The first chapter mystery

[Brother of edd tollett]

The first chapter or prologue of A Game of Thrones contains a mystery that I personally think is still a clue to the major story: how did the wildlings die exactly?

According to narrator Will who is the only one who has seen the bodies there was no obvious blood on the snow covered floor which should make blood patches quite clear. 

Frost is in first aspect quite a decent cause of death. However it's still summer and there was only a light dusting of snow, surely not enough given the circumstances to kill 8 adults all together?

Our night watchmen stop the argument here but never is a good reason given for the sudden death of the 8 adults( including 1 up in a tree no less, the far-eyes). 

So what does kill 8 armed ppl without bloodshed? Poison? But who and why bother to poison random bands of wildlings so far north. 

Magic? Where these ppl warged to death. That would explain the suddeness of the death(consider the wildling who died up in a tree). This would imply the children of the forest more then the Others. However the only one who we've seen warg a living person is Bran who seem to be unique in this. 

In conclusion I'm absolutely stumped, whatever kills these wildlings was sudden and with minimal bloodshed. So what did them in?

[Rufus Snow]

A sudden and intense localised deep-freezing event caused by the Others. We don't know how long ago they died or where - they may have been wightified and used as bait by the Others to draw the rangers further into the woods, or they could have been done for where they were found.

For all it was supposedly summer, the rangers could still 'smell' the cold and sense ... 'something' in the woods. So it wasn't 'natural' cold, wasn't part of the weather. That to me points right at the Others.

[Dorian Martell's son]

1 hour ago, Rufus Snow said:

A sudden and intense localised deep-freezing event caused by the Others. We don't know how long ago they died or where - they may have been wightified and used as bait by the Others to draw the rangers further into the woods, or they could have been done for where they were found.

For all it was supposedly summer, the rangers could still 'smell' the cold and sense ... 'something' in the woods. So it wasn't 'natural' cold, wasn't part of the weather. That to me points right at the Others.

/thread

[Three-Fingered Pete]

2 hours ago, Brother of edd tollett said:

So what did them in?

 

Like many of us here, I assume that it was boredom waiting for the next book.

[Megorova]

Could be that they were killed by cold. Like in the movie The Day After Tomorrow. Like this (only with usage of the Others' magic (or ice-technology), instead of abnormal natural conditions, and on a lesser scale, used as a weapon against specific targets - those wildlings):

 

[John Suburbs]

2 hours ago, Brother of edd tollett said:

The first chapter or prologue of A Game of Thrones contains a mystery that I personally think is still a clue to the major story: how did the wildlings die exactly?

According to narrator Will who is the only one who has seen the bodies there was no obvious blood on the snow covered floor which should make blood patches quite clear. 

Frost is in first aspect quite a decent cause of death. However it's still summer and there was only a light dusting of snow, surely not enough given the circumstances to kill 8 adults all together?

Our night watchmen stop the argument here but never is a good reason given for the sudden death of the 8 adults( including 1 up in a tree no less, the far-eyes). 

So what does kill 8 armed ppl without bloodshed? Poison? But who and why bother to poison random bands of wildlings so far north. 

Magic? Where these ppl warged to death. That would explain the suddeness of the death(consider the wildling who died up in a tree). This would imply the children of the forest more then the Others. However the only one who we've seen warg a living person is Bran who seem to be unique in this. 

In conclusion I'm absolutely stumped, whatever kills these wildlings was sudden and with minimal bloodshed. So what did them in?

Wow, actually, that's a good question. I'd never thought about it before.

I don't see how it could be a sudden Other-induced cold snap, because then there would be no reason for the Others to have swords or armor and do any fighting at all. They'd just freeze everyone in their tracks.

Obviously, they were not killed in an act of violence, since there was no blood nor any sign of disturbance in the camp.

Might be some unknown Other power that can only be used under certain circumstances? And this is assuming that the Others were responsible for their deaths in the first place.

[GloubieBoulga]

The answer is in ADWD, Jon X or XI, when he speaks with Tormund : Tormund explains the death of one of his sons, and how during some very cold nights the fires are dying and how they oft find people dead, with blue eyes. Nobody has seen the Others, but they tell about "cold mist". And in ASOS, the Other killed by Samwell turns into mist.

[jthurman14]

I do not have the text here. Does the prologue mention blood at all? The possibility that they were wights used as bait is interesting. That would explain the lack of blood and guts, there would be both.

Tormunds statement about the mist would fit with them all sitting around the fire.

[OtherFromAnotherMother]

24 minutes ago, jthurman14 said:

I do not have the text here. Does the prologue mention blood at all? The possibility that they were wights used as bait is interesting. That would explain the lack of blood and guts, there would be both.

Tormunds statement about the mist would fit with them all sitting around the fire.

Will Shakespeare reports not seeing any blood on the dead wildlings. 

Later, Waymar bleeds during his dance with the Other. 

[jthurman14]

6 minutes ago, OtherFromAnotherMother said:

Will Shakespeare reports not seeing any blood on the dead wildlings. 

Later, Waymar bleeds during his dance with the Other. 

 

Thanks, I thought something about it steaming in the cold?? Anyway that would be good evidence that the wildlings were not killed by Ice swords in that place.

More questions: Were they baiting the Crows? If so why? Or possible the others were just caught off guard? If they were that would hint at weakness or at least they are not always supernaturally aware of the living.

[OtherFromAnotherMother]

Quote

“The camp is two miles farther on, over that ridge, hard beside a stream,” Will said. “I got close as I dared. There’s eight of them, men and women both. No children I could see. They put up a lean-to against the rock. The snow’s pretty well covered it now, but I could still make it out. No fire burning, but the firepit was still plain as day. No one moving. I watched a long time. No living man ever lay so still.”

“Did you see any blood?”

“Well, no,” Will admitted.

“Did you see any weapons?”

“Some swords, a few bows. One man had an axe. Heavy-looking, double-bladed, a cruel piece of iron. It was on the ground beside him, right by his hand.”

“Did you make note of the position of the bodies?” Will shrugged.

“A couple are sitting up against the rock. Most of them on the ground. Fallen, like.”

“Or sleeping,” Royce suggested.

“Fallen,” Will insisted. “There’s one woman up an ironwood, half-hid in the branches. A far-eyes.” He smiled thinly. “I took care she never saw me. When I got closer, I saw that she wasn’t moving neither.” Despite himself, he shivered.

 

10 minutes ago, jthurman14 said:

Thanks, I thought something about it steaming in the cold??

Waymar's breath and blood steams when he fights the Other.

Quote

Then Royce's parry came a beat too late. The pale sword bit through the ringmail beneath his arm. The young lord cried out in pain. Blood welled between the rings. It steamed in the cold, and the droplets seemed red as fire where they touched the snow. Ser Waymar's fingers brushed his side. His moleskin glove came away soaked with red.

But there is no steam reported of the dead wildlings.

12 minutes ago, jthurman14 said:

More questions: Were they baiting the Crows?

I suppose it is not impossible.

13 minutes ago, jthurman14 said:

Or possible the others were just caught off guard?

No. They were watching the rangers throughout their trek.

Quote

Each day had been worse than the day that had come before it. Today was the worst of all. A cold wind was blowing out of the north, and it made the trees rustle like living things. All day, Will had felt as though something were watching him, something cold and implacable that loved him not. Gared had felt it too. Will wanted nothing so much as to ride hellbent for the safety of the Wall, but that was not a feeling to share with your commander.