared hope. Simpler than it should have been.(aDwD, Jon IX, chapter 44)

 

But wait a minute, I hear sceptics think - chapter 44 occurrs before chapter 45. No, it doesn't. The chapters are not in chronological order. When Arya overhears the Lyseni, the start of the chapter alligns in the timeline with the moment when it starts to snow in the Riverlands, which alligns with Jaime's last chapter in aFfC when he orders Cersei's letter to be burned. Meanwhile Tycho mentions the Redwyne fleet passing the broken arm and thus weeks after Cersei's fall.

 

It seems that GRRM first wanted us to know about the situation at Hardhome through Jon's eight chapter of aDwD, then which ships he sent, and then immediately gives us a clue why the agreement between Tycho and Jon went so easy - Tycho sailed with that many ships with the purpose to have them save people from Hardhome, a women and children in particular to interfere with Lysenis slave trade.

 

Jon gets these reports from Cotter Pyke

 

Calm seas today. Eleven ships set sail for Hardhome on the morning tide. Three Braavosi, four Lyseni, four of ours. Two of the Lyseni barely seaworthy. We may drown more wildlings than we save. Your command. Twenty ravens aboard, and Maester Harmune. Will send reports. I command from Talon, Tattersalt second on Blackbird, Ser Glendon holds Eastwatch. (aDwD, Jon XI)

 

At Hardhome, with six ships. Wild seas. Blackbird lost with all hands, two Lyseni ships driven aground on Skane, Talon taking water. Very bad here. Wildlings eating their own dead. Dead things in the woods. Braavosi captains will only take women, children on their ships. Witch women call us slavers. Attempt to take Storm Crow defeated, six crew dead, many wildlings. Eight ravens left. Dead things in the water. Send help by land, seas wracked by storms. From Talon, by hand of Maester Harmune. (aDwD, Jon XII)

Yes, there are Lyseni ships that are part of the 11 ships sailing for Hardhome. But the two stories cearly do not match. The first two ships are alone, and anchor at Hardhome for repairs, then get accosted by the wildlings at Hardhome to bring them to safety. The woods witches in the first story that Arya overhears think the Lyseni are saviours.

 

In the later story it's a purposeful voyage to Hardhome where the Lyseni ships have been commandeered by Cotter Pyke. The two remaining Lyseni ships that then arrive at Hardhome are accompanied by the Braavosi ships as well as the Night Watch ships. And here the woods witches suspect they are slavers (like the previous two ships). And obviously the pirates of the Goodheart that was seized at Braavos would have told tales of dead things in the water, if the Goodheart and Elephant had been part of the official rescue mission.

 

So, Arya learned of the Lyseni find of Hardhome and intent to return there to pick up more women and children to be sold as slaves in Lys. She gave the information to the kindly man, who passed it on to other Braavos officials, and as Tychio was to sail for Eastwatch anyway to give Stannis his loan, since Cersei refused to pay, he crossed the Narrow Sea with several ships, already under orders to sail for Hardhome and rescue as many women and children as they could - not just from the Others, but from slave traders as well.

 

Conclusion: Arya helped Braavos in their anti-slavery goal, helped hundreds of women and children from certain death from hunger, from Others and slavers, and thus also aided Jon in reducing the number of wights.
 
 

[NorthGirl]

Umm, sure I guess. Not disputing the facts or the conclusion but what is there to discuss here? I mean good job on the investigative work and stuff but what does it change in our perception of the story? For those who are making the connection now thanks to your post, what is the take away? The link between the institutions of Braavos is more direct? But most guessed that. I mean, EVERYONE seems to know a FM can't kill someone whose name they recognise.
God, I sound like a huge bitch slamming your well reasoned and structured OP but I guess I was expecting some other realisation/conclusion besides the one stated in the title of the thread.

PS: Unless this is just adding another reason why she is awesome sauce without even trying...in which case: YAY Arya Love!

[Chocs]

I love this. I never noticed this before, it's well-reasoned. :)

[sweetsunray]

Umm, sure I guess. Not disputing the facts or the conclusion but what is there to discuss here? I mean good job on the investigative work and stuff but what does it change in our perception of the story? For those who are making the connection now thanks to your post, what is the take away? The link between the institutions of Braavos is more direct? But most guessed that. I mean, EVERYONE seems to know a FM can't kill someone whose name they recognise.
God, I sound like a huge bitch slamming your well reasoned and structured OP but I guess I was expecting some other realisation/conclusion besides the one stated in the title of the thread.

