Melisandre's ruby choker

[Hippocras]

Does anyone else think this might show up again? If so, who picks it up?

I am quite certain the Fire and Blood magic part of the story is not finished, which is why it was surprising to me that Melisandre died in E3 the way she did. Her death leaves me wondering how the blood magic part of the story will continue from here (I have no doubt that it continues, because Varys's hatred of blood magic and what that will lead him to do is why he is still around as a character).

One way may be that necklace. Clearly it was the necklace that held most of Melisandre's power. When she took it off it no longer sustained her life and she died. So does it still have power? Yes, it stopped "burning" after she took it off, but maybe it would start up again if, say, Dany put it on.

[Anthony Pirtle]

55 minutes ago, Hippocras said:

Does anyone else think this might show up again?

No. I think D&D are vaguely embarrassed about the existence of supernatural forces in this world and are happy to pretend the end of the last episode means they can set them aside and get back to the part of the story they're interested in telling.

[Hippocras]

7 minutes ago, Anthony Pirtle said:

No. I think D&D are vaguely embarrassed about the existence of supernatural forces in this world and are happy to pretend the end of the last episode means they can set them aside and get back to the part of the story they're interested in telling.

I guess this depends on how you see blood magic fitting in. IMO the story set up the Night King as an enemy people needed to come together to defeat, but he himself was originally intended as a weapon for defeating a ruthless enemy.

Now the Night King is defeated, but the living have at their disposal certain forces that can get out of control and become their own powerful enemy just as the Night King did. Those forces are dragons and blood magic. These too need to be seen to be defeated IMO.

[Anthony Pirtle]

Just now, Hippocras said:

I guess this depends on how you see blood magic fitting in. IMO the story set up the Night King as an enemy people needed to come together to defeat, but he himself was originally intended as a weapon for defeating a ruthless enemy.

Now the Night King is defeated, but the living have at their disposal certain forces that can get out of control and become their own powerful enemy just as the Night King did. Those forces are dragons and blood magic. These too need to be seen to be defeated IMO.

I think you're putting more thought into what's left of the story than they are.

[LadyLinden]

I wouldn't be surprised if that was the end of that specific object. After she drops her glamor, the glow fades away and she dies. Seems pretty symbolic as an ending, however those chokers have appeared on other red priestesses already. So if we see another, it'll just belong to someone else.

[Hippocras]

14 hours ago, LadyLinden said:

I wouldn't be surprised if that was the end of that specific object. After she drops her glamor, the glow fades away and she dies. Seems pretty symbolic as an ending, however those chokers have appeared on other red priestesses already. So if we see another, it'll just belong to someone else.

Well I could go either way really. I guess the emphasis given that moment could just be about her magic fizzling out and dying, on the other hand they did make a point of showing that it is just lying there on the ground for someone to pick up. At the very least it is valuable even if no longer magical.

I have to wonder what impact the demonstration of her powers during the battle will have on the remaining characters, if any. There are however several characters set up to have uncomfortable relationships to blood magic, and others who have shown intense curiosity. You do have to wonder what direction that will go. 

[Deminelle]

14 hours ago, LadyLinden said:

I wouldn't be surprised if that was the end of that specific object. After she drops her glamor, the glow fades away and she dies. Seems pretty symbolic as an ending, however those chokers have appeared on other red priestesses already. So if we see another, it'll just belong to someone else.

So, Melisandre brought Jon back in S6E1. After that she took off the necklace and went to bed. Did she expect to die then already?

She did die now after helping save Bran. Does this mean that Bran is the Prince that was promised?

[Forlong the Fat]

I don’t know of a character currently featured who would have the first idea how to use it.  Possibly Bran, but I don’t think he’d be interested.

[Hippocras]

1 hour ago, Forlong the Fat said:

I don’t know of a character currently featured who would have the first idea how to use it.  Possibly Bran, but I don’t think he’d be interested.

I am not sure it requires all that much skill to use. One just has to wear it. It certainly is unlikely to make the wearer suddenly able to do everything Mel could do immediately, but also not impossible to learn some things in a scene or two if the story requires is.

[Forlong the Fat]

3 hours ago, Hippocras said:

I am not sure it requires all that much skill to use. One just has to wear it. It certainly is unlikely to make the wearer suddenly able to do everything Mel could do immediately, but also not impossible to learn some things in a scene or two if the story requires is.

