How would you dealt with the grejoys?

[unSonofStannis]

The most exposure the reader has to the IB are the Greyjoys - who are probably the least likeable (and certainly most douchey) 'first family' taken as a whole in all the kingdoms. (Like their 'best' characters are broken Theon and chastened/captured Asha.) You see few of the other noble houses (and only briefly), and few of the small folk.

What? We see plenty of the other noble houses like the Starks, Tullys, Lannisters, Tyrells, Arryns etc.

[unSonofStannis]

Take every single last ship they have and give them seeds and tell them "You sow or you die" and if they didn't plant and farm crops to feed their people then screw them time to stop being parasites and actually be strong and build things with your own hands instead of taking others.

Taking from others is strength.

[MyLittleFinger]

Execute Balon for treason.

Send Euron and Victarion to the Wall due to their being serious threats. Aeron was presumed dead at this point if I'm not mistaken so whatever he can come back as Damphair.

Name Theon the Lord of the Iron Islands and have an Ironborn regent placed with him until he comes of age to rule (Rodrick (smart and generally peaceful) or Blacktyde (worshipper of the 7 and against the Old Ways?)

Take Asha as a hostage as well as a few kids of the major players in the Rebellion spreading them out with various families to meet their status.

[Charles Calthrop]

What? We see plenty of the other noble houses like the Starks, Tullys, Lannisters, Tyrells, Arryns etc.

If you read what I wrote, you'll notice that I said "of the IB = of the Ironborn".

[Charles Calthrop]

Taking from others is strength.

They don't seem to think so when others crush their 'strength' and take from them. Don't dish it out if you can't take it.

[unSonofStannis]

They don't seem to think so when others crush their 'strength' and take from them. Don't dish it out if you can't take it.

They did take it and came back 10 years later harder and stronger.

[unSonofStannis]

If you read what I wrote, you'll notice that I said "of the IB = of the Ironborn".

Weve seen the Harlaws quite a bit, Harlas is a badass warrior and Rodrik is very sensible and smart.

[Charles Calthrop]

They did take it and came back 10 years later harder and stronger.

Right, largely because Robert was merciful. If they'd been a bit more punitive, they wouldn't have come back 'harder and stronger'. They likely wouldn't have come back at all.

[Charles Calthrop]

Weve seen the Harlaws quite a bit, Harlas is a badass warrior and Rodrik is very sensible and smart.

And fans typically lurve the Harlaws for the reasons above, but since they see so much of the Greyjoys, they think of the IB as almost all like the Greyjoys with the Harlaws being the cool exception.

[A Bastard Snow]

The Ironborn will lose they always have as everyone hates them.They are nothing but hypocritical parasites with huge ego's that do nothing.Considering the north is doing a massive naval buildup they are going to be screwed.They insult others for being weak yet without the people they steal from they would all starve to death.

[Boarsbane]

The Ironborn will lose they always have as everyone hates them.They are nothing but hypocritical parasites with huge ego's that do nothing.Considering the north is doing a massive naval buildup they are going to be screwed.They insult others for being weak yet without the people they steal from they would all starve to death.

Isn't the Northern fleet on the wrong side of the continent to threaten the IB?

[unSonofStannis]

The Ironborn will lose they always have as everyone hates them.They are nothing but hypocritical parasites with huge ego's that do nothing.Considering the north is doing a massive naval buildup they are going to be screwed.They insult others for being weak yet without the people they steal from they would all starve to death.

While I disagree with your first comments lets not argue about that, its purely our opinions, but the second part, oh dear. This "navy" that Manderley has been building in the White Knife is no more than 50 ships and the sailors have no clue on how to sail at sea because theyre just rivermen. Plus its on the other of Westeros from the Iron Islands.

The Ironborn could come back and raid the Stoney Shore and Bear Island if they wanted to as it was in the old days, deal with it.

[unSonofStannis]

Isn't the Northern fleet on the wrong side of the continent to threaten the IB?

Yes

[Lee-Sensei]

Take every single last ship they have and give them seeds and tell them "You sow or you die" and if they didn't plant and farm crops to feed their people then screw them time to stop being parasites and actually be strong and build things with your own hands instead of taking others.

Well... the Iron Born built Harrenhall. Maybe they should go back to the Riverlands and build some more. :devil:

The Ironborn will lose they always have as everyone hates them.They are nothing but hypocritical parasites with huge ego's that do nothing.Considering the north is doing a massive naval buildup they are going to be screwed.They insult others for being weak yet without the people they steal from they would all starve to death.