PS: Unless this is just adding another reason why she is awesome sauce without even trying...in which case: YAY Arya Love!

 

Actually it was originally something I posted in the Valkyrie for FM post, regarding Arya's role and possible impact for Westeros. I'm not the first to have made the link (Cantuse has as well), nor do I claim to, but even the Wiki seems to be confused about the two stories. Another poster said it deserved to be an OP by itself, since few people missed out on that connection. But if you want a broader scope.

 

 

The kindly man took the iron lantern off its hook and led her past the still black pool and the rows of dark and silent gods, to the steps at the rear of the temple. The waif fell in behind them as they were making their descent. No one spoke. The soft scuff of slippered feet on the steps was the only sound. Eighteen steps brought them to the vaults, where five arched passageways spread out like the fingers of a man's hand. Down here the steps grew narrower and steeper, but the girl had run up and down them a thousand times and they held no terrors for her. Twenty-two more steps and they were at the subcellar. The tunnels here were cramped and crooked, black wormholes twisting through the heart of the great rock. One passage was closed off by a heavy iron door. The priest hung the lantern from a hook, slipped a hand inside his robe, and produced an ornate key.

Gooseprickles rose along her arms. The sanctum. They were going lower still, down to the third level, to the secret chambers where only the priests were permitted.

The key clicked three times, very softly, as the kindly man turned it in a lock. The door swung open on oiled iron hinges, making not a sound. Beyond were still more steps, hewn out of solid rock. The priest took down the lantern once again and led the way. The girl followed the light, counting the steps as she went down. Four five six seven. She found herself wishing that she had brought her stick. Ten eleven twelve. She knew how many steps there were between the temple and the cellar, between the cellar and the subcellar, she had even counted the steps on the cramped winding stair that spiraled up into the garret and the rungs on the steep wooden ladder that ascended to the rooftop door and the windy perch outside.

This stair was unknown to her, however, and that made it perilous. One-and-twenty two-and-twenty three-and-twenty. With every step the air seemed to grow a little colder. When her count reached thirty she knew that they were under even the canals. Three-and-thirty four-and-thirty. How deep were they going to go?

She had reached fifty-four when the steps finally ended at another iron door. This one was unlocked. The kindly man pushed it open and stepped through. She followed, with the waif on her heels. Their footsteps echoed through the darkness. The kindly man lifted his lantern and flicked its shutters wide open. Light washed over the walls around them.

A thousand faces were gazing down on her. (aDwD, The Uglly Little Girl)

 

The kindly man has an ornate key and takes her deep down underground. Why is the key important? Because of the "keyholders".

 

Neither prince nor king commands in Braavos, where the rule belongs to the Sealord, chosen by the city's magisters and keyholders from amongst the citizenry by a process as convoluted as it is arcane. From his vast waterside palace, the Sealord commands a fleet of warships second to none and a mercantile fleet whose purple hulls and purple sails have become a common sight throughout the known world. (The World of Ice and Fire - The Free Cities: Braavos)

 

 

 

Archmaester Matthar's The Origins of the Iron Bank and Braavos provides one of the more detailed accounts of the bank's history and dealings, so far as they can be discovered; the bank is famous for its discretion and its secrecy. Matthar recounts that the founders of the Iron Bank numbered three-and-twenty; sixteen men and seven women, each of whom possessed a key to bank's great subterranean vaults. Their descendants, whose numbers now exceed one thousand, are known as keyholders to this day, though the keys they display proudly on formal occasions are now entirely ceremonial. Certain of the founding families of Braavos have declined over the centuries, and a few have lost their wealth entirely, yet even the meanest still cling to their keys and the honors that go with them.

