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Your thoughts on Izembaro?


Lady Hodor

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This has been mentioned here briefly already but I have longer list:

FERREGO ANTARYON, Sealord of Braavos,

QARRO VOLENTIN, First Sword of Braavos, his protector

TERNESIO TERYS, Merchant-Captain of the Titan's Daughter,

YORKO and DENYO, two of his sons,

MOREDO PRESTAYN, Merchant-Captain of the Vixen,

LOTHO LORNEL, a dealer in old books and scrolls,

EZZELYNO, a red priest, oft drunk,

SEPTON EUSTACE, disgraced and defrocked,

TERRO and ORBELO, a pair of bravos,

BLIND BEQQO, a fishmonger,

BRUSCO, a fishmonger,

RED ROGGO, GYLORO DOTHARE, GYLENO DOTHARE, a scribbler called QUILL, COSSOMO THE CONJURER, patrons of the Happy Port,

TAGGANARO, a dockside cutpurse and thief,

CASSO, KING OF THE SEALS, his trained seal,

LITTLE NARBO, his sometime partner,

MYRMELLO, JOSS THE GLOOM, QUENCE, ALLAQUO,, mummers performing nightly on the Ship,

Other male Braavosi: Tycho Nestoris, Syrio, Noho Dimittis, Oro Tendyris, Mero the Titan's Bastard,

Edit: Only two three names on this list doesn't end with "o". And one of them, Septon Eustace, is almost surely foreigner, Joss and Quence can easily be a foreigners too. So Izembaro fits a very specific way of naming in Braavos. It still can be a place named after a person, but than it would be more likely called Izembaro's.

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She's staying in Braavos because they had to find a face that the city watch wouldn't recognize, Izembaro is most likely a person, and he is probably a mummer. I want her to learn how to glamour her face.. But that will take a long time. She's a quick learner though.

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I think that Arya will stay in Braavos as long as it takes to learn change her face by using glamour. I suspect that originally FM method was the only one GRRM wanted to use but when he left the five years gap concept he needed a quicker way. So I think that Arya's ability to change her face will be very significant to the story, more than anything else she has learned or will learn there.

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As a German, I had to read the English version of ADwD to learn wtf you folks are arguing about.

The German translation of the line goes this way: "Morgen gehst du zu Izembaro und trittst Deine erste Lehre an."

The German "gehen zu" means definitely "going to someone, somebody, some person".

The German "gehen nach" would mean "going to someplace".

I think GRRM has some control of the book translations, so Izembaro is a person, probably a male Braavosi, as was already pointed out. I might add that the German "gehen zu" means, strictly speaking, to walk to someone (by foot), not "using a boat" or "going by dragon". So you are looking for a person, probably male, living in short distance from the house of Black and White, that can be reached by only using bridges.

Have a look at the newly edited city map of Braavos. That can't be but 100 000 inhabitants!

Just so. :read:

Edited for addition.

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I don't argue with that, but there's been too much of toning down and not enough of breeding a killer. Again, I can see the purpose of the kindly man, but I hope that there's more to FM than just the constant slaps on the wrist. Otherwise Arya will turn into something like the waif: effective at her task, but completely bland and uninteresting.

Look at Jaqen for instance - he killed a ton of people during his quest, none of them actually being a "mark" of the FM per se. He just kills whenever it's convenient for him. Hell, he killed a number of guys just to make good on a promise to a little girl (or out of his devotion to the Death God), not even for any particular material reason (such as his global task). Now that's the kind of FM I'm talking about (although Jaqen was still a softie - a truly heartless FM would never have danced on Arya's strings like that).

So, after the kindly man's boot camp, I'm hoping Arya will see more ruthlesss assassination action with Izembaro, where her violent and antisocial tendencies will actually be encouraged instead of curbed.

Arya comes to them without having been protected, treated kindly, or safe, or even well fed for a long time. She sees the faces she needs to see to let down her formidable defenses.

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  • 3 months later...

Izembaro is Tobho Mott.

In the books, the doors to his shop are carved from ebony and weirwood. We have only seen that style of door in two other places: the House of the Undying and the House of Black and White. He can reforge Valyrian steel, something he learned when he grew up in Essos (and also a skill he probably passed on to Gendry, since GRRM dodged the question when someone asked him. Varys also trusts Tobho enough with one of Robert's bastards and Ned takes a liking to him as well, because he can actually keep a secret. When Ned first visits the shop, he is greeted by a skinny serving girl.

