Westeros

New York Comic Con returns from October 9th through 12th at the Javits Center, and with it comes its lists of guests. Prominent among them, listed as a guest of honor, is George R.R. Martin. With the Seattle Worldcon in August, this may be the only convention appearances GRRM will be making this year. According to the information on the NYCC page, George will be there on Friday and Saturday. Reports are that the Saturday is entirely sold out, but there may still be tickets for Friday. (Fun fact: George not only attended the first New York Comiccon in 1964, but was the very first person to shell out $1.50 for a ticket.) Speaking of big media conventions, Ryan Condal confirmed in the latest episode of his prop collecting podcast, The Stuff that Dreams are Made Of, that there were no plans to promote the still-filming House of the Dragon at San Diego Comic Con as they did last year. In fact, it will be the first SDCC Condal will have missed since moving to LA (barring the Covid years when it did not take place) due to how intense a period July would be for production, and seemed quite sad about it. However, he promised he would push to return to the show next year, citing how much he enjoyed the screening (of last season’s episode 7) and hoped they would repeat something like that. https://www.westeros.org/Graphics/Images/_medium/NYCC_Poster.jpg View the full article

What was meant to be a gesture of justice ended in blood, clamor, and a child’s first cry. Ser Omrys Baratheon, Reeve of King’s Landing, descended into the depths of Flea Bottom to hold audience with the city’s most wretched. Beneath the looming ruin of the Dragonpit and beside the muddy well that serves the quarter’s thirst, he called the smallfolk to voice their grievances. They came by the hundreds: beggars and butchers, fishwives and sweeps, all burdened with petty thefts, rising prices, and crimes unmet by the Watch. But grievances, once stirred, do not sit quietly. As the crowd swelled and the petitions sharpened, Ser Omrys’s words grew colder, his manner imperious. Then a crone, wild-eyed and shrieking, cast a swaddled bundle at his horse’s hooves. “Murder,” she howled. The bundle, they say, was the body of her grandchild. The square exploded. Stones flew. Rotten fruit split against armor and skin. In the surge, Lady Lenora Lannister was struck and brought low; her handmaid bloodied in her defense. Ser Jon Roxton, grim and unflinching, waded into the throng to pull them free, while Ser Orbert Farman, stung by insults flung at his fallen kin, raised his voice and his blade, further fanning the fire. Even as panic surged and gold cloaks mustered in the alleys, a second cry rose, sharper than the first. Lady Arwen Westerling, heavy with child and caught amidst the crush, went into labor. She was borne into a nearby house by Ser Omrys himself, and there, amid overturned stalls and shouts echoing through the streets, she delivered a daughter into the world. The City Watch quelled the unrest before it spread beyond the square. A handful of arrests were made, and rumors whisper that one or two poor souls did not survive the stampede. A shutter was broken, a cart overturned, but no buildings fell to fire or blade. Some say it was a thief or cutpurse who cast the first stone, seizing the chaos for mischief or gain. If the flames of anger were fanned by darker hands, they vanished swiftly into the alleys. Flea Bottom simmers again in uneasy quiet. Yet many wonder whether justice was served or only mocked beneath the shadow of the Dragonpit. And across the city, tongues wag of noble valor, crumbling order, and a girl born amidst the riot’s roar. [url={url}]Visit the Site![/url]

At Summer Game Fest, PlaySide Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have officially announced a new real-time strategy game set in the world of Westeros: Game of Thrones: War for Westeros, launching globally on PC in 2026. Set in HBO’s Game of Thrones universe, War for Westeros is a premium real-time strategy game (by which I believe they mean it is not a free to play game, as some past licensed strategy games have been). Players will take command of one of several Great Houses—or even the White Walkers— in a bid to claim the Iron Throne. A cinematic trailer is below, and we have more information and images following: https://www.westeros.org/Graphics/Images/_medium/GoT_WfW_KeyArt_Horizontal.jpg https://www.westeros.org/Graphics/Images/_medium/GOT_WFW_Screenshot_A.jpg read on >>> View the full article

