Let's wildly speculate about Hotah's stupid, pointless plot.

[Renly's Banana]

Alright so this boring dude did absolutely nothing in the last book, BUT... he's off on a super secret quest now! To do.. what, exactly? How does his mission of hunting down Darkstar affect the narrative in any way? Whenever I think about all our POVs, I can come up with a bunch of theories and speculations about what they'll do or where they'll go, but Areo Hotah is probably the only one that stumps me completely. His plot line is such a dead end that I can't think of anything for him to do. The way I see it, he'll either 

A: Get sidetracked somewhere along the way and have to go to a completely different location. 
B: Get unceremoniously killed only one chapter in, a la Oakheart.
C: He just randomly stops being a POV. Which is something that has never happened before (except for Catelyn/Stoneheart), but I wouldn't exactly mind it either. 

None of these three scenarios bring me any closer to understanding what the purpose of this awful, awful character is. I don't exactly see him being the one to get to the bottom of the perpetual Ashara Dayne/Jon Snow/Daenerys tinfoil mysteries. So.. any thoughts on what he'll do next?

[Lord Wraith]

20 minutes ago, Renly's Banana said:

Alright so this boring dude did absolutely nothing in the last book, BUT... he's off on a super secret quest now! To do.. what, exactly? How does his mission of hunting down Darkstar affect the narrative in any way? Whenever I think about all our POVs, I can come up with a bunch of theories and speculations about what they'll do or where they'll go, but Areo Hotah is probably the only one that stumps me completely. His plot line is such a dead end that I can't think of anything for him to do. The way I see it, he'll either 

A: Get sidetracked somewhere along the way and have to go to a completely different location. 
B: Get unceremoniously killed only one chapter in, a la Oakheart.
C: He just randomly stops being a POV. Which is something that has never happened before (except for Catelyn/Stoneheart), but I wouldn't exactly mind it either. 

None of these three scenarios bring me any closer to understanding what the purpose of this awful, awful character is. I don't exactly see him being the one to get to the bottom of the perpetual Ashara Dayne/Jon Snow/Daenerys tinfoil mysteries. So.. any thoughts on what he'll do next?

Areo will live. Balon will be killed by Darkstar and Obara. Darkstar will take Dawn and take up the role of the Vulture King. Areo isn't much of a character I grant you mainly because giving Doran a POV would be give too much away.

[Good Guy Garlan]

Ah, a topic after my own heart! I'm always up for some Oreo bashing. 

I too am completely stumped by this nonsense side quest. Like, these are the types of pointless tasks I usually ignore in Zelda. My guess is: 

We're meant to believe they're gonna find Darkstar and/or Hotah is just gonna whack Balon Swann on the head as soon as they get out of Sunspear. This being a Doran Martell plan, however, is clearly going to be a total trainwreck and none of those things are gonna happen. (My guess is Darkstar isn't even in Dorne; he's off to join Aegon). 

So, I think GRRM needed a POV elsewhere, but where, I don't know. People have mentioned Starfall, but that too reeks of filler, so I have no idea.

[Renly's Banana]

2 hours ago, Lord Wraith said:

Areo isn't much of a character I grant you mainly because giving Doran a POV would be give too much away.

I still have absolutely no idea why Areo was made a POV, when the role of Doran's "POV" as it were, could have easily been filled by Arienne. There was no need for that single Oakheart chapter either, that too could have been an Arienne chapter. It would have eliminated these two pointless, one-dimensional nobodies and given her more presence, since she appears to be becoming more prominent in the narrative. These are probably my biggest overall gripes with Feast for Crows. So far all of Areo's things could have been seen through Arienne's eyes. 

But hey, if GRRM-Daddeh thought it was a good idea to make Hotah the POV, I guess we'll have to trust that he does something important..... Eventually.

