Small Questions v.10094

[The Red Widow of Coldmoat]

They'll hafta retire to Ser Eustace's solar for that one.

Here's a small question...

How long has Doran maintained two armies in the Dornish passes?

From Clash we have this:

So far Doran Martell had done no more than call his banners. Once Myrcella was safe in Braavos, he had pledged to move his strength to the high passes, where the threat might make some of the Marcher lords rethink their loyalties and give Stannis pause about marching north.

So, they've been there a really long time

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

Is there a calendar/timeline showing what years were summers and which were winters?

All the known seasons I've managed to find I've listed here

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Westeros#Known_seasons

[Mychel_Redfort]

So unless someone knows where the book changes their journey I'm assuming the map is wrong.

Yoren indeed changed his mind, from Arya IV :

It was midday when the others returned. Woth reported a wooden bridge half a mile downstream, but someone had burnt it up. Yoren peeled a sourleaf off the bale. "Might be we could swim the horses over, maybe the donkeys, but there's no way we'll get those wagons across. And there's smoke to the north and west, more fires, could be this side o' the rive's the place we want to be." He picked up a long stick and drew a circle in the mud, a line trailing down from it. "That's Gods Eye, with the river flowing south. We're here." He poked a hole beside the line of the river, under the circle. "We can't go round west of the lake, like I thought. East takes us back to the kingsroad." He moved the stick up to where the line and circle met. "Near, as I recall, there's a town here. The holdfast's stone, and there's a lordling got his seat there too, just a towerhouse, but he'll have a guard, might be a knight or two. We follow the river north, should be there before dark. They'll have boats, so I mean to sell all we got and hire us one." He drew the stick up through the circle of the lake, from bottom to top. "Gods be good, we'll find a wind and sail across the Gods Eye to Harrentown." He thrust the point down at the top of the circle. "We can buy new mounts there, or else take shelter at Harrenhal. That Lady's Whent seat, and she's always been a friend o' the Watch."

But the map is wrong. From Arya V :

265a The air was full of birds, crows mostly. From afar, they were no larger than flies as they wheeled and flapped above the thatched roofs. To the east, Gods Eye was a sheet of sun-hammered blue that filled half the world. Some days, as they made their slow way up the muddy shore (Gendry wanted no part of any roads, and even Hot Pie and Lommy saw the sense in that), Arya felt as though the lake were calling her. She wanted to leap into those placid blue waters, to feel clean again, to swim and splash and bask in the sun. But she dare not take off her clothes where the others could see, not even to wash them. At the end of the day she would often sit on a rock and dangle her feet in the cool water. She had finally thrown away her cracked and rotted shoes. Walking barefoot was hard at first, but the blisters had finally broken, the cuts had healed, and her soles had turned to leather. The mud was nice between her toes, and she liked to feel the earth underfoot when she walked.

From up here, she could see a small wooded island off to the northeast. Thirty yards from shore, three black swans were gliding over the water, so serene... no one had told them that war had come, and they cared nothing for burning towns and butchered men.

[Lost Melnibonean]

Who was sailing the strange ships seen amongst the Stepstones from farther east as reported to Tycho?

[Ser Leftwich]

Who was sailing the strange ships seen amongst the Stepstones from farther east as reported to Tycho?

Here are three possibilities:

1) "A new corsair king had risen in the Basilisk Isles and raided Tall Trees Town," - AFfC p. 300

2) Euron and his fleet.

3) The Golden Company making haphazard landings.

ETA: This is not complete, there could be others.

[Lost Melnibonean]

Here are three possibilities:

1) "A new corsair king had risen in the Basilisk Isles and raided Tall Trees Town," - AFfC p. 300

2) Euron and his fleet.

3) The Golden Company making haphazard landings.

What are the pros and cons of each?