In the Queen’s Ballroom of Maegor’s Holdfast, beneath golden torchlight and gleaming mirrors, the wedding feast of Princess Elaena Targaryen and Lord Ossifer Plumm unfolded with all the pomp and lavish excess of a royal celebration. Courtiers in their finest silks and satins toasted, danced, and dined on honey-glazed capon, saffron rice, and sweets that flowed as freely as the Arbor gold. Above it all, the royal family presided: the bride radiant, the groom grinning, and King Aegon IV seated in high spirits beside Queen Naerys, their children, and siblings: Princes Aemon and Daeron, Princess Mariah, and the bride’s sisters, Daena and Rhaena. What began in good cheer ended in infamy. Late into the evening, King Aegon, deep in his cups, called for the bedding. The room fell still with shock. Rarely, if ever, had a royal bride been subjected to the full and rowdy ritual reserved for lesser lords. Princess Daena leapt to her feet in fury, Rhaena flinched in silent horror, and even Queen Naerys attempted to intercede—but the King brushed them aside with drunken laughter. Despite her own protests, Elaena was borne off by drunken courtiers, stripped of dignity by hands more merry than mannered. Though she halted the worst with a firm command, what had already been taken could not be restored. Prince Aemon nearly stormed from the hall in fury, only calmed by his brother Daeron’s steady intervention. The groom followed, carried more than escorted. And the King remained outside the bridal chamber, flagon in hand, surrounded by a clutch of laughing sycophants, recounting crude jests as the doors closed. Shortly after, a fresh offense emerged. Several young knights staggered from the bridal suite, one holding aloft Princess Elaena’s torn shift like a trophy. The gesture sent Ser Jon Roxton, heir to the Ring who had nearly won the wedding tourney, into a black fury. He surged forward, roaring that the Princess had forbidden such disrespect, threatening to take the knight’s hand for his insolence. His voice rang through the corridor like a sword drawn in court. What might have become bloodshed was diffused through swift action. Ser Otho Royce placed a firm hand on Roxton’s shoulder, reminding all present of their vows. Ser Alfryn Plumm added his voice in command, demanding peace for the sake of his brother’s name. And Lady Lenora Lannister, with poise and grace, claimed the garment with quiet authority. Roxton relented at last, but not without a final warning to the knight who dared defy a princess. With tension crackling in the air, Lady Beranda Sarsfield led the musicians back into the ballroom with a fresh tune. The music, rowdy and infectious, drew the revelers away from scandal toward celebration once more—though some laughter rang a little hollow. Unnoticed by the revelers, there was a commotion behind the bridal doors. The King rose from his bench and entered the chamber himself, and is said to have remained inside for a time. When he emerged, his mirth had fled. A maester was summoned, entered, and exited alone. King Aegon returned to the ballroom at last, raised a hand, and quieted the room. Face flushed from drink, his voice grave but for the occasional slurring, he delivered the news: Lord Ossifer Plumm had died in the bridal bed, shortly after consummating his union with the princess. Thus ended the feast. The merriment turned to murmurs, the music to memory. And in the midst of courtly revel, another shadow fell upon the crown. [url={url}]Visit the Site![/url]

On a day veiled in the grey mists of autumn, with the chill damp clinging to the air and the tourney field churned to mud, scores of knights of the realm (and some from outside of it as well) gathered to celebrate the forthcoming union of Lord Plumm and Princess Elaena Targaryen. Though the elements were challenging, the spirit of competition burned brightly, witnessed by King Aegon IV himself, his companion Missy Blackwood, the royal bride-to-be, and her aged betrothed. From the first clash of lances early in the day, by late afternoon only sixteen champions remained. The lists saw their share of valorous deeds and sudden reversals. Early in the contests, the