It does require skill.  It’s not a hologram projector.  And there’s no one to teach anyone how to use it unless they fetch Kinvara or something. 

[Hippocras]

27 minutes ago, Forlong the Fat said:

It does require skill.  It’s not a hologram projector.  And there’s no one to teach anyone how to use it unless they fetch Kinvara or something. 

There's lots of ways to learn a thing or two. 

Of course, some other Red Priest could easily enter the picture regardless of the choker. I tend to think if there is going to be another one, the choker is irrelevant. But if there is no other priest, with books or visions or simply memory, there is some possibility the choker is a way for blood magic to sneak back into this story.

[lakin1013]

First of all, is anyone else thinking of Rhaegar's lost rubies at the Trident?  I know some were found, but not all.  In the preview, Jon and Davos are getting on horseback to go somewhere.  What if they ride right by where Mel 'disapparated' and Jon sees, and picks up the ruby?  What happens if Jon touches .....

 

Note: Rhaegar's rubies - book only?  The show and book sometimes collide.

[MinscS2]

3 minutes ago, lakin1013 said:

Note: Rhaegar's rubies - book only?  The show and book sometimes collide.

Book only. 

[lakin1013]

TY.  But the show writers have demonstrated that they can retcon or even introduce anything at any time....

[Aderyn]

12 hours ago, Hippocras said:

I am not sure it requires all that much skill to use. One just has to wear it. It certainly is unlikely to make the wearer suddenly able to do everything Mel could do immediately, but also not impossible to learn some things in a scene or two if the story requires is.

First of all, I'm fairly sure that's the last we see of the ruby. Maybe someone does pick it up but I highly doubt we'll actually see it. Just can't see how that (or any blood magic) would play a role in the story at this point. I think D&D just want to cut to the next action sequence as soon as possible.

And secondly, I would wager that it was bound to Melisandre somehow - most likely by blood magic - and that it only responded to her. That would explain why the light goes out once she stops wearing it and dies. The way I see it, it's kind of a dual connection (both maintaining one another, if you like) and it breaks once the grand purpose is fulfilled and Melisandre dies. I believe that whatever magic was stored in the ruby was lost once the light faded, and that right now the choker is nothing but a piece of exotic jewelry. Perhaps in the hands of another red priest(ess), it could be restored and bound to someone else with another blood sacrifice, etc., but I don't see why this would happen.

//edit. added a little

[Hippocras]

I think there are actually many hints that blood magic still has a role in the story actually.

1. Varys’s backstory is specifically about this, it makes him profoundly uncomfortable with Dany’s alliance with the Red Priests, and this is yet to factor in but is a very likely cause of his future betrayal of Dany.

2. Dany’s costumes end of season show progressively more red. Blood and Fire. Be a dragon, etc. etc. She has been shown to have intense interest in finding out how Jon was revived - the show made a point of this.

3. Dany and Jon’s armies are depleted. They will need to turn to other means. This is particularly true if and when they lose a dragon or two. It is very easy to see Dany turning to ANY means available to revive Drogon if he fell.

4. Qyburn reanimated the Mountain and was FAR too interested in that wight. It is not only Dany’s camp that might dabble in the dark arts.

[Cas Stark]

Dany finding the choker would be cool, but I'd say that we will never see or hear of it again in the show.

[Bran Snow]

Jon finds the collar and makes it into a collar for Ghost. Ghost then becomes a shadow direwolf

[Argonath Diver]

I don't think they'll even bother to attempt to explain the necklace, her motivations, R'Hllor, or any of that. Please don't say "Stannis" too loudly. I also don't think they'll bother to re-introduce any of the Faceless Man stuff. I am vaguely interested in what becomes of Show-Bran, now that they've pretty much pissed away any of the book-canon stuff regarding the Long Winter, the Children of the Forest, etc.

 

[snow is the man]

The show seems to avoid magic for the most part so I doubt we will see it. That said it seemed like a weird thing to do to show her just dropping it and dying like that. Maybe dany picks it up and puts it on and in the last episode we see a time jump and she looks exactly the same in two hundred years and is still on the iron throne.