[rotting sea cow]

2 hours ago, Renly's Banana said:

I still have absolutely no idea why Areo was made a POV, when the role of Doran's "POV" as it were, could have easily been filled by Arienne. There was no need for that single Oakheart chapter either, that too could have been an Arienne chapter. It would have eliminated these two pointless, one-dimensional nobodies and given her more presence, since she appears to be becoming more prominent in the narrative. These are probably my biggest overall gripes with Feast for Crows. So far all of Areo's things could have been seen through Arienne's eyes. 

But hey, if GRRM-Daddeh thought it was a good idea to make Hotah the POV, I guess we'll have to trust that he does something important..... Eventually.

I don't think that Arianne could have filled that role as she is too nonobjective regarding Doran. But I agree that Areo is one of the most unsatisfying PoV of the series, the guy is basically a webcam on Doran, with little to none own development.

Now that things are becoming interesting for Dorne, he is "sent" away from Doran. Who is going to report on him regarding all complicate decisions Doran has to take?

Of course, he may be back soon, or not. There is also Obara's little arc and her hatred of Oldtown where other important characters are.

[Leo of House Cartel]

Interesting that the ever cagey Doran would send the one man he can completely trust away to "catch the deadliest man in Dorne".

I am of the opinion that Darkstar is somehow in league with Doran, and the whole mission to High Hermitage is a bait and switch of such, designed to throw any potential spies off the scent, aswell as to keep Swann ocupied whilst the Dragon /War plot brews. That Doran would send his neice and his right hand man on a journey across deadly deserts and moutains, to the other side of Dorne, with one of Tommen's Kingsguard is strange considering Obara's fiery temper and dislike for Lannister forces aswell as Oldtown, which isn't too far from the Torrentine.

I expect Aero's POV to have a large redirection upon his parties arrival in Dayne lands. To get to "Darkstar's Den" one would assume Hotah's crew will have to pass by Starfall. Again this is quite a risky move, and knowing how cautious Doran is, is it wise to think he would merely assume all the Daynes co-operation in bringing down their kinsman? It all seems too abrupt and disjointed for Doran's notorious preference for "Playing The Long Game".

Whether or not Areo, Obara and Balon's quest leads to the much anticipated "Entry of House Dayne into The Dance remains to be seen, but I do expect some kind of Dayne-Martell plot to be revealed. Darkstar being a bastard of Oberyn with some Dayne is of course an option, and in my opinion would act as a great crowd pleaser.

And if Balon and Gerold do indeed fight, that white scaled armour of Ser Swann could prove very useful to "He of The Night", should Aegon or some other King/Queen come calling.

[Free Northman Reborn]

I don't see the purpose of a new Vulture King in the remaining books,  but I can see a purpose for Gerold Dayne, perhaps linked to the central mystery of the series. In my view, other than being a fly on the wall for Doran's thoughts, I think Hotah was created to reveal more about Darkstar to us.

Why is Gerold Dayne the most dangerous man in Dorne? Just for his fighting skills? Or for some secret knowledge that he has access to? There is more going on in House Dayne than has been revealed to us thus far. And Areo will lead us to this knowledge.

[Judson of Clintonville]

What does everyone think of the idea that Areo's quest / POV isn't about Darkstar, Swann or Dorne. It is to provide the reader with a viewpoint on the sword Dawn entering the narrative. 

Dawn seems to have major importance to the story. LmL has talked about it's symbolism and I think, as many others do, that he is on to something. If Dawn has a significant role to play, possibly as the real Lightbringer, it's journey to the main narrative has to occur on page. If it appeared out of nowhere in the Battle for the Dawn people would be extremely disappointed. So, perhaps, Areo's narrative purpose is to provide the reader with that insight. 

Darkstar was a character created by George after the 5 year gap was scrapped. Perhaps George originally wanted Edric Dayne to be the Sword of the Morning and wield Dawn in battle but had to rethink that after abandoning the five year gap. Enter Darkstar who can be the Sword of the Evening (conveniently introduced in the World Book) and be the one to bring Dawn out of Dorne. 

Just my two cents. 

[Shouldve Taken The Black]

I had assumed, as others have already suggested, that Hotah was a POV through which we could unlock the mystery of the Daynes. Why him, I have no idea, as he does appear to be a bit of a bland character. That being said, there may be more to him as we get to see more of him. He may just be deceptively dull.