heavy ground claimed more than one rider simultaneously. Ser Orbert Farman and Ser Omrys Baratheon both found themselves unhorsed, with Ser Orbert proving the master in the ensuing melee on foot. Ser Jon Roxton, too, was forced to fight with blunted steel against Ser Harstyn Tully after a similar mutual unhorsing, ultimately felling his opponent after a hard-fought exchange. Ser Balon Selmy’s strong riding saw Lord Plumm’s nephew Ser Oswyn unseated with such violence that he was carried off the field insensate, though word later spread that his injuries were not serious despite his withdrawal from the tourney. As the day wore on, certain knights distinguished themselves through skill and endurance. Ser Joffrey Caswell and Ser Quentyn Ball engaged in a relentless exchange, both knights shattering lance after lance in a crowd-pleasing spectacle before Ser Joffrey emerged the victor. The contest between Ser Otho Royce and Ser Doran Dondarrion became much talked about, stretching to an astonishing nine passes and fifteen broken lances before Ser Otho, by sheer persistence, unseated the Blackbolt. Not to be outdone, Ser Quentyn Ball later engaged Ser Morgil Hastwyck in another memorable tilt of six passes, a true test of horsemanship and accuracy. The path to the championship was arduous. The Dornish knight Ser Aidan Dayne, far-famed as the Knight of the Twilight, rode with grace and skull, his beautifully wrought armor a familiar sight as he overcame opponent after opponent. But even he faced the rigors of a double unhorsing when he and Ser Orbert Farman crashed to the earth together. Their subsequent duel on foot was a masterful display, with Ser Aidan’s revealing exquisite skill that the heir to Fair Isle could not match. Meanwhile, Ser Jon Roxton, bearing a green favor that drew many an eye (it was said to belong to Beranda Sarsfield, and many are the rumors swirling about them), carved his own path through the ranks, his resilience and skill earning him a place in the day’s final confrontation. He secured his place by overcoming Ser Orbert Farman in a keenly contested match that decided who would face the formidable Dayne. Thus, the stage was set for the ultimate tilt: Ser Aidan Dayne against Ser Jon Roxton, heir to the Ring. The air crackled with anticipation as these two seasoned warriors charged. For three passes, lances shattered and both knights held their seats, a testament to their prowess. But on the fourth pass, Ser Aidan’s strike was true and powerful, sending Ser Jon Roxton tumbling into the mud. With this victory, Ser Aidan Dayne was proclaimed champion of the tourney. He received the rich prize of a thousand gold dragons and the victor’s laurels, a crown woven of autumn flowers to bestow upon his chosen Queen of Love and Beauty. What followed was a moment of courtly chivalry. Ser Aidan, approaching his beautiful lady wife, Aisling Ryswell, with the crown in hand, spoke of her as the queen of his heart but humbly asked her leave to bestow this particular honor upon another. Lady Aisling, with commendable grace, gave her consent. The Knight of the Twilight then turned his steed towards the royal dais. There, before Princess Elaena, he offered the flowered ccrown, declaring that none other than the bride-to-be could be the Queen of Love and Beauty on such an occasion. He further intimated that his gesture was also in homage to the memory of one who had held the princess and her sisters in the highest esteem. Princess Elaena, after a moment of composed surprise and a brief, pointed exchange with the knight, accepted the crown, acknowledging the spirit in which it was offered, and placed it upon her platinum-pale hair with its bright golden streak. Her sisters, it was noted, watched this interplay with expressions of mirth and intrigue—after all, Elaena had been slighted in the last tourney thrown in celebration of her wedding. Throughout this presentation, King Aegon IV was observed to be visibly displeased, his scowl a stark contrast to the cheers of the crowd. And so, as the mist began to thicken with the approach of evening, the wedding tourney drew to its close. A feast followed, a small sample of the grander feast intended on the morrow to follow the wedding. [url={url}]Visit the Site![/url]