 

Yes there are over thousand ceremonial "keyholders" but sixteen men and seven women would possess the actual key to the vaults. The kindly man has an ornate key, takes Arya down into a great subterranean vault with faces. Now the question ought to be - is the vault with faces that of the FM or the IB? Who actually owns the faces? Who is the owner of Arya's face? And therefore is the IB aware where the real Arya is? And more to the point - does Tycho Nestoris know where Arya is, and might he inform Stannis of it? In mercenary terms - is Arya then a type of ensurance for the IB? And what about Arya's conversations with the waif - teaching her the common tongue, revealing all sorts of stuff about her past?

 

 

Braavos is also home to one of the most powerful banks in the world, whose roots stretch back to the beginnings of the city, when a few of the fugitives took to hiding such valuables as they had in an abandoned iron mine to keep them safe from thieves and pirates. As the city grew and prospered, the shafts and chambers of the mine began to fill. Rather than let their treasure sit idle in the earth, the wealthier Braavosi began to make loans to their less fortunate brethren.

Thus was born the Iron Bank of Braavos, whose renown (or infamy, to hear some tell it) now extends to every corner of the known world. Kings, princes, archons, triarchs, and merchants beyond count travel from the ends of the earth to seek loans from the heavily guarded vaults of the Iron Bank.

The Iron Bank will have its due, it is said. Those who borrow from the Braavosi and fail to repay their debts oft have cause to rue such folly, for the Bank has been known to topple lords and princes and has also been rumored to send assassins against those it cannot remove (though this has never been conclusively proved).

 

And of course - it's a counterpoint to those who claim Arya's too far away from Westeros to have any impact there, or is working for the dark side and pro-Others. Her most influential act to date was to inform what seems to be an Iron Bank "keyholder".

[Chocs]

 

 

Actually it was originally something I posted in the Valkyrie for FM post, regarding Arya's role and possible impact for Westeros. I'm not the first to have made the link (Cantuse has as well), nor do I claim to, but even the Wiki seems to be confused about the two stories. Another poster said it deserved to be an OP by itself, since few people missed out on that connection. But if you want a broader scope.

 

 

 

The kindly man has an ornate key and takes her deep down underground. Why is the key important? Because of the "keyholders".

 

 

 

Yes there are over thousand ceremonial "keyholders" but sixteen men and seven women would possess the actual key to the vaults. The kindly man has an ornate key, takes Arya down into a great subterranean vault with faces. Now the question ought to be - is the vault with faces that of the FM or the IB? Who actually owns the faces? Who is the owner of Arya's face? And therefore is the IB aware where the real Arya is? And more to the point - does Tycho Nestoris know where Arya is, and might he inform Stannis of it? In mercenary terms - is Arya then a type of ensurance for the IB? And what about Arya's conversations with the waif - teaching her the common tongue, revealing all sorts of stuff about her past?

 

 

 

And of course - it's a counterpoint to those who claim Arya's too far away from Westeros to have any impact there, or is working for the dark side and pro-Others. Her most influential act to date was to inform what seems to be an Iron Bank "keyholder".

 

 

It's very intriguing. And she has played a part that influences the Westerosi events as proved by this thread. The FM business is extremely mysterious.. with all the connections with the IB and the election of the new Sealord, something is bound to come out of it. 

[Faydra]

Good catch!

[Lykos]

 <Snip>

Not long after Tycho arrives at the wall with 3 Braavosi ships. <snip>

 

 

Probably too soon (about ten days).  Sam's journey seems to have taken twice as long.  Also the three ships are by no means sufficient for the rescue mission, but are - a sturdy but slow sailing ship, a quick rowing warship vulnerable to storms and a combination of the two (that was built only for a short timespan in the real world, because it didn't really combine the advantages but featured too much of the disadvantages of the two).

 

I think Martin's idea was to highlight the importance of Tycho and his mission. Groleo is send with a cog and two galleys to bring Dany to Pentos, the journey was longer and they did trading though. Also Stannis arrived at the Wall unrealistically fast (carried on the screams of a terrible magical sacrifice?).

 

I do believe however that Tycho knows of Arya and that this has something to do with the agreement made with Jon. (I think Braavos is planning to set up a trading port in the North mainly for wood, remember Asha's election speech.)

 

ETA: @ Sigrunn, all hail king Casso!

[sweetsunray]

 

 

 

Probably too soon (about ten days).  Sam's journey seems to have taken twice as long.  Also the three ships are by no means sufficient for the rescue mission, but are - a sturdy but slow sailing ship, a quick rowing warship vulnerable to storms and a combination of the two (that was built only for a short timespan in the real world, because it didn't really combine the advantages but featured too much of the disadvantages of the two).