I have a hard time seeing the North beat the Iron Islands in naval warfare.

[Fat Trell]

I find it doubtful Rodrik would have accepted Lordship over the isles. Not much time for reading when you're rebuilding a shattered society.

As for what I would have done(given what was known at the time):

1. Execute Balon
   
2. Send Victarion, Euron, and other prominent commanders to the Wall
   
3. Install Theon as lord of Pyke, marry Asha to some mid-level lordling.
   
4. Allow a moot to be called to establish what house shall rule the Islands. The Greyjoys would still be an option, but with a boy-lord at the head.
   
5. Limit the amount of longships each House may have in service based upon the amount of coastline they govern/people they rule(i.e. 1 mile of coastline=1 longship, 10,000 people=1 longship). Have a multi-region coalition to inspect this annually(Mallisters, Mormonts, Oakenshields, Lannisters of Lannisport, lords with a rooting interest against rearmament).
   
6. Limit the importation of quality ship building wood. I have no idea how this would be policed though.
   
7. Take 10 hostages from 10 powerful houses(Botley, Goodbrother, Harlaw, Blacktyde, Drumm, etc.). Foster 5 at KL, 1 at Oldtown, 1 at Winterfell, 1 at Dragonstone, 1 at Riverrun, 1 at Casterly Rock.
   

[ground_control]

1) Take a long look at the people and lands of the Iron Islands.

2) Realize that (absent reaving) their economy is subsistence-level agriculture and mining, and that (culturally), farmers and miners are despised.

3) Realize that the Iron Born think the Westerosi customs of learning and evolving are taboo (they hate Maesters and mock the family/political structure of the other regions).

So: Kill all the warriors and nobles and install some new blood to rule over the remaining people, which are coincidentally the only ones who were doing honest (non-pirate) work.

[unSonofStannis]

1) Take a long look at the people and lands of the Iron Islands.

2) Realize that (absent reaving) their economy is subsistence-level agriculture and mining, and that (culturally), farmers and miners are despised.

3) Realize that the Iron Born think the Westerosi customs of learning and evolving are taboo (they hate Maesters and mock the family/political structure of the other regions).

So: Kill all the warriors and nobles and install some new blood to rule over the remaining people, which are coincidentally the only ones who were doing honest (non-pirate) work.

Its just not pirate work its their way of life, their culture.

[averde]

How anyone on this thread can even half seriously say the iron islands should be exterminated is beyond me....

The ironborn are in no way evil, their society and culture have taught them reaving and raping and all that is okay and also the main way to sustain life on the iron islands.

So after the first rebellion I would remove Balon from power, make Theon lord but still send him to be fostered with the Starks and put a lord protector of sorts in charge of the iron islands, Stannis comes to mind, and send a bunch of faith missionaries and maesters to convert and educate the population. Put an emphasis on self sustainability through small farms and fishing. Boom in a generation or two no more problems.

[unSonofStannis]

How anyone on this thread can even half seriously say the iron islands should be exterminated is beyond me....

The ironborn are in no way evil, their society and culture have taught them reaving and raping and all that is okay and also the main way to sustain life on the iron islands.

So after the first rebellion I would remove Balon from power, make Theon lord but still send him to be fostered with the Starks and put a lord protector of sorts in charge of the iron islands, Stannis comes to mind, and send a bunch of faith missionaries and maesters to convert and educate the population. Put an emphasis on self sustainability through small farms and fishing. Boom in a generation or two no more problems.

Theres a reason the Ironborn reave, because the harsh and bleak Iron Islands cannot full sustain a sizeable human population by farming alone, they have to go out and do hunting and gathering so to speak.

[Waylin Stark]

I'd have Balon's head, along with the heads of his psycho brothers.

Make someone who's the opposite of Balon the Lord Paramount of the Iron Islands. Maybe Rodrik Harlaw. And take his children as hostages.

Also, take hostages from all major houses in the Iron Islands.

Have Theon fostered with some lord (probably Ned). Send Asha to some minor house in the south who she'll eventually marry into.

This way the Greyjoy line won't be extinguished, and they are reduced to a minor powerless House. It's good to show some small degree of mercy to your enemy, especially when it comes to kids.

Ban all their reaving and pirating and saltwife-taking.

Increase taxes, take some ships from their fleet, and limit the number of ships built.

And tell them to fricking start sowing.