harrenhall

[GrandPoobah]

A monstrous keep that is too big to garrison effectively and too costly to maintain. It also has some of the richest lands in all of Westeros. What is one to do with such a place?

Give it away to an upjumped knight who's earned a lordship. Particularly one with ego enough to think he can manage to pull it off, someone whose future ambitions will be stifled by the task of managing the place.

I feel that a big reason Harrenhall is in the story is that Martin has created a fair bunch of "almost too good to be true" castles in the books. Winterfell with its warm springs, Riverrun with its natural river defenses, the Red Keep with all of its hidden passages, The Twins that effectively give a somewhat minor lord amazing power during times of war, Storm's End with its supposed/mythical wards (perhaps proven non-existent by Aegon's siege?) and IMO the least believable of all, the Eyrie. We like reading about such amazing castles, so George graciously gives 'em to us.

With Harrenhall he gives us a castle with a very fatal flaw. It's so big that it'd need an enormous force to be properly maintained. Which means the lord holding it would need to tax the locals a fair bit. Which means a greater difficultly actually keeping control over those peasants. It was built to be a rather extravagant capital of a keep. Without an actual walled city around it. Which is ya know, kinda stupid.

The bad ends prior holders of Harrenhall came to may have not actually have been a curse. Just plain bad economics and logistics. The lords most likely to want to hold it are the ones most likely to live above their means. Not that a wise leader would do all that much better at ever holding it.

Fantasy books (this one included) tend to be full of things that aren't really economically sustainable. The most obvious example in ASoIaF is that there's so many lords and relatively few subjects depicted. I kind of think that Harrenhall (aside from being an interesting pivot point that keeps changing hands throughout the story) is Martin telling us, "Sometimes this medieval stuff just doesn't really work so well." Not all of the ruined castles around the world today were destroyed in sieges, you know? Some of 'em were a bad idea to begin with, or had ceased to serve their economic purpose. Harrenhall is one of the former. Were it not for it being a "bad penny" for the king to give away and in a place on the map where SOMEONE needs to be in charge, it would likely be in ruins today. It hasn't been held by a Warden or King in quite some time, which suggests that it's not really all that much a prize.

There would REALLY need to be a good reason for Jon Connington to want Aegon to take and hold the place. Keep in mind that him taking Harrenhall would convince the smallfolk that his cause is doomed/cursed. So taking Harrenhall would effectively HURT Aegon's cause. Jon Connington is a lot of things, a damned fool isn't one of them.

[Stallion That Mounts Texas]

It would make a great prize (along with land and incomes) for one of Aegon's Golden Company Captains. These are the sons of houses that have lost everything and want their ancient rights restored. Ser Tristan Rivers, one of the Mudds, a Lothston or a Cole would make sense.

[Fire Eater]

It would make a great prize (along with land and incomes) for one of Aegon's Golden Company Captains. These are the sons of houses that have lost everything and want their ancient rights restored. Ser Tristan Rivers, one of the Mudds, a Lothston or a Cole would make sense.

Not all those names are genuine as Connington pointed out. The Mudds are an extinct house that was the last of the First Men to rule the Trident.

Although, I'm interested in Tristan Rivers's story, in terms of who his father was and his days as an outlaw (stated in ADwD Appendix).

[Stallion That Mounts Texas]

Not all those names are genuine as Connington pointed out. The Mudds are an extinct house that was the last of the First Men to rule the Trident.

Although, I'm interested in Tristan Rivers's story, in terms of who his father was and his days as an outlaw (stated in ADwD Appendix).

Ser Tristan who I always had in mind for this particular reward (he seems more than capable). I am really interested in the back stories of all the exiled houses (legit and phony) that backed House Blackfyre and have since been stuck in Essos. It will also be interesting to see how Aegon and Jon Conningtion plan to reward them all for their services. It seems like it will be a bit difficult to restore all of the ancient rights as is will almost certainly upset the present lords in the Reach and the Riverlands.

[Know Face Man]

Dany will end up at Harrenhall, where Ser Bonifer Hasty holds the Castle.

Ser Bonifer will not fight Dany because he once LOVED Dany Mother Rhaella

He will surrender Harrenhall to Dany and join her army.

It would be nice to see Ser Bonifer Hasty granted Harrenhall and Made Lord of Harrenhall. Targaryen have in the past given Castle and Lordship to men who surrender said Castle. (HOUSE TYRELL)

Ser Bonifer could not marry Dany mother Rhaella because he was too low born, but if Hasty was given Harrenhall and made Lord he could Marry anyone in the realm.

Bittersweet because the only Love of Ser Bonifer Hastys life was Rhaella. And she died giving birth to Dany.

This will happen it works out perfect.

[TheKindlyMan]

Umm, just looking at a map I don't see why Harrenhaal would be Dany's first battle

I agree, it doesn't make any sense. Additionally, Quaithe's prophecy states that for Dany to go north, she must go south. I'm thinking she lands her army in Dorne or the Arbor, moves from Oldtown to Highgarden, meets up with or destroys the mummers' dragon, and eventually claims Harrenhall for a base on her way North.

[Lord Damian]

In an ideal world, if the 7 kingdoms are to survive and defeat the others and remain intact through a Targ- someone marriage pact, ( a Stark would be nice). A new beginning would need a new capital, Harrenhal could be re-modeled and a new captial built. Give Dany, kings landing but take the throne to Harenhal or destroy it and scatter the swords and start anew.

[Fire Eater]

In an ideal world, if the 7 kingdoms are to survive and defeat the others and remain intact through a Targ- someone marriage pact, ( a Stark would be nice). A new beginning would need a new capital, Harrenhal could be re-modeled and a new captial built. Give Dany, kings landing but take the throne to Harenhal or destroy it and scatter the swords and start anew.

Plus, it is smack dab in the center of Westeros with a lake following a river out to sea. It's location provides a tactical advantage, if Harrenhal had been the capital, Robert would have had to travel a long way around it to join up with the North-Riverlands forces.

[RWHamel]

I have wondered if stone that has been melted or partially melted by dragon fire retains any anti-other, anti-other-wight property.