Are the Others a threat to Essos?

[CassBlackfyre]

Well? Could the others board ships (at hardhome?) and float them to braavos?

[the Sword of the Prevening]

Well? Could the others board ships (at hardhome?) and float them to braavos?

No evidence that they did it the last time they were awake. Not sure why they would this time, unless they know Dany and her Dragons are over there.

[Mad Monkey]

That might be the resolution to this crisis. Once the Others show up, the Lannisters, Tyrells, Targaryens, etc. will suddenly realize that they have other business in other continents that they have been neglecting and let Stannis mind the shop while they are away (for 300 years).

[danm_999]

Most of the prophecy/scatterings we have of the last Long Night suggests that yes, the Others were/are a threat to the entire world;

In ancient books of Asshai it is written that there will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world.

“Burnt,” said Salladhor Saan, “and be glad of that, my friend. Do you know the tale of the forging of Lightbringer? I shall tell it to you. It was a time when darkness lay heavy on the world.

Haldon nodded. “Benerro has sent forth the word from Volantis. Her coming is the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. From smoke and salt was she born to make the world anew. She is Azor Ahai returned … and her triumph over darkness will bring a summer that will never end … death itself will bend its knee, and all those who die fighting in her cause shall be reborn …”

Maybe the threat they pose isn't that they actually kill everyone themselves, but their freedom simply from beyond the Wall causes a new Long Night which kills all life through starvation/exposure.

[Kienn]

I think it's still ambiguous enough that Azor Ahai might have been doing his whole thang in essos, like around Asshai.

[Mr. James]

We had this conversation a few months ago, It is a very good question. I just wonder how the Others/ Wights would be able to deal with a large navy like the one that Braavos has.Are they sentient in the same way that humans and Children of the forest are? If so do they have ship building technology?

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/99393-can-the-otherswhite-walkers-cross-bodies-of-water/#entry5117414

[Sordelor]

I think they would try to conquer the entire world, not shure how they'll cross the water tough... maybe freezing all the oceans?

[Shadrich]

Perhaps.

Or maybe they themselves will only invade Westeros - but the Long Night falls on the whole world? They are definitely a threat to the whole world though, I think.

[Petite Psycophant]

My guess is that they'll start in Westeros and if unopposed will keep on spreading like some sort of cancer. It seems to me as though The Others, unlike the wights are definitely sentient. Didn't GRRM allude to the fact there may be a ship out there sailing to Braavos with wights and other unsightly stuff on it?

[Matoro]

Essos is probably connected by land to the Land of Always Winter. Asshai by the Shadow has been compared to the Wall in the strenght of magic, and Azor Ahai/the Long Night -legends are especially from Asshai. Why would any Asshaian or Essosi care about those legends and propechies if they wouldn't affect them? I believe that Asshai is very Wall-like location, between Essos and The Land of Always Winter. The Others can walk to Essos. If not, why would Azor Ahai legends be from Essos?

I actually believe that the magic of the Wall continues round the globe, a little like northern circle. And if NW/physical Wall breaks, the magic will be gone, and the magic of Asshai will go down, too.

[Shadrich]

Essos is probably connected by land to the Land of Always Winter. Asshai by the Shadow has been compared to the Wall in the strenght of magic, and Azor Ahai/the Long Night -legends are especially from Asshai. Why would any Asshaian or Essosi care about those legends and propechies if they wouldn't affect them? I believe that Asshai is very Wall-like location, between Essos and The Land of Always Winter. The Others can walk to Essos. If not, why would Azor Ahai legends be from Essos?

I actually believe that the magic of the Wall continues round the globe, a little like northern circle. And if NW/physical Wall breaks, the magic will be gone, and the magic of Asshai will go down, too.

http://img.pandawhale.com/61316-Walrus-interesting-gif-Oe8i.gif

That's actually a sound idea.

[Ahura Mazda]

Essos is probably connected by land to the Land of Always Winter. Asshai by the Shadow has been compared to the Wall in the strenght of magic, and Azor Ahai/the Long Night -legends are especially from Asshai. Why would any Asshaian or Essosi care about those legends and propechies if they wouldn't affect them? I believe that Asshai is very Wall-like location, between Essos and The Land of Always Winter. The Others can walk to Essos. If not, why would Azor Ahai legends be from Essos?