[Ima Faceless Man]

Yoren indeed changed his mind, from Arya IV :

But the map is wrong. From Arya V :

I skimmed those chapters again. It appears they kept to the east side of the river that ran out of the God's Eye heading north until they reached the lake. It doesn't really spell out which direction they went from there but in Arya V it also says "To the east, God's Eye was a sheet of sun-hammered blue...". So they must have gone around the west side or at least started that way. Maybe after the Mountain captured them he swung back around to the east and took the Kings Road to Harrenhall. I'm not sure the book is clear on that level of detail.

UPDATE: In Arya VI it says when they approached Harrenhall they first encountered Tywin Lannister's army encamped on the western side of the castle so they had to have come up the west side.

[haramune]

When would've been the last time Robert saw Lyanna?

[aryagonnakill#2]

By my count there are 9 fleets that have been built up for some purpose

Aurane Waters - massive 3 decker ships already accounted for

Saladar Saan - Lyseni ships and others that he has captured that would definitely be considered eastern by westerosi standards, and other people would not have expected them since no 1 knows he has abandoned Stannis

Golden Company - Volantene ships, again definitely eastern by westerosi standards

Redwyn fleet - heading back to the Reach, already accounted for

Corsair King - GRRM didn't write him in for no reason

Iron born longships - most likely in the Reach, would not be described as eastern

Iron Fleet - In slavers bay, definitely not the culprit

Manderly Fleet, could technically be anywhere by now but would not be described as eastern and would not logically be in the Stepstones

Volantene fleet - several hundred ships that are supposedly heading out for Dany, but with all these storms those ships could wind up wherever GRRM wants them to, but unlikely

My own bet - Saladar Saan, his ships were out of action as far as the rest of the world was concerned for the better part of 2 years now and have suddenly taken up their old habits again, and they could reasonably be called eastern ships.

2nd bet - Corsair king, however I just don't see it in the plot context, if he is going to pop up anywhere it feels like it will be slavers bay, but what do I know.

[Jon Weirgaryen]

When would've been the last time Robert saw Lyanna?

The Great Tourney at Harrenhal.

eta:

And when would've been the first time Robert saw Lyanna?

[Lost Melnibonean]

By my count there are 9 fleets that have been built up for some purpose

Aurane Waters - massive 3 decker ships already accounted for

Saladar Saan - Lyseni ships and others that he has captured that would definitely be considered eastern by westerosi standards, and other people would not have expected them since no 1 knows he has abandoned Stannis

Golden Company - Volantene ships, again definitely eastern by westerosi standards

Redwyn fleet - heading back to the Reach, already accounted for

Corsair King - GRRM didn't write him in for no reason

Iron born longships - most likely in the Reach, would not be described as eastern

Iron Fleet - In slavers bay, definitely not the culprit

Manderly Fleet, could technically be anywhere by now but would not be described as eastern and would not logically be in the Stepstones

Volantene fleet - several hundred ships that are supposedly heading out for Dany, but with all these storms those ships could wind up wherever GRRM wants them to, but unlikely

My own bet - Saladar Saan, his ships were out of action as far as the rest of the world was concerned for the better part of 2 years now and have suddenly taken up their old habits again, and they could reasonably be called eastern ships.

2nd bet - Corsair king, however I just don't see it in the plot context, if he is going to pop up anywhere it feels like it will be slavers bay, but what do I know.

Tycho says the ships are strange and from further east...

[RumHam]

Tycho says the ships are strange and from further east...

That's really interesting. We know very little about the far east. If you figure that news of the first dragons in ~150 years is radiating outwards from Qarth and then Meereen it stands to reason that at least some of these exotic eastern people have heard about the dragons and/or Others and may send someone to investigate.

[Ramsay's Penguins]

By the Dance appendix the houses Meadows and Farring are listed as storm lords when they were previously reach men and crown lords respectively. Both have a relationship to the crownlands, with Bryen Farring being Stannis's squire and Elwood Meadows being the castellen of Storms End. Is it likely they both switched over to being storm lords (Meadows lands are really really close to SL and Farring aren't far if they are low the Blackwater) or is it just because they both serve Stannis?

