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Ned Stark super sleuth


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So this isn't a theory, just a gripe. I just started AGOT again, and I can't get over the utter incompetence of Ned's "investigation" of Jon Arryn's death, specifically that none of it was necessary if he had just done the single most obvious thing to do, go talk to Stannis! Seriously, I'm no Stan-Stan here, I like the guy well enough, but I don't think this is ultimately his story, but every clue Ned finds seems to point him in Stannis's direction. Yet despite Stan the Man being a relatively short boat ride away, Ned never even contemplates going to see him, nor sending an envoy, not even a freaking raven. The closest he comes is asking Renly if he's ever going come back. By the time he finally tries to contact him, it's already too late, his head is in the noose and he doesn't even see it.

I consider this a two way street of incompetence as well. Stannis should have been the one sending secret messages to Ned at Winterfell instead of Lysa, or have Davos smuggle in notes to him in King's Landing. I know they didn't have much love for each other but they do have a mutual respect, and each needed the other as an ally, so for both to sit on their hands is monumentally dumb.

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So this isn't a theory, just a gripe. I just started AGOT again, and I can't get over the utter incompetence of Ned's "investigation" of Jon Arryn's death, specifically that none of it was necessary if he had just done the single most obvious thing to do, go talk to Stannis! Seriously, I'm no Stan-Stan here, I like the guy well enough, but I don't think this is ultimately his story, but every clue Ned finds seems to point him in Stannis's direction. Yet despite Stan the Man being a relatively short boat ride away, Ned never even contemplates going to see him, nor sending an envoy, not even a freaking raven. The closest he comes is asking Renly if he's ever going come back. By the time he finally tries to contact him, it's already too late, his head is in the noose and he doesn't even see it.

I consider this a two way street of incompetence as well. Stannis should have been the one sending secret messages to Ned at Winterfell instead of Lysa, or have Davos smuggle in notes to him in King's Landing. I know they didn't have much love for each other but they do have a mutual respect, and each needed the other as an ally, so for both to sit on their hands is monumentally dumb.

Can you show us the clues that lead to Stannis?

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What





Ned sent Stannis ravens requesting that he come back, only for Stannis to ignore them.






What could Stan have reasonably done? I imagine ravens take a bit longer to travel than emails, or even the notoriously slow US postal service.



Even if stan got it, he could not swoop in to save the day with his meager number of lords sworn to dragonstone. He had to build up his strength, buy for time etc.


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What

What could Stan have reasonably done? I imagine ravens take a bit longer to travel than emails, or even the notoriously slow US postal service.

Even if stan got it, he could not swoop in to save the day with his meager number of lords sworn to dragonstone. He had to build up his strength, buy for time etc.

I don't remember when Ned started sending the ravens, but a simple "Cersei's kids are bastards" from Stannis would've gone a long way in helping Ned

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Stannis was summoned to court by Ned.

In regards to Stannis sending messages to Ned before Ned tried to contact him, why would he? Ned's no one to him and Stannis has no reason to believe that Ned would believe him. Then again maybe Stannis had no intention of informing anyone until it benefited him the most.

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Ned was Hand of the King, he could not abandon his duty to visit Dragonstone. He had the authority to summon Stannis to KL to resume his seat on the council and he did. Stannis disobeyed a direct order, how was Ned to know if Stannis would be any help or would even be an ally? There is a conversation with Jory where Ned is unsure what to make of Stannis's prolonged absence and even wonders if he could have had something to do with Jon Arryn's death.

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