I actually believe that the magic of the Wall continues round the globe, a little like northern circle. And if NW/physical Wall breaks, the magic will be gone, and the magic of Asshai will go down, too.

I don't know if this is official or fan-made but it doesn't seem like that:

http://img.4plebs.org/boards/hr/image/1367/99/1367992364766.jpg

I dunno, but if that it's true then GRRTh must be very large and Asshai should be somewhat near at the exact opposite face of the planet. So I ask myself why there are no ships going west to reach Asshai and trade..

..sure you can think of some continent-displacement that makes the east route shorter anyway, but

- it ain't like there can't be other commercial places more on the east of Asshai that can't be reached easily by sailing west.. and in such a case reaching Asshai from there would be convenient, 'cause it groups more trade stops.

- the devastation of valirya is still a dangerous place, sailing near it can cause troubles.. so taking the longer route may be slower but more safe.

[Gar Weg Wun Sygerrik]

I like the crackpot that the 'ghost grass' that Mormont Mentions in AGOT is actually the legend of frost covered grass. The idea that the end of the world results when 'ghost grass' covers everything fits in with the Long Night affecting Essos.

[Tyrus Martell]

I wrote this earlier in the year, but...

I've always wanted to know this as well. Generally, brutal Winter and the Others have been associated with Westeros, especially north of The Neck, but after reading and re-reading all the bits of Melisandre and any information on Azor Ahai and I think that Essos will be, and has been affected by Winter. The prophecy of Azor Ahai is pretty much the same as The Last Hero who stopped the Others during the Long Night, and who will do so again, and I think they are one and the same person.

Essos' history isn't really as fleshed out as the West, but this is my theory:

The majority of Essos' inhabitants and history books didn't really cover or remember The Long Night or the Others because most of its immediate history has been focused on the Targaryen family, their Dragons and The Doom of Valyria. All three events have had had much more immediate and significant affects on the continent and history in recent centuries and they all overshadow any old stories about dead people walking thousands of years ago. Dragons were a proven reality, same as the Doom, and many Essosi probably were too busy worrying about fire-breathing dragons or the Valyrian Empire to care about some story about the Long Night...

...except for the Red Priests, the descendants of those first Essosi who witnessed and went through the hells of the Long Night, and who take it upon their shoulders to pray to R'hllor and remind people of Azor Ahai and the importance of fire and light other shadow and darkness. Only the Red Priests like Melisandre in the far East, who preach of Azor Ahai come again, seem to remember the Long Night and warn people of it. Just like the Northmen of Westeros and the Night's Watch of the Wall warn people and remain vigilant of winter.

Most of the East don't seem to be interested in the Red Priest's preachings (except for Volantis and Asshai) and most of Westeros has dismissed the Night's Watch for thousands of years and numerous times within the five books. The threat, as we, the readers, know, is real and if it's magical in nature, I don't think the sea will stop them.

The world's in for a rude awakening.

[Sordelor]

I don't know. The Others are clearly linked to the weather, and it doesn't seem like Essos is as badly affected by Winter as Westeros, so I wouldn't say so. Maybe if they took Westeros completely, but it appears they didn't manage to do that last time so they never got round to spreading to Essos.

Didn't Dany saw traces of winter in her last chapter in ADwD? (I'm not shure tough).

[Iona]

Didn't Dany saw traces of winter in her last chapter in ADwD? (I'm not shure tough).

Yep!

Though she walked through a green kingdom, it was not the deep rich green of summer. Even here autumn made its presence felt,

and winter would not be far behind. The grass was paler than she remembered, a wan and sickly green on the verge of going yellow. After that would come brown. The grass was dying.

[Fanless Mace]

This is a loaded and biased question. Perhaps we could equally ask, Is Essos a threat to the Others?!
("Yes! Therefore, we should invade Essos." -- GW Bush.)

[Ser Muradin the Small]

If their power keeps growing unchecked, perhaps they'll be able to freeze the sea and crossover to Essos.

But I don't think that will happen anytime soon.....if it does happens maybe Dany will finally do something that will affect Westeros for a change :P

[Gneisenau]

Maybe not the Beyond the Wall Others, but maybe Others exist on Essos ?

[Sordelor]

The key words being ''Even here''.

Compare this to the descriptions of the North in ADwD.

Winter arrivés way later in Essos than in Westeros, but it is coming.