I do think the former, since Stannis's army is a hodgepodge of storm and crow lords and hedge knights and Florent swords.

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

When would've been the last time Robert saw Lyanna?

The Great Tourney at Harrenhal.

eta:

And when would've been the first time Robert saw Lyanna?

Agreed, tourney at Harrenhal. There's nothing to suggest otherwise with the info we currently have.

Robert would have seen Lyanna at least once before a betrothal, most likely, seeing as how he himself arranged it. Midway through 281 AC they had 'long' been betrothed, and we know that Mya Stone (b. 279) was born before the betrothal. So I'd guess a betrothal in 279 AC (when Ned turns sixteen, reached manhood, and will be free to travel to Winterfell.). Depending on the time in the year, it would have been during autumn, not yet winter.

Had Robert seen her only shortly before once? Perhaps a memory tourney for Steffon at Storm's End?

*While a betrothal in 280 AC would also still be possible, a year isn't really 'long', now is it?

[Ramsay's Penguins]

Do the men (soldiers) of Great lords follow them to war? Or can great lords call upon their bannermen to provide men? Do Stark men (obviously some do, but not a lot) follow Robb to war, or remain behind as guards, garrisons and protecting the Stark lands? Does Robb go with Stark, Glover no did Bolton men, or just Bolton and Glover men?

Ned takes Stark guards to KL, and the Tyrells do the same with their men, they accompany Olenna to the city. Baratheon and Lannister men guard the King but whenever they are in the field it is the a Lannister banner flying, but Serret and Swyft men beneath it. Sons and great lords just lead men, but don't have their own men besides a personal guard?

Sorry if that was complicated lol.

Rodrik Cassel raises 2000 men from Cerwyn, Tallhart and the guards of Winterfell. Presumably this includes men from Stark holdfasts, but that was more of an emergency. At Duskendale Brienne sees Leygood, Lowther, Caswell, Ambrose and Tarly badges, but not Tyrell badges. So what I'm thinking is that great lords call their banners and leave their own men behind to guard their lands, garrisoning the castle and guarding the lords and ladies during their travels (obviously they want Tyrell men guarding them instead of Fossoway men in their personal guard) except during emergencies? Right? Or wrong lmaoooo

[The Red Widow of Coldmoat]

Tycho says the ships are strange and from further east...

Let's take a closer look at Tycho's exact quote

“Let us hope so. The narrow sea is perilous this time of year, and of late there have been troubling reports of strange ships seen amongst the Step-stones.”

“Salladhor Saan?”

“The Lysene pirate? Some say he has returned to his old haunts, this is so. And Lord Redwyne’s war fleet creeps through the Broken Arm as well. On its way home, no doubt. But these men and their ships are well-known to us. No, these other sails … from farther east, perhaps … one hears queer talk of dragons."

So the ships that Tycho is referring to in the Stepstones are "strange" and when he refers to Saan's and Redwyne's fleets as being "well known" that would seem to indicate that they don't fall under the banner of "strange" and aren't the mystery fleet that he's referring to. It seems like the line about them being from further east might just be Tycho's speculation, rather than a factual matter (although why include it from an authorial perspective if it's not accurate... to serve as a red herring?). If the idea that they're from further east is correct, then the Golden Company makes the most sense since they had to go through the Stepstones to get to the Stormlands. Of course, just what Tycho means by "further east" is a good question, too. It may mean anywhere east of the Narrow Sea (sure, Salladhor Saan has his origins in Lys, but it's no secret that he'd thrown in his lot with Stannis and been active in Westerosi affairs and in the Narrow Sea) or just east of Lys (which still includes Volantis, where the Golden Company set out from). The corsair king certainly comes from farther east, as well, but hasn't really been connected with anywhere beyond, what, the Summer Islands? Still quite a ways from the Stepstones, even with all of the time that's passed since then in the story (that is, they haven't really been connected with that region)

Now, if we assume that Tycho's speculation was a red herring, that gives us the other fleet that's directly conncected with the Stepstones

that being the fleet of Aurane Waters who's supposedly set himself up as a pirate in the Stepstones. His fleet would certainly be unfamiliar to the Braavosi sailors, what with only being a few months old or so. Still, if these were the strange ships Tycho was referring to, one must wonder GRRM's purpose to want to conceal them with Tycho's speculation, especially since Aurane being in the Stepstones is revealed (albeit indirectly) in an Arianne chapter that was, I believe, originally intended to be in Dance.