The promise of royal favor brought roaring crowds and clashing lances to the tourney fields of King’s Landing, but also left murmurs and unease in its wake. Beneath the banners of House Targaryen, knights from across the realm contended fiercely, overseen by the Dragonbane’s daughters and the ever-watchful court. This tourney, unlike most, bore a special twist—the favour of Princess Daena Targaryen herself would travel from knight to knight. Awarded first to Ser Othan Bracken, the honour was to pass to any knight who unseated its bearer. The man who held the favour at day’s end would be declared victor and claim the prize—and no small measure of fame. Ser Luthor Rivers earned admiration for a string of strong showings, including an early victory over Bracken, the Hand’s brother and bearer of Daena’s favour. With a thunderous blow that shattered his lance and unseated Blackmane in a single pass, Rivers won the token and the crowd’s roaring approval. His victory over Ser Jon Roxton was equally impressive, fought over five fierce passes until Roxton at last fell. Rivers, ever honourable, saluted his foes and presented the favour with due reverence. Ser Otho Royce, unrelenting and iron-hard, rode match after match, prevailing over Ser Orbert Farman and Roxton alike. But it was Ser Omrys Baratheon who would ultimately seize the day—and not without stirring contention. After downing Harstyn Tully with such force the man had to be carried from the field, Omrys eventually faced Royce in the final match. Their tilt was brutal. Omrys’s lance struck Royce’s helm not once but twice—a dangerous and dishonourable breach in a sport where striking the head is frowned upon. Though Royce withstood the first, the second blow unhelmed and unhorsed him, delivering victory to Baratheon in a wave of stunned cries and applause. His triumph was followed by wild display. Omrys cast aside helm and shield, slammed lance and shield into the ground, and bellowed “AND BLOOOOD!” to the high box. The Princesses—Daena foremost—looked on with sharp eyes. When Daena called for her favour’s return, it was understood as more than ceremony; in this tourney, the favour symbolized the crown’s esteem. Its return from Omrys marked the limit of that esteem. When presented with the victor’s prize, Omrys offered one of the silver cuffs to Royce—“Here you go fellow… well Fellow!” he quipped, a show of camaraderie undercut by poor taste. Then, unsought, he crowned Princess Rhaena as Queen of Love and Beauty—not Elaena, in whose honour the day was partially held, and whose coming wedding had shaped the celebrations. Rhaena accepted with distant grace. Daena, ever poised, met the gesture with a smirk and redirected the moment, raising the cheers not only for Rhaena but for Elaena as bride-to-be. If Omrys meant to make a moment, it was Princess Daena who controlled how it would end. So the field cleared, not only of splinters and steeds, but with the knowledge that in the games of tourney—as in court—victory does not always mean favour. [url={url}]Visit the Site![/url]

Despite initial aims to get this out this year, it seems like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has ultimately shifted entirely out of 2025, and will now be an early 2026 release according to a first look at a trailer for the show revealed to press and industry professionals at the WBD upfront. Whether that trailer will also be released today or in the future, we do not know. https://www.westeros.org/Graphics/Images/_medium/Martin_Knight7Kingdoms_title.jpg View the full article

A grey and mist-veiled morning in the Red Keep’s Western Outer Yard bore witness to a spectacle both grim and grotesque—the trials of those vying for the office of King’s Justice. King Aegon IV presided from a black-draped dais, with Mistress Melissa Blackwood at his side, while high lords, courtiers, and even commoners gathered to bear witness as the condemned were dispatched, one by one. Each candidate for the post proved their mettle not with words, but with the sword—or axe, or arakh. Ser Halwin Selmy of the City Watch impressed with his clean and methodical execution. Others followed: a flamboyant Tyroshi mercenary who made a bloody mess of things; Ser Corson Hill, a wine factor turned headsman, whose silent efficiency drew murmurs of approval; and Ser Genald Storm, whose cruel showmanship disturbed more than it entertained. The mood soured further when a