It's verly likely that he is the Faceless Men's contact in King's Landing and Arya will take on the role of the skinny serving girl while she is there. It would only be appropriate that Arya goes to train with Gendry's master, given that Gendry is currently serving Arya's mother.

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  • 2 months later...

I'm on an ADWD reread now (and as my mothertongue, i read it in hungarian), what I've just found is that when the Kind Man last talks to Arya:

Holnap reggel Izembaróba utazol, hogy megkezdd első tanoncidőszakodat. [original: On the morrow you will go to Izembaro to begin your first apprenticeship.]

'Izembaróba' stands for referring to Izembaro as a place, so I've always thought it's a place, and I'm sharing many people's opinion that FM doesn't have a name, so it's definitely not a person.

But maybe it could be just the translator's mistake.

How was it translated to other languages?

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I guess Justin Massey will find Izembaro and recruits to him some assassins and Arya will go back to Westeros this way.

Wow, sometimes you click on a thread and find what you were looking for on the first page. I'm close to 100% sure this is how she'll make her return.

...

I do think Arya will be heading back to Westeros after Massey, Jeyne Poole, Harys Swift and his guard (which include two of the men on her list) etc., hit Braavos, update the news from the North and start stirring up memories. It seems to me that stowing away with sellswords is a great way for Arya to get back to Westeros.

This is why I read these boards--I've re-read the books several times and hadn't picked up on that. Arya could easily be confronted by the choice of crossing 2 difficult names off of her list [Raff and Dunsen, right?] or obeying her superiors--whatever she decides would definitely have implications, especially if Izembaro is the plauge victim guy who wanted to dismiss her before.

One important thing I'm still not sure of is how Arya will end her apprenticeship [and maybe her membership] with/in the Faceless Men--if she leaves on bad terms, by desertion or otherwise, they'll come after her. Will they release her to return home and seek vengance on her enemies and a reunion with her remaining family? That would not be unkind, but I don't think they'll let her leave the Faceless Men for free.

I want more ruthless as more cold-blooded, not more brutal. I hope her time on the bottom of the society is done, she need a different social class for a change. I think it will be more of a challenge for her. If she has to stay in Braavos I hope we will see into political intrigues around the Sealord or have an inside look at Iron Bank.

That's what I want to read about. I have a feeling that the Iron Bank and the Faceless Men have a long, long, partnership going. How do you finance the most expensive, untraceable assasinations on the market? You get a loan from the bank. Even if Arya doesn't get inside the Iron Bank, I'm still hoping that her remaining FM chapters provide some more information about this.

Izembaro is Tobho Mott.

In the books, the doors to his shop are carved from ebony and weirwood. We have only seen that style of door in two other places: the House of the Undying and the House of Black and White. He can reforge Valyrian steel, something he learned when he grew up in Essos (and also a skill he probably passed on to Gendry, since GRRM dodged the question when someone asked him. Varys also trusts Tobho enough with one of Robert's bastards and Ned takes a liking to him as well, because he can actually keep a secret. When Ned first visits the shop, he is greeted by a skinny serving girl.

It's verly likely that he is the Faceless Men's contact in King's Landing and Arya will take on the role of the skinny serving girl while she is there. It would only be appropriate that Arya goes to train with Gendry's master, given that Gendry is currently serving Arya's mother.

Holy shit, now that's a theory. Is this really your first post? I had noticed that Mott's doors were the same as the House of Black and White, and I thought that it was very cultured of the master blacksmith to keep such a nice shop, but I assumed that he was too far removed from Braavos for the doors to have any real meaning. But your'e right, there are some subtle details around the guy that kind of make you wonder...I don't think that Mott is Izembaro, but he might have a connection with Braavos that is deeper than what it seems.

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  • 4 months later...

Izembaro is Tobho Mott.

In the books, the doors to his shop are carved from ebony and weirwood. We have only seen that style of door in two other places: the House of the Undying and the House of Black and White. He can reforge Valyrian steel, something he learned when he grew up in Essos (and also a skill he probably passed on to Gendry, since GRRM dodged the question when someone asked him. Varys also trusts Tobho enough with one of Robert's bastards and Ned takes a liking to him as well, because he can actually keep a secret. When Ned first visits the shop, he is greeted by a skinny serving girl.