Of course, Tycho's talk of rumors of dragons is somewhat unclear, too. It's brought up in connection with these strange ships in the Stepstones, which Tycho seems to speculate come from farther east. Still, though, word of dragons as we see passes through pretty standard seafaring communication lines, with word reaching White Harbor, and before Tycho arrives at the wall, I believe. The Cinnamon Wind, whose crew had seen the dragons, managed to make it to Braavos in time to pick up Sam there, at least. Of course, if these strange ships are as hostile as Tycho seems to be presenting them as, then they probably aren't engaging in any sort of idle gossip about dragons

[King of thrones]

Do you think azor ahai will appear in the end? Not what you want, but what is likely to happen.

[Lost Melnibonean]

Let's take a closer look at Tycho's exact quote

So the ships that Tycho is referring to in the Stepstones are "strange" and when he refers to Saan's and Redwyne's fleets as being "well known" that would seem to indicate that they don't fall under the banner of "strange" and aren't the mystery fleet that he's referring to. It seems like the line about them being from further east might just be Tycho's speculation, rather than a factual matter (although why include it from an authorial perspective if it's not accurate... to serve as a red herring?). If the idea that they're from further east is correct, then the Golden Company makes the most sense since they had to go through the Stepstones to get to the Stormlands. Of course, just what Tycho means by "further east" is a good question, too. It may mean anywhere east of the Narrow Sea (sure, Salladhor Saan has his origins in Lys, but it's no secret that he'd thrown in his lot with Stannis and been active in Westerosi affairs and in the Narrow Sea) or just east of Lys (which still includes Volantis, where the Golden Company set out from). The corsair king certainly comes from farther east, as well, but hasn't really been connected with anywhere beyond, what, the Summer Islands? Still quite a ways from the Stepstones, even with all of the time that's passed since then in the story (that is, they haven't really been connected with that region)

Now, if we assume that Tycho's speculation was a red herring, that gives us the other fleet that's directly conncected with the Stepstones

that being the fleet of Aurane Waters who's supposedly set himself up as a pirate in the Stepstones. His fleet would certainly be unfamiliar to the Braavosi sailors, what with only being a few months old or so. Still, if these were the strange ships Tycho was referring to, one must wonder GRRM's purpose to want to conceal them with Tycho's speculation, especially since Aurane being in the Stepstones is revealed (albeit indirectly) in an Arianne chapter that was, I believe, originally intended to be in Dance.

Of course, Tycho's talk of rumors of dragons is somewhat unclear, too. It's brought up in connection with these strange ships in the Stepstones, which Tycho seems to speculate come from farther east. Still, though, word of dragons as we see passes through pretty standard seafaring communication lines, with word reaching White Harbor, and before Tycho arrives at the wall, I believe. The Cinnamon Wind, whose crew had seen the dragons, managed to make it to Braavos in time to pick up Sam there, at least. Of course, if these strange ships are as hostile as Tycho seems to be presenting them as, then they probably aren't engaging in any sort of idle gossip about dragons

Good analysis.

[Connor Stone]

Is the reason why their are so few living Targs Summerhall? From the WoIaF book it seems like there should be a dozen Targs left.

[Ima Faceless Man]

Are there "CliffsNotes" for the books or something like that? It would be great for each book to list the chapters in order and just a single sentence stating what the main events of that chapter are. It would make going back to research some question a lot easier.