drunkard knight from the Reach stumbled to the scaffold—only to be replaced by Ser Jon Roxton, who volunteered and delivered a strike swift and sure enough to draw cheers from even the jaded nobles. But it was the last man, a butcher from Flea Bottom named Tomm, who drew the King’s eye. Though lowborn, his steady hand and devoted wife—who loudly cheered him from the crowd—captured Aegon’s amusement. To the astonishment of noble and common alike, Tomm was chosen, knighted by Ser Peron Stone, and raised not only to the office of King’s Justice, but also ennobled by royal decree as Ser Tomm of House Butcher. The smallfolk roared in delight. The nobles looked on in shock. And the Red Keep ran red with blood. [url={url}]Visit the Site![/url]

HBO has announced three new cast members for House of the Dragon Season 3, each taking on important roles as knights caught up in the brutal Dance of the Dragons. I believe at least one of these has been hinted at previously, when Steve Toussaint posted an image of a script listing a number of characters who were present. You can see the list of the actors and their characters below, as well as some additional thoughts from us! https://www.westeros.org/Graphics/Images/_medium/House-of-the-Dragon-Tom-Cullen-Joplin-Sibtain-Barry-Sloane.webp read on >>> View the full article

Day 2 of Month 11, 176 AC Under skies darkened by rain and thunder, King Aegon IV Targaryen gathered the realm’s nobility, knights, and merchant lords in the Throne Room of the Red Keep for a court session that will long be remembered. Against a backdrop of blood-striped marble and the grim leer of dragon skulls, His Grace mounted the Iron Throne with a heavy crown upon his brow and a glint of restless humor in his violet gaze. The session opened with joyful news: the date for the forthcoming weding of Princess Elaena Targaryen to Lord Ossifer Plumm was proclaimed, and a grand tournament and feast promised. If Princess Elaena’s demeanor suggested little delight in her fate, the King took no heed. Lord Plumm, in turn, was elevated further, granted the office of one of the Keeper of Keys to oversee the Crown’s manors and lodges about the city. Reforms to the royal household followed, many noting that men who stood high in the king’s graces receiving honors. Ser Morgil Hastwyck was named Master of Horse, succeeding a post that has seen occupants come and go with rapidity since the death of Swiftspur; Ser Quentyn Ball, known as “Fireball,” rose to master-at-arms, promising a fiercer hand in the training yards. Lord Ambrose Butterwell, a steadfast supporter of the Crown, was elevated to Royal Steward, and his grandson Ambrose the Younger was taken into the royal household as a squire. Not all changes were by royal decree alone. Ser Conrad Arryn resigned his post to return to the Vale, citing unrest among the mountain clans and the call of his brother. Ser Noel Upcliff, mthe former master-at-arms, also resigned, withdrawing to the Vale at Lord Arryn’s call. Their absences, and the quiet speed with which they were accepted, spoke volumes. Ser Jan Marbrand, long Warden of the Kingswood, was dismissed outright for failing to check the brigands who had infested those woods, and the king’s wroth was clear, suggested Marbrand was no longer welcome in his court. In his place, Ser Endros Buckler was named warden, and Ser Otho Royce elevated to deputy, praised for their recent conduct against the outlaws. The King’s Justice, Ser Crispin Donniger, was permitted retirement after decades of loyal service, awarded a towerhouse and hunting rights near the Kingswood. To replace him, His Grace announced an unprecedented contest: would-be canddidaets would demonstrate their skill by executing condemned criminals before the court, with the worthiest to be chosen by royal favor. The announcement drew both fascination and unease among those assembled. Among the most watched petitions came from Ser Omrys Baratheon, battered but unbowed from his campaign in the Kingswood. He presented His Grace with a thick tome recounting their victories, laden with praise, and petitioned for the office of High Reeve. Smiling, the King “recalled” that Ser Myles Hightower would receive that honor instead. To Omrys was offered the lesser office of Chief Gaoler. After a moment’s struggle, Omrys declined and chose to remain in his