[Seams]

I find Areo's POV refreshing as he is one of the few POV characters who is not high-born. Here are the other characters (or aspects of their stories) I think we are supposed to compare to Areo Hotah:

• Davos - Sent on a mission to find a "prince" (Rickon) and the unique weapon that identifies him (Shaggydog). I believe that Darkstar may be Jahaerys, a son of Aerys and Rhaella, who was taken from King's Landing as an infant after the mysterious deaths of a number of royal babies. Davos is the other non-highborn POV as well, and Davos is extremely loyal to his king, as Areo is loyal to his prince.
• Asha Greyjoy - Asha jokes that an axe thrown across a crowded feast table is her "husband." Areo is married to his axe. There is also an interesting axe relationship between Lord Commander Mormont and Craster. Craster lets it be known that he needs a new axe to protect his wives and Mormont immediately provides him with a beautiful one that, later, Craster is picking up when he is slain. I don't know if the symbolism is that Mormont "marries" Craster, or that weapons and wives go together. (Note: Catelyn observes that Robb is married to his sword toward the end of AGoT. Not quite the same as this axe motif, but may relate to the idea of being married to a weapon.)
• Hodor - Prince Doran is crippled by his gout and must be gently wheeled around in his wheelchair. Bran is crippled by a spinal injury and must be carried around in a basket.
• The Hound - Areo has a paternal affection toward Princess Arianne. The Hound's affection for Sansa is more on the lusty side. But both men are guards.
• Guards and guides - I felt the author was comparing Ser Arys Oakheart to Yoren in early chapters where Yoren was guiding Arya safely out of King's Landing and Ser Arys was guiding Sansa to Joffrey's name day tournament. Yoren ends up beating Arya's behind as punishment for her attack on Hot Pie; Ser Arys had lightly beaten Sansa when Joffrey ordered the King's Guard to humiliate and punish her for Robb's victories against Lannister forces. There could probably be a whole thread devoted to the King's Guard and Rainbow Guard and other guard-like figures. Lord Beric Dondarrion may be part of this group, too. Areo is definitely part of this complex brotherhood of guards.

If I were making a prediction about what's next for Areo, I would guess that he eventually succeeds in his mission of finding Darkstar and whatever weapon he might hold, although Areo might die in the process. (The death of Ser Arys may have foreshadowed this.) On the other hand, I don't see death in the cards for Davos and I suspect that Davos's quest to find Rickon will share similarities with Areo's quest to find Darkstar.

[Wolf of the Steppes]

13 hours ago, Renly's Banana said:

C: He just randomly stops being a POV. Which is something that has never happened before (except for Catelyn/Stoneheart), but I wouldn't exactly mind it either. 

Well, Theon's POV began and ended in aCoK, (as far as we knew for two books) until he returned as Reek in aDwD.  Possible...but....

3 hours ago, Judson of Clintonville said:

What does everyone think of the idea that Areo's quest / POV isn't about Darkstar, Swann or Dorne. It is to provide the reader with a viewpoint on the sword Dawn entering the narrative. 

Dawn seems to have major importance to the story. LmL has talked about it's symbolism and I think, as many others do, that he is on to something. If Dawn has a significant role to play, possibly as the real Lightbringer, it's journey to the main narrative has to occur on page. If it appeared out of nowhere in the Battle for the Dawn people would be extremely disappointed. So, perhaps, Areo's narrative purpose is to provide the reader with that insight. 

Darkstar was a character created by George after the 5 year gap was scrapped. Perhaps George originally wanted Edric Dayne to be the Sword of the Morning and wield Dawn in battle but had to rethink that after abandoning the five year gap. Enter Darkstar who can be the Sword of the Evening (conveniently introduced in the World Book) and be the one to bring Dawn out of Dorne. 

Just my two cents. 

I like this scenario best.

