Secrets of Braavos by Jonathan Roberts

[Ckram]

On 10/24/2018 at 4:45 AM, zionius said:

Currently I think the most likely candidate is Sea Lord's zoo, Arya might find some traces of Dany there.

That scene in AGOT in which Arya find the dragon skulls comes to my mind.

On 10/24/2018 at 4:45 AM, zionius said:

Ragman's Road, Outer Harbor, and Bridge of Eyes

Ragman's Road is really missing.

According to the wiki, the Outer Harbor is another name for Ragman's Harbor.

As to the "bridge of eyes" (non-canonical name, I imagine), I always felt that the three first bridges of the Canal of Heroes were left unnamed on purpose in AFFC. Their ornaments always seemed to me as a red herring to the carved animal faces that adorned the wooden beams of the House of the Red Door. However, any guess is good as mine.

15 hours ago, a black swan said:

Did George indicate he was still writing Arya chapters after 2012?

Well, yes, he did. In mid-2013, he told a portuguese newspaper he was currently working on some Arya chapter. But I don't know how that would affect TLOIAF. What do you have in mind?

[zionius]

1 hour ago, Ckram said:

the "bridge of eyes" (non-canonical name, I imagine)

It's a capitalized name in TWOW Mercy.

[Ckram]

15 minutes ago, zionius said:

It's a capitalized name in TWOW Mercy.

D'oh!

[a black swan]

11 hours ago, Ckram said:

Well, yes, he did. In mid-2013, he told a portuguese newspaper he was currently working on some Arya chapter. But I don't know how that would affect TLOIAF. What do you have in mind?

Do you think it could be a non-Braavosi chapter as it seems it's not a part of the set Jonathan got? 

Someone else mentioned that if she does go to the Sealord's Palace, she may ask about the previous First Swords of Braavos and we'd learn more about Syrio!

[Ckram]

@a black swan 

It's certainly a possibility. However, we must have in mind that Martin is known for his constant rewriting process.

So, although Roberts did not actually indicate that he was sure to have read the entire Arya arc in Braavos (what he could, if, say, at the end of the manuscripts Arya had returned to Westeros or died), GRRM could, by 2013, be simply rewriting some of the material he sent to Jonathan.

Regarding Syrio Forel, it really sounds a lot like Arya to dig information about him or at least use his name at the first mention or sighting of the current First Sword. In fact, GRRM has already made Arya aware of someone who may have known Syrio well:

Spoiler

In the Arya TWOW chapter, we learn that the play in which Mercy acts was written by Phario Forel.

And I am struck by the number of details (albeit satirized) about the royal court of Westeros that a Braavosi seems to have had access to. Certainly it is possible that such news may have simply crossed the Narrow Sea due their perniciousness, but one gets the impression that the playwright may have an unusual interest in what happens in King's Landing.

 

[a black swan]

On 8/19/2018 at 5:21 AM, Ckram said:

~snip~

That said, it may be true that there is an underwater tunnel to the Iron Bank (or even the Sea Lord's Palace), or at least to some of the Temples or the Palace of Truth. Anyway, I now suspect that the location of House of Black and White is strategic and was decisive for the location of the Isle of the Gods (and not the other way around).

What about other entrances into the HoBW? 

 

"Eleven servants of the Many-Faced God gathered that night beneath the temple, more than she had ever seen together at one time. Only the lordling and the fat fellow arrived by the front door; the rest came by secret ways, through tunnels and hidden passages. They wore their robes of black and white, but as they took their seats each man pulled his cowl down to show the face he had chosen to wear that day. Their tall chairs were carved of ebony and weirwood, like the doors of the temple above. The ebon chairs had weirwood faces on their backs, the weirwood chairs faces of carved ebony."

 

So 9 of the other FM came through secret underground passages and tunnels that lead into the HoBW.

The Lordling and the Fat Fellow entered through the front door like Arya once did. Perhaps, these two FM are returning from Westeros as well? 

[Ckram]

11 hours ago, a black swan said:

Only the lordling and the fat fellow arrived by the front door; the rest came by secret ways, through tunnels and hidden passages.

Nice catch! This is an important clue. However, it's not conclusive, I think.

The entrace for those tunnel and passages could still be on the very rocky knoll, and not on some place on Braavos. I know it might sound ridiculous that somebody would publicly dock on a desert rocky isle and then take a secret passageway, just under the sun. However, what I mean is that the isle might have several hidden underground docks and the like.

12 hours ago, a black swan said:

The Lordling and the Fat Fellow entered through the front door like Arya once did. Perhaps, these two FM are returning from Westeros as well? 

It's possible. However they could be returning from anywhere.

If I had to guess I'd say that, since the general public enter through the front door, both servants were pretending to be seeking for the gift of the Many-faced God. Hence I think it's an indication that they're going to change faces.