Instances of Poor World Building

[SeanF]

14 hours ago, Alden Rothack said:

yes but enough more to make a dent in the expenses of someone like Lynesse

I suppose its possible if they fetch prices like the gladiators we saw

There’s probably quite a lot of informal slave trading going on between Westeros and the East.  Six slaves should fetch a reasonable price.

[Corvo the Crow]

9 hours ago, Loose Bolt said:

As long as Valyria existed they had huge demand for slaves. So there is a possibility that one way of gaining VS weapon was to sell "enough" slaves to Valyria. So Corbrays and Starks might have gained their special weapons by selling slaves to Valyrians.

After all as long as dragonlords were around they did not really needed any gold but only thing they lacked was fresh meat and blood to replace all slaves that died in their service. Or I am almost certain that Valyrians did not use gold as a currency but only acceptable way to pay VS was slaves.

I don't think Westerosi sell slaves on large amounts and there's more than one reason. For starters, we would've known if such large amounts was traded. Westerosi also abhor, or at least dislike the very notion of slave trade, even Ironmen who take slaves don't trade with a few exceptions in history and the children of slaves are born free. Such an act would've faced massive rebellions. Westerosi also can't afford to sell off slaves as they need those populations. Population = power in their society since they are mostly agricultural and more peasants means more hands at those fields and also more men to call upon in case of war. Spending huge amounts of money on a fancy sword would be understandable as they don't have much to spend it on, what will they do with all those money? They won't buy a new fancy sports car nor will they buy a penthouse or a mansion near ocean, they won't start up a business or take it to the stock market either, they can buy a sword for the prestige of it with their money but not with their money -and even more importantly food- makers and potential soldiers.

[Corvo the Crow]

6 hours ago, SeanF said:

There’s probably quite a lot of informal slave trading going on between Westeros and the East.  Six slaves should fetch a reasonable price.

I highly doubt it. Remember Roose cuts off the tongue of millers brother so he can't go to Eddard. Sure he is honourable Eddard but do you think a lord would pass off the oppurtunity to punish his lesser bannermen  with a just reason and take advantage of it? I'm sorry Lord Slavewater, you are my bannermen and I like you but I have to take it to the king, unless you give me those slaves weight in gold and also the right of the first night for your eldest daughter, your heir since you have no sons. 

[Alden Rothack]

8 hours ago, SeanF said:

There’s probably quite a lot of informal slave trading going on between Westeros and the East.  Six slaves should fetch a reasonable price.

I doubt theres a lot, six is not a lot even somewhere the size of bear island

1 hour ago, Corvo the Crow said:

I highly doubt it. Remember Roose cuts off the tongue of millers brother so he can't go to Eddard. Sure he is honourable Eddard but do you think a lord would pass off the oppurtunity to punish his lesser bannermen  with a just reason and take advantage of it? I'm sorry Lord Slavewater, you are my bannermen and I like you but I have to take it to the king, unless you give me those slaves weight in gold and also the right of the first night for your eldest daughter, your heir since you have no sons. 

Theres a huge difference between a miller (one of thousands who can still work without a tongue) and one of the men who provides the guards for his own protection

I doubt Roose is enough of a fool to do that to someone who might have one persons weight in gold (5000 gold dragons on the low side), a persons weight in silver was enough that Roose would marry a Frey for it

[Loose Bolt]

4 hours ago, Corvo the Crow said:

I don't think Westerosi sell slaves on large amounts and there's more than one reason. For starters, we would've known if such large amounts was traded. Westerosi also abhor, or at least dislike the very notion of slave trade, even Ironmen who take slaves don't trade with a few exceptions in history and the children of slaves are born free. Such an act would've faced massive rebellions. Westerosi also can't afford to sell off slaves as they need those populations. Population = power in their society since they are mostly agricultural and more peasants means more hands at those fields and also more men to call upon in case of war. Spending huge amounts of money on a fancy sword would be understandable as they don't have much to spend it on, what will they do with all those money? They won't buy a new fancy sports car nor will they buy a penthouse or a mansion near ocean, they won't start up a business or take it to the stock market either, they can buy a sword for the prestige of it with their money but not with their money -and even more importantly food- makers and potential soldiers.

During long winters most people in the North either literally starve to death or leave that kingdom. So it is possible that there was one amoral king who had an idea to use those people who had died anyway to gain nice new sword.

