Poisoned Locusts

[Shi Qiang]

Hizdahr was very suspicious.  A girl from the west would find the dish disgusting but Hizdahr' people relish the stuff.  He did not eat a single locust.  Hizdahr is under the protection of the Harpy.  

[Takiedevushkikakzvezdy]

5 minutes ago, Allardyce said:

Hizdahr was very suspicious.  A girl from the west would find the dish disgusting but Hizdahr' people relish the stuff.  He did not eat a single locust.  Hizdahr is under the protection of the Harpy.  

Maybe Hizdahr just doesn't like locusts?

[Groo]

3 minutes ago, Takiedevushkikakzvezdy said:

Maybe Hizdahr just doesn't like locusts?

But these were honeyed locusts! Who doesn't like honeyed locusts?

[Hugorfonics]

1 hour ago, Groo said:

But these were honeyed locusts! Who doesn't like honeyed locusts?

Too sweet. Now salty locusts? That's a treat any man who's not attempting to murder his fiance would enjoy!

[Takiedevushkikakzvezdy]

4 minutes ago, Hugorfonics said:

Too sweet. Now salty locusts? That's a treat any man who's not attempting to murder his fiance would enjoy!

I prefer locusts with peanut butter.

[Hugorfonics]

9 minutes ago, Takiedevushkikakzvezdy said:

I prefer locusts with peanut butter.

That's celery

[John Suburbs]

15 hours ago, Allardyce said:

Hizdahr was very suspicious.  A girl from the west would find the dish disgusting but Hizdahr' people relish the stuff.  He did not eat a single locust.  Hizdahr is under the protection of the Harpy.  

I doubt this had anything to do with the Harpy, nor were they meant to kill Dany. My guess is that they were laced with some kind of abortifacient so that Hizdar could be sure that any child she bears is his, and that no one else will doubt it either.

If they were meant to kill, then just one would be enough, because that is all Dany would be expected to eat. Strong B is a big guy but he ate a whole bowl of them and survived. I can't imagine that a culture as old as Meereen would not have a poison at least as effective as the strangler.

[Fencer]

19 hours ago, Takiedevushkikakzvezdy said:

I prefer locusts with peanut butter.

Best to put them (live) in batter, let them squirm a bit to self-batter, then deep fry.  Then add preferred toppings. 

[Takiedevushkikakzvezdy]

11 minutes ago, Fencer said:

Best to put them (live) in batter, let them squirm a bit to self-batter, then deep fry.  Then add preferred toppings. 

Wonderful recipie. A nomination for the Locust Award is in order.

[Rondo]

The snack was suspect, although the big man's illness could be attributed to other things besides poison.  I don't think he was expected to eat them. It is not good manners for a servant to snack on his Queen's food while on duty.  That was bad form.

[Groo]

5 minutes ago, Rondo said:

It is not good manners for a servant to snack on his Queen's food while on duty.  That was bad form.

That was the really odd part. Belwas was so well known for his refined behavior and courtly manners.

[James Arryn]

11 hours ago, John Suburbs said:

I doubt this had anything to do with the Harpy, nor were they meant to kill Dany. My guess is that they were laced with some kind of abortifacient so that Hizdar could be sure that any child she bears is his, and that no one else will doubt it either.

If they were meant to kill, then just one would be enough, because that is all Dany would be expected to eat. Strong B is a big guy but he ate a whole bowl of them and survived. I can't imagine that a culture as old as Meereen would not have a poison at least as effective as the strangler.

Belwas being big enough to eat all the poisoned locusts and surviving (whereas a couple would presumably have killed Dany or Hizdar) is the kind of ~ science that GRRM often uses. Like the height of the Wall or how quickly people traverse huge distances or gold mines productive for thousands of years or w/e.

[John Suburbs]

17 hours ago, James Arryn said:

Belwas being big enough to eat all the poisoned locusts and surviving (whereas a couple would presumably have killed Dany or Hizdar) is the kind of ~ science that GRRM often uses. Like the height of the Wall or how quickly people traverse huge distances or gold mines productive for thousands of years or w/e.

Eh, I dunno. This is an ancient culture, and we know there are poisons that in small quantities can quickly kill grown men. If these locusts were meant to kill, SB would be dead. Using a less-lethal agent would mean they have to guess that she will eat enough to die. The sure thing is to make them so deadly that just one bite will do the trick.

The Wall is a magical plot element, not a scientific one.

The Lannisters have many mines. Their land happens to be rich in ore. The oldest known mine for us is Sakdrisi in southern Georgia (the country, not the state), which dates back to the 4th millennium BC. They are still producing gold in that region.

Distances and time are vague in asioaf.

[James Arryn]

3 hours ago, John Suburbs said:

Eh, I dunno. This is an ancient culture, and we know there are poisons that in small quantities can quickly kill grown men. If these locusts were meant to kill, SB would be dead. Using a less-lethal agent would mean they have to guess that she will eat enough to die. The sure thing is to make them so deadly that just one bite will do the trick.

The Wall is a magical plot element, not a scientific one.

The Lannisters have many mines. Their land happens to be rich in ore. The oldest known mine for us is Sakdrisi in southern Georgia (the country, not the state), which dates back to the 4th millennium BC. They are still producing gold in that region.

Distances and time are vague in asioaf.

Interesting about the mine. I still find it highly improbable but will move it from the impossible pile. About the Wall I don’t just mean it’s gargantuan size, but the issues that arise from it, for example people shooting arrows at people atop it. Distances and times are mostly vague by way of confusion, sometimes there are specifics that aren’t realistically doable. 
 

The point I’m making about GRRM and in this case toxicology is that your conclusions are built on the assumption that GRRM is applying scientific principles consistently, when he often doesn’t if it’s not a major point, and the huge fat guy surviving the poison meant for the tiny girl, for example, is the kind of ironic twist that often seems to appeal to him without being something he’d feel the need to be overly scientific about. Of course this is just my opinion. 

[Darth Sidious]

The poison was the work of the Harpy. There’s no need to inject complexity. It is a set up for the Big Event. Daenerys rode Drogon. This is the most important event since the ending of the first book. 

[John Suburbs]

15 hours ago, James Arryn said:

The point I’m making about GRRM and in this case toxicology is that your conclusions are built on the assumption that GRRM is applying scientific principles consistently, when he often doesn’t if it’s not a major point, and the huge fat guy surviving the poison meant for the tiny girl, for example, is the kind of ironic twist that often seems to appeal to him without being something he’d feel the need to be overly scientific about. Of course this is just my opinion. 

No, the conclusion I am drawing is based on what Martin has put in the book. Here are the known poisons that will kill a man regardless of his size or weight:

Strangler

Manticore Venom

Tears of Lys

Widows Blood (?)

The mushrooms that Tyrion used to kill Nurse

These poisons are known across the known world. There is no way the Meereenese, a culture that dates back thousands of years to the Old Empire of Ghis, would not know of these poisons or have some of their own that are equally lethal.

[Kienn]

No poison, just sugar and spice. Too much gave SB an upset tummy.

[Lord Lannister]

Seems a clumsy way to try and poison someone poisoning something readily accessible to everyone present you're not even sure if the intended victim likes. 

That's only slightly more subtle than Hizdar pulling out a knife and stabbing Dany. 

[Fool Stands On Giant’s Toe]

On 4/10/2022 at 5:21 PM, Hugorfonics said:

That's celery

Ha! Ants on a log!

[Fool Stands On Giant’s Toe]

What marriage ritual did the green priestess lady want to perform on Dany? Fertility or something