Put away the GNC, we already have a new King in the North

[sertravisredbeard]

I thought this thread was going to be about Mance.

[Salinda]

The last time the Others invaded, entire Westeros was covered in an eternal winter. So its not just the North that's going to be affected by the Others' invasion. I mentioned why I feel the Northerners would fare better during the Long Night in my previous post. There's a reason why the Stark motto is "Winter is Coming" :)

Northerners won't fare any better than anyone else. They're human. They'll starve or freeze, just like Old Nan's story. And add in the fact that the Others will be attacking them, it means the North won't fare better, it will be the worst off

[Salinda]

I would argue even their loyalty isn't as strong as many posters think. The Greatjon threatens to desert the Northern army in AGOT, before getting chewed by Grey Wind. You could argue he was "testing" Robb and Robb passed with flying colors, but it still isn't very loyal. Then you have the actions of Karstark and Bolton.

I highly suspect that even Wyman is only helping the Starks so as to get Rickon married to his daughter, and maybe get some lands out of the deal

[Lord rosa]

Northerners have more in common ith wildings than southerners, yet one cannot deny the honor of the Starks and all the houses of the North had to toe the line

[Lilly Snow]

I would argue even their loyalty isn't as strong as many posters think. The Greatjon threatens to desert the Northern army in AGOT, before getting chewed by Grey Wind. You could argue he was "testing" Robb and Robb passed with flying colors, but it still isn't very loyal. Then you have the actions of Karstark and Bolton.

Yes, I agree. Their loyalty is a little shaky. I think there are some who are loyal to the Starks because Ned was a good man. But right now the GNC is mainly about overthrowing the Boltons/Freys and revenge than restoring the Starks.

[Darksnider05]

Either way Winter is coming and will see who survives till spring.

[Twenty of House Goodmen]

I actually think the North won't fare as well as the Southerners during the Long Night. While it's true that they are more used to harsh winters, they will also be taking the brunt of the Others invasion.

Yeah, there's a Second Dance of Dragons coming, but since there's only two books left, the Dance can't be as long or as devastating as the first Dance.

[Salinda]

Northerners have more in common ith wildings than southerners, yet one cannot deny the honor of the Starks and all the houses of the North had to toe the line

The Starks having honor is a completely new thing, only brought about by Ned and his children.

[Twenty of House Goodmen]

The Starks having honor is a completely new thing, only brought about by Ned and his children.

Likely something that Ned picked up from Jon Arryn, a southerner. Real Starks are harsh people.

[Lord rosa]

Didn't Roose say he had to hide his transgressions from Rickard Stark, who was a man of honor?

[Salinda]

Didn't Roose say he had to hide his transgressions from Rickard Stark, who was a man of honor?

He had to hide them because he was committing crimes, doesn't matter what type of person Rickard was. And he definitely wasn't a man of honor. He was scheming to get the Starks power in the south.

[Lilly Snow]

Northerners won't fare any better than anyone else. They're human. They'll starve or freeze, just like Old Nan's story. And add in the fact that the Others will be attacking them, it means the North won't fare better, it will be the worst off

But the Northerners are far more used to harsh winters. It is a perpetually cold place. The Stark motto is repeated often. The Southerners are called the knights of summer. You don't think these details are significant at all?

[Stan the Man Baratheon]

He had to hide them because he was committing crimes, doesn't matter what type of person Rickard was. And he definitely wasn't a man of honor. He was scheming to get the Starks power in the south.

Not to mention he murdered an innocent child.

[Frances Bean Corbray]

Oh come on. What about the rest of the Karstarks, who colluded with Roose to betray Stannis so that they could claim Karhold for themselves? What about the Umbers, who still practice the First Night and kill whores? Or Jorah Mormont the slaver?

Northmen are no more honorable than anyone else.

ALLEGEDLY practice First Night! We've only got Roose Bolton's word for that, and as you just said Northmen are no more honorable than anyone else

:)

The Northmen are fiercely loyal... to their separate sense sense of ethnic identity from the rest of the empire (the foundations of a post-medieval, more modern sense of Nationalism?) And their traditions. Not necessarily all to each other -- very much not, in fact, as we've already seen and seen often. Part of that tradition, really, is challenging each other, an open sort of disloyalty. Prove you're man enough to rule over me by kicking my ass, if you can. Greatjon does a version of this back when Robb first calls the banners. Robb has to prove his balls are bigger before Greatjon will respect him. Once he does, of course, Greatjon is Robb's #1 Fan

Every culture defines "honor" a little differently. Honor can mean fair play and My Word Is My Bond. But it also can mean "dis me and I will kill you and yours in as fucking brutal a manner as possible." Remember the lesson of the old Northern Fairy Tale: The Rat Cook. Breaking Guest Right? BAD. Revenge killing and cannibalism? Totally Cool, in the right context. We've had plenty of hints that the dark side of "honor" features very prominently in northern history. And that it's itching for a comeback.

[Lord rosa]

How is it dishonorable to expand contacts into the south, the north is part of the seven kingdoms right?

[Lord rosa]

Being honorable and stern is very possible, which is what Starks represent.

[Salinda]

But the Northerners are far more used to harsh winters. It is a perpetually cold place. The Stark motto is repeated often. The Southerners are called the knights of summer. You don't think these details are significant at all?

You know what else is repeated often? "There must always be a Stark in Winterfell". Took only 2 books to prove that notion wrong.

The Southerners may be used to better climates, but that doesn't mean that the Northerners are some super humans who can survive in low temperatures. No, they'll freeze to death as even Lord Wull realizes. And you don't get more Northern than the Wulls

[C0bR]

OP is a sweet summer child.

Hard places breed hard men. If there is one region that will survive the Long Night, it'll be the North.

If you put a bushman in a tundra and blizzard, he'll freeze. Natives will survive.

And there is no place for honor in any of this.

[Queen‍‍‍‍‍‍ Alysanne‍‍™]

Stanaerys? Please elaborate your scenario.

This ship has to happen!!!

One can dream :crying:

[Salinda]

OP is a sweet summer child.

Hard places breed hard men. If there is one region that will survive the Long Night, it'll be the North.

If you put a bushman in a tundra and blizzard, he'll freeze. Natives will survive.

And there is no place for honor in any of this.

This is incorrect. The Wulls who are more Northern than anyone know that they'll die when winter comes, with tears frozen on their cheeks. Add in the fact that the North has the Others to deal with and a shattered army and you have an absolute catastrophe on your hands.

The North won't survive anything, they'll be the worst off this coming winter. And it all could have been avoided it Robb never squandered Northern resources on a pointless war. Their deaths on his hands