Range For Raising the Dead?

[aeverett]

We know the Night King can raise the dead, but we don't know his range.  I was rewatching a Season 5 episode where Cersei and Jaime are discussing Myrcella's death and Cersei can't get the idea of her decomposition out of her head.  Once the Night King gets beyond the wall, doesn't that mean he can just raise the dead all over Westeros, even if he is physically in the North?  Has there been any book mention of the range of his powers or whether they grow stronger the more he uses them, etc?

 

 

[Angel Eyes]

Well, there were a couple wights at the Wall... 

[Megorova]

I was under impression, that he can turn into wights only those who were killed by 'winter magic'. So he won't be able to just randomly revive all corpses and remnants all over Westeros. I think that 'winter magic' is like zombie virus, it turns into wights only those who were killed by wights, by WWs, or by NK himself. Or those corpses that NK touched, like he did with dead dragon's body. By that touch he passed 'winter virus' into dragon's corpse.

So to turn into wights people that died before, NK will have to touch all of them, to revive them. And I doubt that he will have time for gravedigging. Furthermore lots of people in Westeros are burned, according to customs. For example like Cat's father, Lord Tully. Also during mass deaths, like in wars, or caused by epidemies, they also burn bodies, and don't bury them. And only rich people have crypts, or store corpses of their relatives in temples. Like Starks with their crypts in Winterfell, or rulers of KL with their Baelor's Sept.

20 minutes ago, Angel Eyes said:

Well, there were a couple wights at the Wall... 

What made them rise, is that they were killed beyond the Wall, furthermore they were killed by 'infected' creatures, so they also became infected.

[MinscS2]

11 hours ago, aeverett said:

We know the Night King can raise the dead, but we don't know his range.  I was rewatching a Season 5 episode where Cersei and Jaime are discussing Myrcella's death and Cersei can't get the idea of her decomposition out of her head.  Once the Night King gets beyond the wall, doesn't that mean he can just raise the dead all over Westeros, even if he is physically in the North?  Has there been any book mention of the range of his powers or whether they grow stronger the more he uses them, etc?

 

 

It's probably quite limited. He had to physically touch Viserion before he could turn him, and we've only ever seen him (or other WW's) raise bodies who where in close proximity. I'd be surprised if he could raise corpses who are further than a few hundred meters away.

19 minutes ago, Angel Eyes said:

Well, there were a couple wights at the Wall... 

That's because there are WW's at the wall on occasion. We saw a WW and wights close to the wall already in S1E1 and we know WW's were close to Crasters Keep in order to take his newborn sons. Where there are WW's, it's safe to assume that there are also wights.

9 minutes ago, Megorova said:

I was under impression, that he can turn into wights only those who were killed by 'winter magic'. So he won't be able to just randomly revive all corpses and remnants all over Westeros. I think that 'winter magic' is like zombie virus, it turns into wights only those who were killed by wights, by WWs, or by NK himself. Or those corpses that NK touched, like he did with dead dragon's body. By that touch he passed 'winter virus' into dragon's corpse.

What made them rise, is that they were killed beyond the Wall, furthermore they were killed by 'infected' creatures, so they also became infected.

Wights aren't vampires or classic zombies who infect/turn those they kill/bite. Nothing in the show leads us to believe that people who are killed by wights automatically turn into wights themselves. This is simple classic necromancy; wights kill people, and then the NK/WW's raise said dead people. The NK clearly raised the dead himself after the battle at Hardhome. If the corpses (who where all killed by either wights or WW's) would turn into wights automatically, then there would be no need for him to actually raise them himself.

[Faera]

Now that NK is on the back of a dragon, he'll probably be able to raise a load of dead left, right and centre because he can cover more ground. As the stupid wight-hunt proved - once he has raised them, they don't need to be close to him to keep going.

[Megorova]

1 hour ago, MinscS2 said:

Wights aren't vampires or classic zombies who infect/turn those they kill/bite. Nothing in the show leads us to believe that people who are killed by wights automatically turn into wights themselves.

Kill the master, and then the one whom he turned, will also be anihilated - this is classic.

Vampires, werewolves, and now also wights.

'Those that are killed by wights also turn into wights' is a ... don't know how to phrase it backtracking? consequence? derivation? premise? basis? preamble? ... for 'Kill WW and then those that were turned by him will also perish'. 

Bodies of Brothers that were killed beyond the Wall, were slowly consumed by 'winter magic', thus they rose many hours after their death. While in Hardhome, what NK did, he made winter virus to multiply fast inside bodies of those that were killed by wights. He wanted to show his power to Jon, so he accelerated the process of turning.

Winter magic, with which NK controls WW and wights, is something like insects hive. Or like a virus in which every infected cell is controlled by NK. When NK or WW are close to wights, their control is stronger, and wights behave smarter, while autonomous wigths are more stupid, just a brainless zombies with a single thought - kill, kill, kill. And wights controled by NK (those that are in his presence) are able to accomplish more complicated tasks.

Which proves that distance does matter. Not only for raising wights, but also for controlling them more effectively.

[MinscS2]

You're making stuff up...
There is nothing in the show that hints or confirms that dead bodies north of the wall automatically turn into wights.
There is nothing in the show that hints or confirms that people who get killed by wights automatically turn into wights.
There is nothing in the show that hints or confirms that there's some sort of "vinter-virus" that's infecting dead tissue.

No NK no WW's.
No WW's no Wights.

[Megorova]

36 minutes ago, MinscS2 said:

There is nothing in the show that hints or confirms that dead bodies north of the wall automatically turn into wights.
There is nothing in the show that hints or confirms that people who get killed by wights automatically turn into wights.
There is nothing in the show that hints or confirms that there's some sort of "vinter-virus" that's infecting dead tissue.

You'll be surprised, but there are hints on the show for all three.

1. What Craster's wife said to Jon. What Jon said to Stannis.

And what was also said (don't remember by whom) prior people in Castle Black burned bodies of their dead Brothers. Something like that from now on, they will have to make sure to burn bodies of those that died beyond the Wall, or else they can also rise.

2. Two wigths Brothers on this side of the Wall. They were killed by wights. They were transported on this side of the Wall. And the Wall was preventing winter magic to go on this side, though when the bodies were broughts thru gates, the virus was already in them. Thus it spred thru bodies, and eventually made them rise. Their awakening wasn't remotely caused by NK or WW thru the Wall, because protection spells prevented evil magic to go thru.  

(3.) If there is no virus/winter magic that infect dead bodies, then how else can you explain, how those two became wights on this side of the Wall?

They were 'infected' on the land unprotected by spells, and then whatever it was, caused them to turn into wights.

3. When WW (or was it NK himself?) touched the baby, his eyes turned blue. Dead dragon's eyes also turned blue, after he was touched by NK. Which means that winter virus can infect not only dead tissue, but also little kids. Maybe souls of newborn babies, or their immune system isn't able to protect them from being possesed/infected.

Why their eyes turn blue? Because it's a symptom of possession/infection. How else can you explain this similarity (eyes turning blue)?