 

I think Martin's idea was to highlight the importance of Tycho and his mission. Groleo is send with a cog and two galleys to bring Dany to Pentos, the journey was longer and they did trading though. Also Stannis arrived at the Wall unrealistically fast (carried on the screams of a terrible magical sacrifice?).

 

I do believe however that Tycho knows of Arya and that this has something to do with the agreement made with Jon. (I think Braavos is planning to set up a trading port in the North mainly for wood, remember Asha's election speech.)

 

ETA: @ Sigrunn, all hail king Casso!

 

 

Well, you know GRRM and traveling times and distances... Not that I disagree with the extensive timeline. But GRRM himself admits he's not always correct in these things. There's something amiss with Val's two weeks of being back, and Tycho's traveling time as well, likewise for his travel time to go from CB to Deepwood Motte and then WF and Stannis' camp. That guy seems to have some magical travel aid or something.

 

You're right - it's not a complete Braavos fleet to the rescue there, doesn't need to be. I'm not saying that Tychio set out to save Hardhome people, but that it became part of the mission once he was about to leave. The Lyseni talked silently in the inn. So, it wasn't something the Braavosi who seized the ship would have known from them. Although those who spoke the common tongue might have learned from the women and children they discovered in the "Goodheart".

 

The "only women and children" by the Braavos ships is too specific a condition in relation to the slavers.  

[to steel]

it doesnt matter what good she did when she made jon break his vows and doom human people. it is wrong to excuse bad actions so you can highligth the good one.

[Lykos]

To steel, I've seen you trying to provoke with unreasonable Arya hate before. Please keep this on topic.

 

No one (I don't mean faceless Arya) can be blamed for the actions of another person, especially if that action is motivated by love one inspired in that person years ago.  Martin loves the redemption arcs. His position is that all humans do wrong at some point (and Arya has, but not in respect to Jon). 

 

What good does it do to preclude wrongdoers from doing good in the future?  Would you prefer septon Meribald rotting in some hell, rather than handing out oranges to the needy?

[sweetsunray]

it doesnt matter what good she did when she made jon break his vows and doom human people. it is wrong to excuse bad actions so you can highligth the good one.

 

Completely off topic, and troll post that uses a logic worse than a 5 year old. She didn't make Jon do anything. She wasn't there, she didn't write the letter. What other people do and choose is not her responsibility when she's completely uninvolved. If some nut thinks he ought to slander say an actress on behalf of another actress without the latter actress' involvement, then it's the nutter's responsibiity, none of the actresses.

[spoon89]

@sweetsunray

 

There are a lot of hints in the world book and later books that the IB and FM have ties. Personally I think that the FM are a intelligence "service" for the IB.

 

IMHO Tycho is the same IB rep. that was in KL. His ships seem to be in White Harbor during Davos' visit. Then he shows up at the Wall. With his travels he's collected a lot of information and valuable "chits", which I believe he's turned over to Stannis to insure that he wins so the IB can recover the debts owed the IB by the IT.

[Buried Treasure]

The Lyseni sailors were arrested by the Sealords guards. Doesn't that also count as a way the Iron Bank or faceless men could have learnt of Hardhone. I would expect they have other sources of intelligence within their own city than just Arya.

Though it is an interesting thought that the Iron Bank would have deliberately sent extra ships for the purpose of being seconded to rescue the folk at Hardhone.

[bemused]

The Lyseni sailors were arrested by the Sealords guards. Doesn't that also count as a way the Iron Bank or faceless men could have learnt of Hardhone. I would expect they have other sources of intelligence within their own city than just Arya.

Though it is an interesting thought that the Iron Bank would have deliberately sent extra ships for the purpose of being seconded to rescue the folk at Hardhone.

 

I'd say that's the primary way they would have learned of it. And Tycho's explanation for the 3 ships is perfectly plausible. He's on an important mission for the IB. On his return, he'll be carrying important documents. They're sailing in the season when the seas are most storm wracked. There are pirates about. If anyone has ships to spare, it's Braavos. They can afford to send protection. And if it's a rescue mission, why not send 5 or 10 ?

