Qyburn and girls

[SeanF]

I wonder how the Sparrows would respond to knowing Cersei condoned necromancy in the King's City.

Cersei is unpopular enough as it is in King's Landing. I imagine she'd be lynched if the Sparrows, or others, knew what was going on the black cells.

Martin is familiar with the story of Delphine Lalaurie carrying out revolting experiments on her slaves, in New Orleans (he references it in Fevre Dreame) and I think that also may give us some idea of what's happening here (and what the public reaction would be). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphine_LaLaurie

[Prince of the North]

I agree with the theory that Qyburn is keeping the Mountain alive rather than having necro'd him back to life. It makes sense.

Qyburn performs vivisection rather than autopsies - his victims are living when he dissects them rather than dead. If he were Necromancing you'd think he'd want to perform experiments on dead people more than live ones, but he's interested in how to prevent death, preserve life, the process of dying and so forth.

The one thing that kind of kills that theory is that there are several hints that the Mountain no longer has a head.

- Bran's dream of a stone giant who removes its helm and there's nothing but black blood

- Strong never speaks or takes off his helmet

- The Mountain's skull was supposedly seen and transported

- Strong doesn't need food or water (and as a result has no need for a privy)

Bran's dream is probably the strongest circumstancial evidence against that theory. Strong's lack of speech could come from lacking a head, damaged vocal cords, or he might not need or want to talk. The skull could have belonged to anyone, although it might have been tough to find someone the same size as him (it's remarked the skull looks to be the right size). If he is alive rather than dead you'd think he'd need food but if he's being kept alive by magic or potions or for that matter blood transfusions or some other weird means he wouldn't need to.

As for the girls, I have no idea why he's experimenting on women when he's trying to make an unbeatable champion. My best guess is that people care more about what happens to sons and brothers than what happens to daughters and sisters, and that Cersei's handmaidens are easy prey because they're old enough that someone could lie and say they ran off with some boy and Cersei is obviously co-operating with Qyburn so it's easier to obtain them and raises less questions than kidnapping might.

Great points! I simply take a more symbolic, less literal interpretation of Bran's vision until Martin gives us some more info. As I said above, I believe the skull sent to Dorne was a fake. I think it was the dwarf with the large head's skull. I'm not sure yet what to think about Robert Strong seemingly not needing to eat or drink :dunno:

[The Dornishman's Wife]

As for the girls, I have no idea why he's experimenting on women when he's trying to make an unbeatable champion.

Ah, you know what you say about the female of the species.

By the way, Qyburn recounts

For hundreds of years the men of the Citadel have opened the bodies of the dead, to study the nature of life. I wished to understand the nature of death, so I opened the bodies of the living.

So the case that he performs some sort of vivisections is indeed quite strong.

[Theda Baratheon]

Ah, you know what you say about the female of the species.

By the way, Qyburn recounts

So the case that he performs some sort of vivisections is indeed quite strong.

Oooh, that quote is so awesome and scary :D

[ladyinblack]

but Varys must know.......who was the Keeper of the Black Cells? and from the Epilogue of ADWD, we know he is still in the Red Keep

Cersei may be able to get away with the vanishing Falyse, Senelle & others due to the unstable conditions in Kings Landing & Westeroi.

The Faith Militant will not be amused by Qyburn & his antics either. .

[The Storm King]

hes going josef mengele on them

[The Bear]

I definitely think there's vivisection going on, it's just a question of whether he's dabbling in necromancy or preventing/prolonging death through some other unnatural means. I agree that the skull is almost certainly not the Mountain's, and the dwarf with the large head is an excellent guess. I hadn't thought of that until you mentioned it and I think you're probably right.

Qyburn and his experiments are one of my favourite topics when it comes to the mysteries in the series, he's so awful but it's also fascinating stuff.

[Rhoynar]

Cersei is unpopular enough as it is in King's Landing. I imagine she'd be lynched if the Sparrows, or others, knew what was going on the black cells.

Martin is familiar with the story of Delphine Lalaurie carrying out revolting experiments on her slaves, in New Orleans (he references it in Fevre Dreame) and I think that also may give us some idea of what's happening here (and what the public reaction would be). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphine_LaLaurie

I think Martin will pull one of his twists and have UnGregor win the trial by combat and then, when Cersei feels safe, it will be revealed he has no head. The High Sparrow will declare she has defiled a holy trial and have her executed.