current duties, the matter passing with little further comment. Ser Luthor Rivers came forth to request recognition for the knights who bled at the holdfast of Stoneback: the Toyne brothers, Ser Dermett Corbray, Ser Orbert Farman, Ser Joffrey Caswell, Ser Omrys Baratheon, and others. Though His Grace acknowledged their service with sweeping gratitude, he could not resist musing aloud on how a single unknown robber knight had escaped them all, a pointed reminder that triumph had not been complete. Luthor’s second request, to restore the gold cloaks’ salaries to what they were before the king’s failed invasion of Dorne pressed the crown’s resources, was met with a vague assurance that the Master of Coin would review the matter—a promise as light as autumn mist. Petitions from lesser lords and common folk were thereafter heard in a flood. His Grace dispensed judgment with cheerful spontaneity: a merchant’s dispute was decided with a jest; a lordling’s request for tax relief was waved away; a comely widow’s plea brought the King’s personal promise of intervention. Justice was served more by whim than rule, each case a reflection of His Grace’s mood at the moment. Among the nobler causes was that of Lady Arwen Westerling, who moved the court with a petition to establish a charitable foundation for the city’s women and children. His Grace embraced the cause with open arms, pledging royal funds and inviting the court to follow his example, a gesture that drew murmured approval even among those who knew the Queen’s Veiled Ladies had long toiled at such work in quieter fashion. Before adjourning, King Aegon announced a suspension in the construction of the Great Sept of Baelor, citing prudent inspection of its foundations. He further declared the extension of trading privileges to select merchants of the Free Cities, a boon celebrated by some, but others looked to the Lyseni Danilo Erosenes who was rumored to have been a panderer, procuring women for the king to win such favor. Thus the court concluded, as His Grace descended from the Iron Throne, trailed by courtiers who pressed close like moths to flame. The day’s judgments left the court both dazzled and uneasy, the realm shifting upon the whims of a dragon king whose favor burned bright—and whose indifference could chill to the bone. 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Day 20 of Month 10, 176 AC Ash and soot and broken barks greeted the troops from King’s Landing as they pressed on, deep into the wildfire-ravaged parts of the Kingswood where the ruffians and rebels had retreated. The King’s men had weaponry and numbers good enough for the foe to avoid open battle, and instead hole up in the blackened keep atop the ruins of Stoneback Hill. They were not to be dignified with investment and siege for more than a day. Late in the night, the muddy fields came alive with flame, a small fire in a flank of the supply train. Enough to draw the bandits manning the keep’s ramparts to one side. The ploy having worked, a multitude of knights under Ser Luthor Rivers made, with rope and ladder, the bloody climb up, and put up a fierce fight to sustain their tenuous toehold. It was a necessary distraction, so that Ser Terrence of the Kingsguard could lead an assault, complete with a makeshift battering ram, on the gate below. Aside from arrows, he had to contend with falling dead or dying, while the struggle in the battlements raged on. The royal knights there found hardy and vengeful men, as unwilling to die as they were to bow. Many skilled knights suffered injury to keep themselves from the grave, let alone send others there. They might still have prevailed, were it not for the Septon, better with the mace than with sermons, and that mystery, deadly, Knight of Ashes. One by one they drove to the ground the likes of Baratheon, Corbray, Roxton, Caswell, Rivers, Royce, Farman. The Ashen Knight’s swordsmanship was singular—but the deaths in his side too many, and a last, double blow came when the cry of battle horns announced the arrival of troops from House Toyne. His kin were the last aid Ser Terrence needed to tear the gate open. As troops poured into Stoneback’s keep, in muck and smoke, the white knight and his brothers led the slaughter, rapidly enough to find Jan Marbrand and other captives alive, if worse for wear. Mayhaps it would have been more judicious to encircle the keep, for this Knight of Ashes and his Septon managed to cut their way to a horse and flee through the postern gate. Yet few would share in their fortune, and by dawn enough bandit lives had been snuffed out for the rebellion to be thought ended. No triumph, but victory nonetheless. Wagons were shorn of their supplies or fetched from where possible to carry the wounded nobles and commons. There wasn’t half a thought of tarrying; with half-decent order, the royal troops marched to the Roseroad and then north, to the now welcome embrace of King’s Landing. [url={url}]Visit the Site![/url]

