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Knight of the Teabags

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  1. [quote name='The Fat Man' post='1327967' date='Apr 24 2008, 15.12']My impression of the timeline is slightly different than Tom's.[/quote] There in lies the rub! We're all trying to work out what exactly is going on and we're only really going to get any real idea once the book's out and we can see how all these chapters relate to each other. Is Karstark playing Stannis, the Boltons or both of them? From what we've seen so far all three are entirely possible. For the record having just re-read the Red Wedding chapter I concede the Northmen with the cloaks and axes were most likely men under Bolton. Still it doesn't exclude the possiblity that Arnolf Karstark first approached the Boltons 'off-stage' the big question is when...
  2. [quote name='Ran' post='1327761' date='Apr 24 2008, 10.12']So now we know, I suppose, that the twisted old lord is a Karstark thanks to the sunburst on his cloak. Which really makes it seem likely that it's Arnolf, and that he's playing Stannis.[/quote] Or is he playing the Boltons? Remember there were Karstark men alongside the Freys and Boltons at the Red Wedding - with arguably a much more understandable reason for participating in Robb and Catelyn's murders afterall Robb had their lord executed. With Harrion Karstark at that stage a prisoner of the Lannisters, Arnolf was arguably the highest ranked Karstark able to make such an agreement with Roose, so the current circumstances are that the Karstarks are at least openly supporting the Boltons as of the end of ASoS. So Arnolf Karstark seems to be exactly where where Roose and Ramsey believe him to be, though they are likely unaware that Stannis is even in the North at this stage let alone that him and Arnolf Karstark are talking. What in hindsight also seems to imply this, is in the discussion between Jon and Stannis about the state of the Wall, the North and the kingdom (which incidently Arnolf Karstark is first mentioned in) Jon warns Stannis that a previous successful attempt to besiege the Dreadfort by one of the old Stark Kings took four years, yet Stannis appears noticely unconcerned by this. If Arnolf Karstark is offering to betray the Boltons for him, Stannis has good reason to feel so confident. Finally Arnolf seems to have a fair bit to gain (at least on the surface) by offering to betray the Boltons to Stannis. Firstly his position with the Boltons is not especially secure considering that their principal allies are the Lannisters and Freys. Remember Rickard Karstark had a son of Kevan Lannister and a grandson of Walder Frey (not to mention they were both Tywin Lannister's nephews) murdered in the prisons under Riverun. So the Karstarks aren't especially the favourite people serving the Boltons. Secondly what Stannis is offering Arnolf is Lord Paramount of the North which is currently held by Roose Bolton who would obviously have to die (along with Ramsey) so Arnolf can feel secure in his new position. Quite a leap for a man who is merely the great-uncle and castellan to the current Lord Karstark (Harrion)! What would interesting to know about Arnolf morally is whether he is the kind of man who would have his great-nephew have an accident so that he can claim both Winterfell and Karhold? Either way in this situation Arnolf Karstark can only betray the Boltons to Stannis as he is currently in public their man, the other way he simply stays loyal to them.
  3. [quote name='LugaJetBoyGirl' post='1303413' date='Apr 7 2008, 00.11']Thus Davos is a foil for Slynt. And according to AFFC, Davos may meet his end in Dance as well. I wonder if there will be a strong contrast between his death (or fake death, or whatever) and that of Janos.[/quote] Or for that matter if we consider AFfC as the parallel volume that it is, we can also say Bronn is another foil to Slynt. Of course unlike Janos Slynt Bronn never has any illusions about the titles, lands and patrons he gains - despite being now a lord he's still at heart a sword to sell to the highest bidder and however much he may like a patron he never has any problems moving on if circumstances change. Unlike Slynt who's constantly going on about Tywin Lannister (ironically wasn't it Joffery who gave him the Lordship of Harrenhal?) Bronn remains his own man.
  4. Just a few thoughts after reading this spoiler. On the rope. In the middle ages hanging was the method for executing commoners whereas nobles were given the privilege of being beheaded. GRRM confirmed this is equally true in Westeros during the chapter in ASoS where ironically Slynt is gloating about the possiblity of hanging Jon. Now if we take this as the new Lord Commander's standard modus operadi for dealing with extreme cases of insubordination, it sends a powerful message to anybody else considering so flagrantly disobeying him, particularly noblemen. On the Wall it doesn't matter whether you have Lord or Ser before your name or who your father is, if you repeatively refuse the LC's orders he'll string you up like a common criminal all the same. On the 19 forts. In some of the previous preview Jon chapters Stannis was quite insistant about manning and repairing the empty forts along the Wall. It appears that Stannis has finally agreed to support Jon's suggestion that he place some of his men under Night's Watch command. And what he seems to have offered is rather generous and apparently in good faith - effectively he's putting up a third of the manpower of each fort which is considerable without majorly threatening the Night's Watch command of the position. As for Jon's ordering of Slynt to a command, I think it was apparent Jon wanted to deal with Slynt one way or another early on. However he called in 'Giant' (a man he had had campaigned with recently) first to make it a standard order. Why should Janos Slynt refuse when another man already obeyed without question? If you noticed Slynt got 3 chances to comply with the order. I wouldn't be at all suprised if we see a later Jon chapter which opens with Jon giving the Greygate command (with 20 Watchmen and 10 Kingsmen) to Ser Aliser Thorne who will very humbly accept! 'Lord' Janos Slynt in retrospect Looking back on him, Janos Slynt was yet another of GRRM's twisting of the generic heroic fiction stereotypes. The lowborn guardsman who raises up the ranks in a world where the nobleborn rule and ends up winning a title for himself. Of course he seems to do it all by betrayal and patronage. Ultimately Slynt is brought down by his own hubris, he fails to realise that his patrons have long since washed their hands of him. The other big character flaw of Janos Slynt is the massive sense of entitlement that he gains the moment he gets the 'Lord' in front of his name. Once you add that four letter word, the ego of this butcher's son from King's Landing is only really rivalled by people with surnames such as Lannister and Targaryen! Such is Slynt's arrogance that he arrives on the Wall intent on being the next Lord Commander. He is ultimately stopped when the 'old guard' of the NW officers close ranks around a compromise candidate (Jon) because stopping Slynt (an outsider who's yet to really serve on the Wall let alone lead it)is more important than their own rivalries. Of course someone like Slynt can't take that and thats why he ends dangling off the Wall by his neck. Ironically of course Janos Slynt's death shows he was really neither noble in status or action!
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