Canon Claude

Let's assume that Robb had been more assertive after the death of Ned Stark and his victories against the Lannisters at Riverrun. Say he decides to do the honourable thing and side with Stannis, even against Renly and Joffrey and whatnot. What do he and Stannis do differently?

Compelling points. But there's just as much of an argument that Tywin is Rodrigo Borgia. GRRM mixed elements from various people to create the characters of his books. No single figure is the sole inspiration. On a side note, Patrick McGoohan would have been an amazing Tywin if he'd been alive and the appropriate age.

Honestly, I think you pointing out that Velaryons still look Valyrian despite not practising incest actually enforces Floki's argument rather than diminishes it. Look at how much the Velaryon seed endures despite mingling with who knows how many different houses. Aurane Waters resembles Rhaegar to the point that Cersei openly dances with him and flirts with him. And he's not even a legitimate Velaryon. How could the Velaryons retain their Valyrian features after generations of mixing genes if their seed WASN'T strong? Not even the Baratheons or Tullys could compete with that.

Yes they were. They defeated him with trickery, deception, and archery rather than a straightforward battle. Cole offered single combat to settle things and nobody wanted to fight him because they knew he’d probably win. Sure, they talk about not giving him and honourable death, but it doesn’t honour them to kill him with arrows. Plus, the Rivermen had Northern allies there, so they knew their fighting worth. Now an even bigger army of unfriendly Northmen arrive on the scene who suddenly have King’s Landing under their power.

Honestly, I can believe that Cregan Stark could terrify young southron lords like the Tullys and Bloody Ben Blackwood. He was supposedly the greatest swordsman that Aemon the Dragonknight ever faced (and that says something, given how Cregan would have been an old man if he ever did cross swords with Aemon). As a young man with an army of wild northmen at his back (I believe his army was closer in size to 20,000 rather than 8,000, but that's just me), Cregan would have been in a very powerful and intimidating position.

Honestly, I think this was one of the most glaring problems when it came to the Dance. It makes no sense to me that the bloodiest day of the war killed 2,000 men, half of which were apparently Northmen.

Going back to the original question, I always thought it was strange too that none of the lords considered that Aegon would be a man full grown and might enjoy finally getting a taste of power. Steller was right, I just re-read that part of the book and it really seems like the only people who weren't being short-sighted were Thaddeus Rowan, Torrhen Manderly, and Tyland Lannister. There's no stories of any of the regents trying to have a one-on-one with the boy, no mention of Unwin Peake even bothering to ingratiate himself to the boy and deciding that Aegon's a pushover, nothing like that at all. Especially after he got Viserys back, you'd think there would be some kind of incentive to try and get on Aegon's good side before he came of age, because if you want to stay in King's Landing, you'll need the king's approval.

I agree, she probably knew nothing. It’s the Tower of Joy, not the Tower of Living-with-my-baby-daddy-in-isolation-while-trying-to-repress-memories-of-my-deceased-family-and-friends-who-are-all-dying-to-save-me-except-the-one-I’ll-emotionally-blackmail-to-ruin-his-reputation-for-my-sake.

Targaryen= Rhaenyra Baratheon= Rogar Arryn= Jon Stark= Cregan Lannister= Jaime Tully= Brynden Tyrell= Loras Martell= Oberyn Greyjoy= Euron

Honestly, I buy most of what he says. GRRM has long established that just because he writes things doesn’t make them true, since his world’s history is being retold by biased and subjective characters. Yandel is kissing the butt of the Baratheons and even Gyldayn is a biased character, given how he offers his own opinions on the conflicting sources. So sure, Mushroom is probably a salacious liar, but he is also playing a role similar to Tyrion in the main story. He’s present for all these big events and isn’t fettered by courtly manners or a private agenda. He was regarded as a harmless fool, and therefore he heard and saw a lot that others wouldn’t have access to. That said, I don’t buy all that he says. I don’t believe that Princess Rhaenyra and Daemon used him as a guinea pig to teach Rhaenyra how to be good at sex. But I do believe that Aegon II was a sexual deviant who became a voyeur after he couldn’t get it up anymore. I also buy his view that Cregan Stark was half mad when planning a new stage of the war and was thwarted by the widows and Black Aly. The idea that Rhaenyra pimped our Alicent and Helaena is less likely, meanwhile.

Sorry, but Viserys can't be worse than Maegor, Aenys, Aerys II, or Aerys I.

Misogyny or no, she definitely relied on dark magic (which actually exists in this world). Maegor's recovery from his coma is implied to have been done with magic, since he seems cursed after he wakes up with demon children and an even bloodier streak than he once had before his coma. Plus, Visenya manages to keep Aenys alive when nobody else can? In a world where half the characters know magic of some kind, it's not misogynist to suggest that Visenya was a sorceress. It's an equal opportunity situation with people like Thoros of Myr, Moqorro, the sorcerer who castrated Varys, etc.

To quote Ned Stark, "You're speaking of murdering a child..."

Goddamn, you really hate Aegon III don't you? And it's not like a typical rant from an obvious douchebag, I've interacted with you loads of times on this site, and you're not a troll or a shock jock. This just really seems to anger you. It's kind of baffling.

The Starks have shorter lifespans than other Great Houses (apart from the Baratheons, methinks). They have many more reasons to die than, say, the Tyrells or the Lannisters.