Flint’s Finger

[KingoftheRiversandtheHills]

Flint’s Finger is kinda weird. While it would be hard to invade from the Marshlands as it make the North “impregnable,” it would be easy for a small military force to sneak into flints finger through the forest west of the Marshlands. Also, according to the maps, flints finger could host a pretty important Northern harbor (if not for trade then militarily) and it could be very well defended. A few watch towers along the flint cliffs overlooking the iron islands would help them keep track of Iron born raids and I think cape kraken has a bigger population than most part of the north except for the obvious as maesters seemed to take an interest in the region.

[House Cambodia]

3 hours ago, KingoftheRiversandtheHills said:

Also, according to the maps, flints finger could host a pretty important Northern harbor

You can't tell that from maps. From maps, there should be dozens of harbours on the Dorne coastline.

[KingoftheRiversandtheHills]

2 minutes ago, House Cambodia said:

You can't tell that from maps. From maps, there should be dozens of harbours on the Dorne coastline.

I meant that it could be turned into a well protected harbor if they wanted to. Like it is a natural harbor that can be easily protected. 

[House Cambodia]

Just now, KingoftheRiversandtheHills said:

I meant that it could be turned into a well protected harbor if they wanted to. Like it is a natural harbor that can be easily protected. 

Not necessarily - like Dorne, maybe the coastline is too rocky and treacherous. I'd tend to assume that if it were easy to build harbours, over the past thousands of years it would have been done.

[KingoftheRiversandtheHills]

4 minutes ago, House Cambodia said:

Not necessarily - like Dorne, maybe the coastline is too rocky and treacherous. I'd tend to assume that if it were easy to build harbours, over the past thousands of years it would have been done.

Well it's not easy to build harbors when there is no reason to. It's hard to find what flints finger is good for other than agriculture maybe. I was thinking more along the lines of if the north started exporting goods to the south, a harbor could be built there to host some "military" ships to protect the merchant ships in northern waters. It would also protect blazewater bay and the saltspear. 

[astarkchoice]

I think there's some towers along those cliffs as it is. Balon is said to have climbed them as a boy and went into a lords tower possibly the keep at house flint!!!

[Vaegon the dragonless]

I agree that Flint's Finger is kinda weird, I mean it is the southern most part of the North and from the map it seems like the biggest peninsula in Westeros, it should be some of the best farmland in the North and with it size the Lord of the Finger should be one of the most important banner men of the Starks, but we hear nothing about them, I can see that they are no Harbours because the coast is mostly cliffs but the hinterland should be prime real estate in the North, and the Lord of the Finger closer to the Manderly, Boltons, Dustin or Karstark, and not just one branch of the Flints (not even the most important one !)

[Alden Rothack]

On 4/18/2024 at 9:10 PM, Vaegon the dragonless said:

I agree that Flint's Finger is kinda weird, I mean it is the southern most part of the North and from the map it seems like the biggest peninsula in Westeros, it should be some of the best farmland in the North and with it size the Lord of the Finger should be one of the most important banner men of the Starks, but we hear nothing about them, I can see that they are no Harbours because the coast is mostly cliffs but the hinterland should be prime real estate in the North, and the Lord of the Finger closer to the Manderly, Boltons, Dustin or Karstark, and not just one branch of the Flints (not even the most important one !)

Its not the most important because its not the oldest, nothing says that its not the most powerful branch

[James Steller]

On 4/18/2024 at 4:10 PM, Vaegon the dragonless said:

I agree that Flint's Finger is kinda weird, I mean it is the southern most part of the North and from the map it seems like the biggest peninsula in Westeros, it should be some of the best farmland in the North and with it size the Lord of the Finger should be one of the most important banner men of the Starks, but we hear nothing about them, 

We don’t even  know who their lord is. We only know about the Widow’s Watch branch. At least GRRM gave us the families of both Vances in the appendices. He could have dropped a few more Flint names.

Edited May 1 by James Steller

[Northern Sword]

Wow. Never really looked at this peninsula before in too much detail. Flints Finger looks like it is sitting in a natural harbor. I get you cant tell topography from a map. But I'm sure it was built there for a reason. Flints Cliffs are on the south side, do we have any description of the northern side ?

As to the importance of this area to the North. You'd think that this far south it would be a strategically important area to Winterfell. If you could farm the area, we would be talking about a VERY important asset to WF.

Also makes me think, what kind of castle is Flints Finger. Is it a simple tower, or a more substantial structure? Which then makes me ask, what kind of manpower is there for ol' Lord Flint to raise when needed.

All of this begs the question of why is its lord and resources not spoken of like other northern houses. It is barely mentioned. Is it some undeveloped backwater, or is its only purpose to defend against the Iron Born, or is it an important region that WF doesn't want to bring attention to.

[House Cambodia]

17 minutes ago, Northern Sword said:

Wow. Never really looked at this peninsula before in too much detail. Flints Finger looks like it is sitting in a natural harbor. I get you cant tell topography from a map. But I'm sure it was built there for a reason. Flints Cliffs are on the south side, do we have any description of the northern side ?

As to the importance of this area to the North. You'd think that this far south it would be a strategically important area to Winterfell. If you could farm the area, we would be talking about a VERY important asset to WF.

Also makes me think, what kind of castle is Flints Finger. Is it a simple tower, or a more substantial structure? Which then makes me ask, what kind of manpower is there for ol' Lord Flint to raise when needed.

All of this begs the question of why is its lord and resources not spoken of like other northern houses. It is barely mentioned. Is it some undeveloped backwater, or is its only purpose to defend against the Iron Born, or is it an important region that WF doesn't want to bring attention to.

As I think I suggested earlier, the reasonable assumption is that it's a barren wasteland - perhaps moors or like the county of Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands. The land is unproductive, the coastline lacks places for suitable harbours. There's just nothing to do there or write about. (FF I mean, not Sutherland. I bloody LOVE Sutherland!)

[Universal Sword Donor]

5 minutes ago, House Cambodia said:

As I think I suggested earlier, the reasonable assumption is that it's a barren wasteland - perhaps moors or like the county of Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands. The land is unproductive, the coastline lacks places for suitable harbours. There's just nothing to do there or write about. (FF I mean, not Sutherland. I bloody LOVE Sutherland!)

It sits between cold water and the largest swamp in Westeros. Your assumption of moors is probably spot on. You can graze animals on moorland but the acidic soil would prevent much of actual crops from growing.