It's verly likely that he is the Faceless Men's contact in King's Landing and Arya will take on the role of the skinny serving girl while she is there. It would only be appropriate that Arya goes to train with Gendry's master, given that Gendry is currently serving Arya's mother.

Anybody else buying this?
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So, I think Arya will basically be trained for "social stealth", as well as using her femininity and attractiveness (at least with the pretty girl's face) to her advantage. I'm not saying she's actually going to have any sexual relations with anyone or whatever, since that just be too creepy and over the top (even for Martin). But I do think she'll learn to some extent how to utilize her gender as a weapon.

I don't think that anything is too creepy and over the top for Martin.

Not that I think that Arya is going to become some sort of 2 dollar hooker or anything getting used by the dockhands in Braavos for a cheap laugh, but I could definitely see Martin having Arya engaging in sexual activities in order to fulfill faceless men missions. It seems the sort of high-cost-of-power thing that Martin often demands of his characters.

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I was always fascinated by the word "apprenticeship". That seems to imply that it is something else than just your average training at the HoBaW or hanging out with Brusco and gals to learn a language. Apprenticeship is used to describe a situation where a master of some area is passing down his/her skills and know-how, so whether Izembaro is a person or a place, there should be certain set of skills that Arya is expected to aqcuire there.



Tobbho Mott and his smithy are interesting, since IIRC Gendry's stay there was actually described as an apprenticeship. I wouldn't put my money on that one though, Arya might not be your perfect smith-type. The quote about evading the city watch makes me think she will stay within Bravos, and giving her a pretty face would seem like she's sent to apprentice at something where she will be seen and needs to be presentable.



The courtesan thing is viable, but I'm thinking of what Chataya said about how many highborn youths and maidens serve at a pillow house for a few years in the Summer Isles. Could fit, but Chataya also tells us that the girls do this after their flowering, so Arya still seems a bit too young to apprentice in that field. Could be that Bravosi hold a different view, though.


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I was always fascinated by the word "apprenticeship". That seems to imply that it is something else than just your average training at the HoBaW or hanging out with Brusco and gals to learn a language. Apprenticeship is used to describe a situation where a master of some area is passing down his/her skills and know-how, so whether Izembaro is a person or a place, there should be certain set of skills that Arya is expected to aqcuire there.

Tobbho Mott and his smithy are interesting, since IIRC Gendry's stay there was actually described as an apprenticeship. I wouldn't put my money on that one though, Arya might not be your perfect smith-type. The quote about evading the city watch makes me think she will stay within Bravos, and giving her a pretty face would seem like she's sent to apprentice at something where she will be seen and needs to be presentable.

The courtesan thing is viable, but I'm thinking of what Chataya said about how many highborn youths and maidens serve at a pillow house for a few years in the Summer Isles. Could fit, but Chataya also tells us that the girls do this after their flowering, so Arya still seems a bit too young to apprentice in that field. Could be that Bravosi hold a different view, though.

With Tobho Mott she wouldn't have to do any smithing. She would take the place of the skinny girl that was already there.
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Yes, I think Tobho could have connections to Braavos , and I sincerely hope he did teach Gendry something of working Valyrian steel.( Maybe Jaime will wind up with a new mission..retrieving the other half of Ice )



Though the "o" male name endings seem to be prevalent in Tyrosh as well..Daario, Ollo, Moreo, Collio ,Alaqo, etc., the ebony and weirwood doors are suggestive.



Also, those on the scorned positive side of the Syrio question might note that a well known master armourer might be someone you'd ask about finding a fencing master.....just sayin'. ( but not meaning to open that can of worms.) ;)



I can't see why Arya would be sent to him , though. However ,I do like the idea of Izembaro being connected to the Blue Lantern...with it's high class patrons.



ETA: No, I don't think GRRM will have her taking courtesan training at 11. Anyway , she was offered that as an alternative to becoming a FM and she rejected it , so I don't think that would be the next stage of her training. It's a different thing to mention in passing , as the books do, that young girls were raped, or were being trained to become whores...And I know a courtesan is quite different beast, but the reader would know the similarities, and where the training was going.



(I almost gave up on the series at Dany's wedding..and she wasn't quite so young.)



I don't think being a greeter at Tobho's sounds like much of an apprenticeship.


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With Tobho Mott she wouldn't have to do any smithing. She would take the place of the skinny girl that was already there.

I was trying to tie in the apprenticeship part - sending Arya to a smithy to be a servant would not be something that is considered apprenticeship.

Edited for less p's... :D

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