What is going on in Skagos?

[Ice Turtle]

About Skagosi following a little boy, they may for religious reasons. Rickon is skinchanger a Stark and there are some clues he may have greensight. Or they are simply following Shaggydog :)

[thetitansbastard]

Ultimately I don't think there's gonna be a whole lot happening in Skagos I still think the series wrap up in book 7. Skagos is a secluded place and Osha thought it was an ideal place to hide. As a wildling, Osha can handle herself in such a place. They will eventually return to the mainland. I tend to agree that the population is less savage-like than the Westerosi presume and a lot of the stories are just exagerated over time. I assume a raven went to Skagos when the North called the banners.

[freerider]

Also, the House of Magnar is mentioned in Jon's chapters in ASoS, and there are a few Skagossans at the Wall.

not skagossans, skags

[Lady of the Leaves]

Ultimately I don't think there's gonna be a whole lot happening in Skagos I still think the series wrap up in book 7. Skagos is a secluded place and Osha thought it was an ideal place to hide. As a wildling, Osha can handle herself in such a place. They will eventually return to the mainland. I tend to agree that the population is less savage-like than the Westerosi presume and a lot of the stories are just exagerated over time. I assume a raven went to Skagos when the North called the banners.

Sadly, I agree. They have houses on Skagos, but the hints make me believe they hold a little closer to Wildling custom than what we see in the North. Rickon is pretty wild himself, he'd be easy to pass along as her (wildling) son. I'd like to see more from Skagos, but I'm not sure we will, unless we get Rickon chapters in the next book.

[The Dragon has three heads]

Re lady stark, we've heard nothing, so yeah she's probably Important haha

The skagosi will have thei part to play perhaps the long night will freeze the seas and they can trot over...

[Pod The Impaler]

Actually, Manderly is fooling Davos. He actually has Rickon in his castle, but somewhere on Skagos is a wildling chef whose recipe for Bolton Pies is said to be legendary. If Davos brings back the chef, or at least the recipe, he gets Rickon as a prize.

Why eat humans if you have delicious tender unicorn, eh?

Yes, let's not be silly. Cannibalism ? Not as likely as dragons or direwolves existing.

Although I have to agree with the last point. The innocence is what really brings out the flavour in the meat.

[evita mgfs]

We know that Ned's mother's mother was a Flint of the mountains. We've heard from an impeccable source that Ned's mother's backstory may well be interesting, when it's revealed.

I agree that Skagos's dark reputation is probably greatly exaggereated and influenced by the usual xenophobia...except:

The Rickon/Shaggydog story is one of a child (and direwolf) not taken in hand, left too much to their own devices, without the appropriate nurturing, without explanations to make sense of their world, which was being torn apart, and their losses. This was not the fault of the Stark parents (well, maybe a little) and other family members, and Osha is certainly a good friend for Rickon to have.

But we get the sense of little Ricky and Shaggy becoming increasingly angry and impulsive, wild, almost feral.

I can see Skagos as a kind of Island of Wild Things, with Rickon, Shaggy and Osha heading right to Where the Wild Things are. But much less Sendakian and much, much more sinister and disturbing.

I had figured Osha would probably die, freeing Rickon and Shaggydog to become completely feral on Skagos, with Rickon perhaps becoming king of the wild things, whatever that might be.

But Osha's role in TWoW is apparently going to be expanded, based on the success of thew character in the TV series. So I guess she'll be around.

Anyway, because of the whole tenor of this storyline, I assumed Skagos might be as dark and off the charts as it is rumored to be in the realm.

Great post. :bowdown:

I just wanted to pry - does Martin play to HBO viewers and their preference for certain characters?

[TristanGreyjoy]

Rickon riding Shaggydog, leading an entire army of skagosians mounted on unicorns! This will never happen but unicorn cavalry just sound way too cool

[olavtheking]

I think Rickon because of his troubled childhood and because he is now living in such a hard place will become a Stark like they used to be, a true King of Winter!

I think the Skagosi will react to Rickon about the same as the mountain clans reacted to Stannis, greatly honoured to have such an important guest like Rickon Stark.

Skagosi will be similar to the mountain clans I expect, true Northmen, unyielding in friendship and unforgiving in war.

[King Jonboy]

I like it, however I think it more likely that they headed there because OSHA is skagosi. She maybe of some version of skagos highborn. I do think they are very much like first men but the canabalism is just bull maybe designed by the skagosi to stop any outsiders visiting.

[The Monkey]

Skagos is a strange place. It's supposed to be a vassal to the Starks, but doesn't anyone know if they ever pay taxes or the such?