[Ser Arthur Hightower]

Maybe he only chose women because they are less of a threat physically? We don't really know what he is putting them through (other than that they die screaming), anything to reduce the effectiveness of their struggling would be a good thing.

[GRRM's Secrets]

but Varys must know.......who was the Keeper of the Black Cells? and from the Epilogue of ADWD, we know he is still in the Red Keep

Cersei may be able to get away with the vanishing Falyse, Senelle & others due to the unstable conditions in Kings Landing & Westeroi.

The Faith Militant will not be amused by Qyburn & his antics either. .

Robert Strong = Larys Strong

Varys and Qyburn are partner in crime

[aryagonnakill#2]

The only theory I have here which I feel has any textual basis is that while in Harrenhall Qyburn found that yellow book he gave to Roose. We also know that someone who use to rule Harrenhall had the black bat symbol and that she was thought to practice necromancy. So my theory is that the book talked about her rituals or whatever and Qyburn was putting that into effect. While reading the story it always seemed to me that he needed their body parts and Gregor was said to have been literally rotting away. Its also possible that he wanted to test things on them first, but I don't see why women would help. Tho what fire eater said seems logical, "women give life"

[Red Wedding Cake]

I think George has Qyburn experimenting with young women to affirm him as a bad guy. Killing female characters with little character development seems an easy way to pull at male audience heart strings.

[Berric_Dondiedagain]

He makes them rub the lotion on its skin or they get the hose again-

[7th-key]

I think George has Qyburn experimenting with young women to affirm him as a bad guy. Killing female characters with little character development seems an easy way to pull at male audience heart strings.

I was irked at Qyburn asking for girls, but I think there might be more behind it than lazy fridging from GRRM.

I agree with the theory that Qyburn is keeping the Mountain alive rather than having necro'd him back to life. It makes sense.

Qyburn performs vivisection rather than autopsies - his victims are living when he dissects them rather than dead. If he were Necromancing you'd think he'd want to perform experiments on dead people more than live ones, but he's interested in how to prevent death, preserve life, the process of dying and so forth.

The one thing that kind of kills that theory is that there are several hints that the Mountain no longer has a head.

- Bran's dream of a stone giant who removes its helm and there's nothing but black blood

- Strong never speaks or takes off his helmet

- The Mountain's skull was supposedly seen and transported

- Strong doesn't need food or water (and as a result has no need for a privy)

Bran's dream is probably the strongest circumstancial evidence against that theory. Strong's lack of speech could come from lacking a head, damaged vocal cords, or he might not need or want to talk. The skull could have belonged to anyone, although it might have been tough to find someone the same size as him (it's remarked the skull looks to be the right size). If he is alive rather than dead you'd think he'd need food but if he's being kept alive by magic or potions or for that matter blood transfusions or some other weird means he wouldn't need to.

As for the girls, I have no idea why he's experimenting on women when he's trying to make an unbeatable champion. My best guess is that people care more about what happens to sons and brothers than what happens to daughters and sisters, and that Cersei's handmaidens are easy prey because they're old enough that someone could lie and say they ran off with some boy and Cersei is obviously co-operating with Qyburn so it's easier to obtain them and raises less questions than kidnapping might.

I don't think R Strong has a head, and maybe the fact that the first girls were puppeteers might be because they pull some stings in controlling him. Also, Gregor was a notorious rapist, maybe Qyburn wants to fight those tendencies with female influences, kind of finally making a gallant knight of him...

[Ziriath]

Qyburn works with what he gets from Cersei, and she sends him mainly women. But there was the bard, and that Tyroshi guy who brought the dwarf's head to Cersei.

[Falcon2908]

undead Gregor with Falyse's head would be hilarious to see

[Northernmonkey]

I always assumed that he was doing something with their ovaries and reproductive organs with the aim of bringing people back to life.

[Ser Charles of Rosehaven]

Havent you seen "the human centipede" "el cienpies humano"?

[Falcon2908]

Havent you seen "the human centipede" "el cienpies humano"?

Lol

[Equilibrium]

Cersei is unpopular enough as it is in King's Landing. I imagine she'd be lynched if the Sparrows, or others, knew what was going on the black cells.

Martin is familiar with the story of Delphine Lalaurie carrying out revolting experiments on her slaves, in New Orleans (he references it in Fevre Dreame) and I think that also may give us some idea of what's happening here (and what the public reaction would be). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphine_LaLaurie

She was killed by a boar while hunting, hilarious...