Willam Stark

The Whents served the Lothson and the last one, Mad Danelle, was likely a skinchanger herself. If we have to look for skinchanger blood, I think we should start with this link. Both houses are likely closely related and if it's the case, which I think it's true, then it would explain even better why King Maekar decided to give Harrenhal to the Whents after lady Danelle's downfall. Of course we can imagine that a lord Lothson married a lady Blackwood along the way or even a lord Whent after they took Harrenhal, these assumptions are not mutually exclusive. I think that skinchanging is a recessive trait which must be passed on by both parents and the skinchanger must bond to a specific animal. If they don't find their animal or the animal dies before they could ever bond, then the skinchanger won't awaken their ability, just like Sansa.

Where does it come from?

Bullying Tyrion when he was a newborn.

Least favorite POV: Aeron and Victarion Most hated characters: Tywin, Cersei, Joffrey, AGOT Jaime, Viserys III, Walder Frey, Balon, Gregor, Amory Lorch, Rafford

Can you put the link to this thread here? I do think she was a Rogare and a cousin of Aegon IV.

He wouldn't have needed it if he had ensured that each book spanned a year.

In my opinion: ADWD > ASOS > AFFC > ACOK > AGOT

A knight's personal skills are worthless against an organized, disciplined army.

He or one of the mods already used it.

I do pity him and think Rhaena and co got what they deserved.

Yes, they might be a threat. Yes.

Likely the same size as modern France.

Agreed. And even in these conditions, Viserys was becoming like his father, nothing could have prevent him to fall into madness.

Definitely not. Robert had at least 3 counselors who were competent at their job and loyal to him: Jon Arryn, Stannis Baratheon and Barristan Selmy, hence the 15 years of relative stability. None of Cersei's counselors are competent, they are mostly yes men or a cripple (Jaime) and her regime collapsed in a few months. As for Stannis, in-universe he thought Robert would be fine since he didn't knew about the twincest but was himself in danger and big bro wouldn't listen.

I don't think Jon will ever be King.

Corlys has very likely Targ blood himself.

Laenor Velaryon didn't have any children of his seed: Rhaenyra's eldest sons were fathered by Harwin Strong, Adam and Alyn Oakenfist were Corlys' bastards.

I gave you the line AND the context of this line. Basically, Viserys was like Aerys even as a child, who had madness in him. Don't need to have 160 IQ to understand that Viserys showed signs of madness as well. Your speculation is not supported by the text, which is all I care about in this discussion.

This is not real life man, but a fictional world which emulates more or less 13th/14th-century England. You cannot use modern standards to analyze the story. Barristan was living with them and Viserys was under the watch of the Kingsguard day and night, on Aerys' orders. He would have known if it was the case. Besides Viserys himself that his father's madness was a lie told by the Usurper and his dogs, that doesn't sound like a child abused by his father. He made Viserys his heir after Rhaegar's death, he thought that Dornishmen betrayed him. Not just a single line There is enough material to understand that Viserys was following the path of Aerys, madness here.

The feats of this excellent warrior are...getting smashed by Robert at the Trident and repaint the river with his blood. Quite impressive, too bad he didn't survive his prowess. You don't know what jousting is, do you? The aim of a joust is to break the opponent's spear by charging him on horseback and using the momentum of the horse to break the opponent's spear. That doesn't require skill-at-arms but horse-riding skills and accuracy with lance, which is totally different. He was a good rider indeed, but that didn't prevent him from dying. Maybe, but Robert is still a better fighter than him.

That's not what I said, or mean. By saying "madness was his destiny" I mean that he would have become mad in adulthood since he was showing signs of madness at an early age, not that he was mad since birth or childhood. You said that most bullies were abused in childhood, I might agree with this statement but that doesn't mean it's always the case and I also don't believe Viserys was abused by his father, otherwise Barristan would have told us, one way or another. Whatever trauma he had, it has nothing to do with any abuse by his father, you might make a case with what happened at Essos though. But that doesn't change the fact that he was prone to madness and I will never pity him nor any other bully, good for you if you can do that, I don't.

I don't believe for a second that he was abused by his father, otherwise Barristan would have told us, one way or another. On the contrary, Aerys was overprotective towards Viserys and even forbade Rhaella, his own mother, to be alone with him. Viserys fell on the wrong side of the coin, madness was his destiny.

In joust, not combat. This is not the same thing. says the one who confuse joust and combat. Learn the difference then come to me. It wasn't a life threatening wound, Robert was pretty much fine and even sent his own maester to treat Barristan's wound. On the other hand, Rhaegar didn't survive the duel, the Trident remembers.

In joust, not combat. His feats in combat are...being killed by Robert.

Never thought about that, but it would have been a great move on Robb's part.