For the supposedly dauntless rebels in the Kingswood, the greatest test has come. The troops from King’s Landing have marched deep into their treacherous den, and brought with them the battle. The first task, to relieve the holdfast serving as the Wardenry’s base from siege. Exposed by rebel scouts huddled up in the trees, the King’s men had to be speedy and deploy their vanguard to attack; even then, they found the Knight of the Ashes comfortably ahorse in a distant ridge, the bulk of his “army” fleeing. He quickly followed. Behind remained a makeshift rearguard, still attempting to burn the holdfast’s gates out, and for their tardiness -or brazenness- they tasted the royal swords. ‘Twas a bloody affair, in smoke and muck, but there was no dearth of brave noble knights to cut the vagabonds down. Alongside Ser Terrence of the Kingsguard fought Ser Otho Royce, a goldcloak, Commander of the capital’s River Gate; heirs like Ser Jon Roxton, Ser Joffrey Caswell and Ser Orbert Farman; Ser Balon Selmy, a household knight of His Grace; Ser Omrys Baratheon, the reeve; and others still. Some of the rabble fell easily, others, even with arms mauled and eyes gouged, would draw strength from wrath and hardly yield to castle training - one might have taken Farman’s life had Roxton not cleaved him. But by the time the Kingslanders’ centre was engaged, it was done. Of the bandits not bereft of life, most soon swung from stout oaks. Ser Terrence, Ser Luthor, and the nobles were free to dabble in the more elegant matter of a battle plan, eventually deciding to make straight for the blackened southwestern parts of the wood. There to hopefully corner and vanquish the foe. That is the tale told by the slim escort of three hedge knights among those rebels, who had survived and begged for the black, and were consequently taken to the Red Keep’s dungeons, to be dealt with as His Grace pleases. Heartening, but with no guarantees as far as the troops are concerned. The last reports speak of paths blocked with cut trees and ditches set aflame slowing the advance. A party headed by Caswell, Baratheon, and the Warden of Crackclaw Ser Dermett Corbray, sent to receive and organise supplies shipped up the Wendwater, was violently, if not too successfully, ambushed. Of the meat and other supplies entrusted to Wendwater men, a chunk was lost to fiery rebel arrows raining from the woods. The Kingswood bandits’ resistance is yet to be overwhelmed. What is actually drying up and dying, amidst the chaos, to the supposed great annoyance of the King, is the once-steady stream of lumber and game, that helps fill the roaring hearths and splendid tables of Maegor’s Holdfast. Evidently, in those blessed royal quarters, there isn’t patience enough to last until the bandit swarm is caught and put to the sword. Orders were sent to Lords Hayford and Rosby to make up for the dent in His Grace’s comfort from their own lands, post haste. Ravens were dispatched to Crackclaw Point, laden with thick woods, too. As ever, rumours accompany it all…particularly those who claim payment won’t come with near as much speediness as the commands did. [url={url}]Visit the Site![/url]