[Joey Crows]

3 hours ago, Judson of Clintonville said:

What does everyone think of the idea that Areo's quest / POV isn't about Darkstar, Swann or Dorne. It is to provide the reader with a viewpoint on the sword Dawn entering the narrative. 

Dawn seems to have major importance to the story. LmL has talked about it's symbolism and I think, as many others do, that he is on to something. If Dawn has a significant role to play, possibly as the real Lightbringer, it's journey to the main narrative has to occur on page. If it appeared out of nowhere in the Battle for the Dawn people would be extremely disappointed. So, perhaps, Areo's narrative purpose is to provide the reader with that insight. 

Darkstar was a character created by George after the 5 year gap was scrapped. Perhaps George originally wanted Edric Dayne to be the Sword of the Morning and wield Dawn in battle but had to rethink that after abandoning the five year gap. Enter Darkstar who can be the Sword of the Evening (conveniently introduced in the World Book) and be the one to bring Dawn out of Dorne. 

Just my two cents. 

Agreed. Gotta have a way to bring Dawn into this and Hotah is the easiest way to introduce it. 

[White Ravens]

He has mostly functioned as a camera so far, showing what Doran Martell is up to.  But he loves his wife a great deal.  I'm looking forward to him showing us how well they dance if nothing else.

[Lord Lannister]

From your topic title, there would seem to be little speculation required. You've made your opinion quite clear.

[Lady Blizzardborn]

He's the only way we can find out why Darkstar is "the most dangerous man in Dorne." Cause we sure haven't seen anything to indicate it thus far.

[Eamonn the Dragonknight]

The interesting thing about Hotah is that, like several others, his chapters arent his own name...

Most character given this treatment have either lost themselves (theon, arya, sansa) or are on a journey of self-actualisation (vicatarion, Aeron, Baristan, Quentyn). The common theme is that these chapter titles indicate an unfinished story and a character in a major moment of change.

Martin has specifically said that he wont used POV charaters whose only purpose is to be a set of eye in the room.

Yet thats all Hotah seems to be; no personal ambition, no existencial crisis, no apparent knowledge of any role in some major scheme. I need to assume Martin is building towards something with the character because otherwise he would just be so terribly out of place.

[Ser Loras The Gay]

14 minutes ago, Lady Blizzardborn said:

He's the only way we can find out why Darkstar is "the most dangerous man in Dorne." Cause we sure haven't seen anything to indicate it thus far.

But even so, why is that? What can possibly happened with darkstar regarding Dorne that we don't have a slightlest clue 5 books in? Anything that makes someone "the most dangerous somewhere" have to be said by someone at some point. 

[rotting sea cow]

3 hours ago, Seams said:

I find Areo's POV refreshing as he is one of the few POV characters who is not high-born.

This is true, however that part remains mostly unexplored in his PoV (contrary to Davos), which brings me to my main critique to the series of being too focused on nobility.

BTW: I don't understand the obsession with Darkstar. Apart of having a cool nickname, there is - so far - little of interest in him

[Ralphis Baratheon]

Hotah seems more then content with his Axe, I doubt he'd even give Dawn a second look.

[Lady Blizzardborn]

56 minutes ago, Ser Loras The Gay said:

But even so, why is that? What can possibly happened with darkstar regarding Dorne that we don't have a slightlest clue 5 books in? Anything that makes someone "the most dangerous somewhere" have to be said by someone at some point. 

He could be dangerous because he knows what really happened with Arianne's plot to crown Myrcella.

Or because he knows someone else actually tried to kill Myrcella and he saved her life by blocking another blade.

Or because he knows that it wasn't even Myrcella but her cousin Rosamund who lost an ear.

Or because he knows that Doran gave shelter and aid to Dany and/or Viserys at some point.

Or because he knows what really happened at the Tower of Joy and/or what really went on with his cousin Ashara.

Or he could be capable of wielding two swords at a time while standing on his head and whistling dixie.

Remember that book 5 and book 4 are one book, split geographically, and we didn't know Darkstar existed before AFFC. And we didn't get much info out of Dorne before then either.