 

However, I think that Tycho's mission was also to check Jon out.. and of the two agreements Tycho negotiates, I believe he winds up thinking Jon's is the more important. (Jon thinks negotiating the contract was "easier than it should have been".) 

 

Why is Tycho satisfied with Stannis signing in blood? If sellswords at Meereen know blood makes "piss poor ink" and so, want Tyrion to sign his promisory notes to them in ink .. I think we can trust the IB to have the same information and want to take the same precautions with any loan they consider important, or likely to have any long term impact.

 

I'm afraid Stannis is quite expendable to them. (Not who they're "banking on" to take the IT) ;)

 

Tycho may know about Arya.. But if he does, he hasn't told Jon yet. I doubt he would tell Stannis first. I think he'd wait to see Jon's opinion of Jeyne's identity.

[Winter Rose Crown]

I mean, EVERYONE seems to know a FM can't kill someone whose name they recognise.
!

Wait. What? I clearly missed this.

[sweetsunray]

Wait. What? I clearly missed this.

 

The sailors on the ship that deliver her to the HoBaW tell her their names repeatedly and ask for confirmation, "You know my name right?" (paraphrasing).

 

Arya is cupbearer at FM meetings where FMs answer "I know him", and "I know him not".

[Winter Rose Crown]

 
The sailors on the ship that deliver her to the HoBaW tell her their names repeatedly and ask for confirmation, "You know my name right?" (paraphrasing).
 
Arya is cupbearer at FM meetings where FMs answer "I know him", and "I know him not".

I'm doing my first re-read right now and must have totally missed that the first time around. Kind of like a backward Death Note.

But jaqen asks arya to name anyone and says "Cersei? Joffrey? Tywin?" (Paraphrased) So he must have known their names and been able to kill them. He would have recognized Tywin, for sure.

[sweetsunray]

 

I'd say that's the primary way they would have learned of it.

 

And yet the sailors themselves speak quietly. Arya only overhears it with her heightened ear senses, because of her blindness, and maybe because she skinchanges the cat in her lap in order to see them (cat's ears being better than human ears).

 

The ship was seized that morning, not days before, and she told the kindly man the morning after that. So, that's basically within a 24 hour time frame. In those 24 hourse the guards who seize the ship miight have found out their origin, but the captain would not inform the guards that a second ship would have managed to get back to Lys. The women and children were bound up in the hull, and would have no way to confirm what happened to the 2nd ship. So, the captain could lie plenty and claim the 2nd ship ran aground and perished in the same storm they got caught in to limp back to Braavos. And he would lie about it. It's this information the Lys sailors try to keep under wraps. And it's this info that Arya passes - that the word is most likely out in Lys that there are easy slaves to be gotten at Hardhome (of course not that "easy" considering Others, wights, etc).

 

The whole travel timing is weird and off with Tycho. I'm starting to wonder whether he has some glass candle or something.

[sweetsunray]

I'm doing my first re-read right now and must have totally missed that the first time around. Kind of like a backward Death Note.

But jaqen asks arya to name anyone and says "Cersei? Joffrey? Tywin?" (Paraphrased) So he must have known their names and been able to kill them. He would have recognized Tywin, for sure.

 

It's about "knowing" someone. Exactly, the name itself wouldn't be the issue. The issue would be someone you know personally and have emotional ties with - including hate. You'd want impersonal assassinations - less messy.

[Lady Barbrey]

I think it's a quite brilliant close read that I for one certainly missed. I quite like the Braavosi society, their religious tolerance, their anti-slavery stance and even the Iron Bank sometimes (or maybe just Tycho). If there is a 'good city' then Braavos most approximates it in my eyes. I've been very worried about Arya and what she might become in the hands of the Faceless Men. I still am. But when you know the FM seem to provide information to save women and children from being enslaved, and that they're working with the governing and economic powers of a city like Braavos, I do feel some reassurance that this 'no one' assassin path might in the end be for her greater good as well as everyone else's. Still skeptical, but not jumping to as many hard conclusions.

I do agree about Tychio's speed as well. I might not have noticed the connections in your post, but his fast travel hits me each time. That guy again? How did he get here in the middle of nowhere so quickly?