The latest episode of The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of podcast, co-hosted by House of the Dragon show runner Ryan Condal and his friend and fellow prop collector David Mandel—whose credits include Seinfeld, Veep, and White House Plumbers—features prosthetics artist Waldo Mason, who joins them to discuss his career, creative process, and some behind-the-scenes teases from House of the Dragon Season 3 where he works as the lead makeup special effects artist. Waldo Mason is a legendary figure in prosthetics, with a career spanning over thirty years. His work has brought creatures, wounds, and faces to life in films like Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, the Harry Potter series, Game of Thrones, and Rogue One. He’s also a worked on a number of Ridley Scott productions going back to Gladiator (he has some frank remarks to make about a certain star’s behavior on set at the time), as well as Kingdom of Heaven and Prometheus. In the episode, there’s a fun moment where Ryan hints there’s something in Season 3 he’d like to “liberate” for his own collection—prompting Waldo to laugh and ask, “Well, is it large?” Apparently not, but Ryan and he would confer about there maybe needing to be two of what object he was interested in. Waldo also shares that he was particularly eager to sculpt two specific heads this season. One didn’t appear in the initial brief, to his disappointment—but it sounds like it made it into the revised plan after all. See below for our guess, and beware spoilers drawn from Fire and Blood! https://www.westeros.org/Graphics/Images/_medium/HotD_MakeupFX.jpg read on >>> View the full article

A big splashy announcement of a recent advance by Colossal Biosciences, creators of the “wooly mouse”, with the revelation that they have essentially recreated the 10,000-years extinct dire wolf which once roamed North America. The first two are named Romulus and Remus, after the legendary founders of Rome who were nursed by a she-wolf, while their younger “sister” is named… Khaleesi. But what really got our attention was the concurrent reporting from The Hollywood Reporter that not only explicitly links the wolves with the direwolves of Game of Thrones, but also reveals that none other than George R.R. Martin is an investor and adviser… and so, too, is Peter Jackson, who provided a certain prop for a photoshoot with Romulus and Remus that Game of Thrones fans may recognize… https://www.westeros.org/Graphics/Images/_medium/Colossal_Direwolves.jpg read on >>> View the full article

The Kingswood is a fickle beast, one to tread lightly with. Its sprawling vastness might contain game aplenty for the noble palates of the court, timber for the Crown to trade, and keeps still. But there amidst the myriad trees, where the harsh stare of King and court can’t quite be felt, trouble has precious room to sprout, then grow. And when a beast is cut and scorched, it does eventually bite. The whispers and rumblings have proved right. After giving way to irksome disorder and then ominous lawlessness, the wood has descended to open rebellion. Word came to the Red Keep speaking of an ambush on the very Warden, Ser Jan Marbrand, and a party of nobles. The culprits? A band under the so-called “Knight of Ashes” and a Septon for the nonce unnamed. For the life of Marbrand and his erstwhile charges, now captive, they sought ransom and that the wardenry depart with its tail twixt its legs within seven days, or be driven out. They had gall enough to denounce the King himself, dismissing him as the Fat Dragon. “The wood belongs to its people”, their call, a call heeded by crofters and archers and former soldiers now adrift, in the tens and hundreds. So claim reports coming by the day. They shall all have to face the fierce response of the Crown. A quarter of King’s Landing’s gold cloaks, under their Commander Ser Luthor Rivers and Ser Terrence Toyne of the Kingsguard, bolstered by valiant knights of the court eager to restore honour, are marching to the wood to relieve the assault on the wardenry, by speaking with blades where orders were ignored. There is to be little to no quarter. ‘Twas fortuitous alacrity. Perhaps even strategic, some who remember the first vague missive might say, for Marbrand was chiefly, it transpired, escorting Lady Alys Baratheon and her little daughters. Their narrow escape only barely eases the sting of the rebels’ insult to Storm’s End. Other noble ladies of the court are, supposedly, to eschew the company of tailors and jewelers for once, in order to ensure yet more supplies for the knights in the woodlands, or perhaps the beleaguered wardenry itself. And Queen Naerys, ever kind, has allowed her Veiled Ladies to lead prayers. That the Stranger now hovering over the Kingswood be illiberal with his kisses, and see husbands, brothers, and sons safely returned home. [url={url}]Visit the Site![/url]