In Westeros some people are more equal than others and Starks were to most Northmen almost godlike beings. So they could ignore things that would be dangerous or even fatal to most people who did not have so good pedigree. Or they could get away doing things that would have wiped out minor houses.

Besides as long as there was a Stark in WF telling any story that would hurt reputation of House Stark anyway would have very bad idea. After all there is no freedom of speech in Westeros so any fool who either told or write out that kind of story would have been in danger to either just disappear or had fatal accident.

Totally another thing is that Dragonlords were already filthy rich so they did not really needed any more gold. In fact only thing they needed was new slaves to replace those slaves that died in their service.

[sifth]

The length of the seasons has always confused me in these books. We start with summer ending after 10 years, yet the fall that follows seems so much shorter; no more than two years long. So which one is the norm?

[Alden Rothack]

7 minutes ago, sifth said:

The length of the seasons has always confused me in these books. We start with summer ending after 10 years, yet the fall that follows seems so much shorter; no more than two years long. So which one is the norm?

Probably neither, its either magic related to the White Walkers or its because the planet has suboptimal axial tilt

[Angel Eyes]

I think it's unrealistic that Lady Dustin was allowed to keep her lands and having nobody vying for her hand in the years after Robert's Rebellion after her husband Lord Willam died, considering the several men vying for Lady Hornwood ranging from the uncles of lords (Mors Crowfood), knights (Ser Rodrik Cassel) to bastards (Ramsay Snow).

[Corvo the Crow]

3 hours ago, Angel Eyes said:

I think it's unrealistic that Lady Dustin was allowed to keep her lands and having nobody vying for her hand in the years after Robert's Rebellion after her husband Lord Willam died, considering the several men vying for Lady Hornwood ranging from the uncles of lords (Mors Crowfood), knights (Ser Rodrik Cassel) to bastards (Ramsay Snow).

She was probably related to Dustins herself.

[Alden Rothack]

8 hours ago, Corvo the Crow said:

She was probably related to Dustins herself.

not cloe enough to avoid being pressured to remarry

its the north not kingslanding

[Corvo the Crow]

3 hours ago, Alden Rothack said:

its the north not kingslanding

Nope, it’s not.

Quote

Wife and daughter both, Your Grace. Craster married all his daughters. Gilly's boy was the fruit of their union."

"Her own father got this child on her?" Stannis sounded shocked. "We are well rid of her, then. I will not suffer such abominations here. This is not King's Landing."

 

[Alden Rothack]

11 hours ago, Corvo the Crow said:

Nope, it’s not.

 

yes thats what I was refering to

[Corvo the Crow]

Cities with slave populations that far outnumber those of freemen having no slave revolts, at all, for thousands of years. Slaves of Essos really must have it easier than peasants of Westeros who had several peasant rebellions just during the Targaryen era. I think Westerosi peasants  making a reverse migration to Essos to become slaves there may be how the story ends, considering winter coming and all.

[astarkchoice]

On 12/10/2022 at 4:42 PM, Angel Eyes said:

I think it's unrealistic that Lady Dustin was allowed to keep her lands and having nobody vying for her hand in the years after Robert's Rebellion after her husband Lord Willam died, considering the several men vying for Lady Hornwood ranging from the uncles of lords (Mors Crowfood), knights (Ser Rodrik Cassel) to bastards (Ramsay Snow).

Her father is alive and head a powerful house himself thus any vying for her hand would probably be far more orderly than poor lady hornwoods!  She may have suitors but itd be much more ordered and lower key

[Craving Peaches]

Westeros is just an inverted Great Britain with Ireland stuck on top.

[Angel Eyes]

1 hour ago, Craving Peaches said:

Westeros is just an inverted Great Britain with Ireland stuck on top.

I thought Westeros was generally based off of the area from Great Britain to Spain.

[Craving Peaches]

8 minutes ago, Angel Eyes said:

I thought Westeros was generally based off of the area from Great Britain to Spain.

I think so too in terms of climate and terrain, but if you turn the island of GB upside down and put Ireland on top they look really similar in terms of shape. 

[Alden Rothack]

On 1/8/2023 at 1:12 AM, Craving Peaches said:

I think so too in terms of climate and terrain, but if you turn the island of GB upside down and put Ireland on top they look really similar in terms of shape. 

except about 35 times the size so it covers a similiar distance to mexico to the canadian border