[Incest_La_Vie]

If unicorns do exist on Skagos, my feeling is that they could become significant to the story as somewhat equal competitors to the dragons. As it stands now there doesn't really seem to be any defense against a dragon, so if Dany or someone else gained the ability to bind them to their will they would have the ultimate advantage. I think the storyline would progress and end better if it became evident that dragons were possibly not the ultimate trump card. We'd have to see of course what abilities GRRM would decide to imbue in his unicorns, but I could see him wanting to level the playing field. Maybe unicorns are the reason the dragons never went far into the north before? If Rickon/Osha/Davos are able to "tame" the unicorns on Skagos and return just in time to meet Dany and her dragons that could result in a pretty epic throwdown.

My other thought was that Skagos could potentially be some sort of "home base" for the Others and something on it would have to be destroyed to stop their powers.

[rodrik Cassel]

corect me if Im worng but there was some targ. queen at wall with her dragon and I cant see how a pony with a little horn can best a dragon in anything but impressing underage girls

[The Monkey]

If unicorns do exist on Skagos, my feeling is that they could become significant to the story as somewhat equal competitors to the dragons. As it stands now there doesn't really seem to be any defense against a dragon, so if Dany or someone else gained the ability to bind them to their will they would have the ultimate advantage. I think the storyline would progress and end better if it became evident that dragons were possibly not the ultimate trump card. We'd have to see of course what abilities GRRM would decide to imbue in his unicorns, but I could see him wanting to level the playing field. Maybe unicorns are the reason the dragons never went far into the north before? If Rickon/Osha/Davos are able to "tame" the unicorns on Skagos and return just in time to meet Dany and her dragons that could result in a pretty epic throwdown.

My other thought was that Skagos could potentially be some sort of "home base" for the Others and something on it would have to be destroyed to stop their powers.

Not sure I follow your logic. A battle between (flying) dragons and unicorns would result in unicorn BBQ. The only chance I see of diminishing the dragons' powers would be if one of the Starks (presumably Bran, but maybe also Arya) warged into one and used it to destroy the other two.

[King Aemon I]

I never heard about Ned's mom, but we know her mom was a Flint from mountain clans.. I don't think two people from distant lands from two folk who don't communicate with other people as much, a Skagosi man and a woman from mountain clan wed and Ned's mom was born...

And Skagos is one of the few lands we have never seen... I think Rickon is in Skagos, since that we never seen or heard another land where people eat human flesh... So Martin will introduce us to Magnar lords and warriors we still don't know why didn't come to Robb's call...

[Scipio Africanus]

If unicorns do exist on Skagos, my feeling is that they could become significant to the story as somewhat equal competitors to the dragons.

Weren't unicorns described as sheep with a horn?

Doubt that will inpress anyone.

@ OP

What going down on Skagos? Who knows. Is Rickon really there? Maybe, maybe not, wouldn't put it beside lord-too-fat-to-sit-a-horse to lie against ol' Davos.

[Incest_La_Vie]

Not sure I follow your logic. A battle between (flying) dragons and unicorns would result in unicorn BBQ. The only chance I see of diminishing the dragons' powers would be if one of the Starks (presumably Bran, but maybe also Arya) warged into one and used it to destroy the other two.

I just think there needs to be something to neutralize the dragon advantage. Maybe it's warging, maybe it's other (stone or ice) dragons, or maybe it's something else. Who knows what powers GRRM might decide to give unicorns? I don't know as there is one traditional definition of their nature or abilities and even if there is would he have to stick to it? My theory is most definitely a stretch but who knows?

[Jon of the House Stark]

I think Rickon because of his troubled childhood and because he is now living in such a hard place will become a Stark like they used to be, a true King of Winter!

I like this idea. I hope it's not unicorns, but goats or something like that. I think the cannibalism is either something that happens during Winter, but only if the person is already died or it's just completely bs.

[Leto]

Not sure I follow your logic. A battle between (flying) dragons and unicorns would result in unicorn BBQ. The only chance I see of diminishing the dragons' powers would be if one of the Starks (presumably Bran, but maybe also Arya) warged into one and used it to destroy the other two.

No way, unicorns shoot lazer beams from their horns, it is known. These are the AA-missles of Westeros. The dragons won't stand a chance.

[Myrcella]

I actually believe Wex may be lying. Never trust a Greyjoy.

How could a 6-year-old boy with a shaggy wolf hope to lead thousands of hardened men into war? I'd think the Skagosi would be more civilized than to follow him based on prophecies.