Going West

[The Lord of the Crossing]

The ocean on the west side of Westeros is mostly unexplored.  The Farwynds' islands are the farthest known landmass to the west.  Quaithe tells Dany to sail westwards instead of taking a more direct route to Westeros.  If Quaithe is Elissa Farman and she has been to the far western ocean, what did she find and why is it important for Dany to see for herself? 

[Loose Bolt]

Surprise. Or nobody in Westeros are prepared for invasion from west. So in theory she could get there b4 anyone local will know that she is sailing to Westeros. Besides it is possible that she and her dragons are needed to stop White Walkers and their army. 

[Only 89 selfies today]

Hhhmmm.  Q meant Asshai.  Where a great revelation will be shown to Daenerys Targaryen.  She will pass beneath the shadow of Asshai and learn something about the past before she should go to Westeros.  Along the way picking up more dragon eggs from Asshai.  

[Vaith]

6 hours ago, The Lord of the Crossing said:

The ocean on the west side of Westeros is mostly unexplored.  The Farwynds' islands are the farthest known landmass to the west.  Quaithe tells Dany to sail westwards instead of taking a more direct route to Westeros.  If Quaithe is Elissa Farman and she has been to the far western ocean, what did she find and why is it important for Dany to see for herself? 

'Truth', according to Quaithe herself. Likely the truth that Asshai was the capital of the first dragonlord empire that played a key role in the cause and end of the First Long Night, and are therefore relevant to ending the second one. 

I don't think taking the western route to Westeros is literal. 'To go west, you must go east' implies the knowledge in the east is important, but then she can take whatever route she likes. Dany will probably go to Asshai via glass candle projection since the series can't fit in her physically going there any more. 

[The hairy bear]

4 hours ago, Loose Bolt said:

Surprise. Or nobody in Westeros are prepared for invasion from west.

I doesn't seem anybody was prepared for an invasion from the east either, given how just a portion of the Golden Company is able to seize half the Stormlands in a heartbeat.

[Loose Bolt]

1 hour ago, The hairy bear said:

I doesn't seem anybody was prepared for an invasion from the east either, given how just a portion of the Golden Company is able to seize half the Stormlands in a heartbeat.

Yes. But I assume that spies of Littlefinger and Varys would warn their masters if Dany comes via Narrow Sea and either one of them could hire at least some warships to engage and sink some of her ships if either one of those players thought that stopping her coming to Westeros or weakening her army would be a good idea.

[Darth Sidious]

Farman’s boat was seen in Asshai by, if I recall, the Seasnake himself.  I am curious what she found too. I am guessing but it’s an island paradise where Dany can take the people of Mereen to. 

[C.T. Phipps]

20 hours ago, The hairy bear said:

I doesn't seem anybody was prepared for an invasion from the east either, given how just a portion of the Golden Company is able to seize half the Stormlands in a heartbeat.

It turns out lengthy civil wars can deprive your military of their forces.

[BlackLightning]

On 8/1/2022 at 7:58 AM, Vaith said:

I don't think taking the western route to Westeros is literal. 'To go west, you must go east' implies the knowledge in the east is important, but then she can take whatever route she likes. Dany will probably go to Asshai via glass candle projection since the series can't fit in her physically going there any more. 

I disagree.

Dany could still fly to Asshai on dragonback--especially after paying Qarth a visit. That said, she either needs to do it in Winds or it needs to be written about in Dream.

[Vaith]

2 hours ago, BlackLightning said:

I disagree.

Dany could still fly to Asshai on dragonback--especially after paying Qarth a visit. That said, she either needs to do it in Winds or it needs to be written about in Dream.

GRRM is on the record saying we won't physically see it and seems to be one of those gapscrap things. Quaithe started astral projecting herself to Dany in ADWD which probably provides an elegant solution. Of course, if he's being coy/has changed his mind and she does a quick dragon trip there, that's fine too.

In any case... I just don't see the quote referring to her having to physically reach Westeros from the east-that-becomes-west, she has no time to launch a campaign like that... simply attaining the knowledge from Asshai, somehow, is all that is necessary.

[Quoth the raven,]

There are dragons in Asshai.  Bran saw them in his dreams.  I would like to know how Bran knew he was looking in Asshai.  But that's for later talk.  The Mother Of Dragons would do well to take the time to go.  She can bring the light back to that cursed city. 

[Craving Peaches]

I think there could be some truth to Gylbert Farwynd's words at the Kingsmoot. There are the islands Aegon, Visenya and Rhaenys west of Lonely Light. It is possible Elissa sailed round the globe. If so Daenerys could complete the second circumnavigation in Westeros history. However I don't think it would make sense to do this from a military standpoint. The voyage is longer, needs more supplies and there are fewer ports to restock at. Unless Daenerys wans to settle the islands I don't think it would be worth the risk.

[Lord Artos Llyn]

On 8/1/2022 at 6:03 PM, Darth Sidious said:

Farman’s boat was seen in Asshai by, if I recall, the Seasnake himself.  I am curious what she found too. I am guessing but it’s an island paradise where Dany can take the people of Mereen to. 

Corlys believed he saw the Sun Chaser but that's not to say it's true. It's an interesting mystery for readers to consider, but no more at this point. It's also possible that Farman got lost or had to make an emergency detour, or that the ship got captured by pirates or slavers, or that it was found abandoned, and that in any case it reached Asshai through more traditional ways.

The known world is too small for whatever lies between Westeros and Asshai to be less than one or more full continents with a variety of cultures and civilizations (human or elsewise).

12 hours ago, Quoth the raven, said:

There are dragons in Asshai.  Bran saw them in his dreams.  I would like to know how Bran knew he was looking in Asshai.  But that's for later talk.  The Mother Of Dragons would do well to take the time to go.  She can bring the light back to that cursed city. 

I've been trying to think of ending options for Dany beyond either the Iron Throne or death. Waking more dragons to help deal with the new Long Night in the (highly likely) scenario the Westerosi aren't able to head it off could be interesting.

[Wm Portnoy]

On 8/1/2022 at 1:59 AM, The Lord of the Crossing said:

The ocean on the west side of Westeros is mostly unexplored.  The Farwynds' islands are the farthest known landmass to the west.  Quaithe tells Dany to sail westwards instead of taking a more direct route to Westeros.  If Quaithe is Elissa Farman and she has been to the far western ocean, what did she find and why is it important for Dany to see for herself? 

It doesn't mean this. Daenerys asked what is in Asshai.  She knew what Quaithe wanted her to do.  Go to Asshai.  Quaithe even confirmed it.