A Thread for Small Questions XI

[Fournaridis]

They're artillery, that's clear enough. The fact that wildfire is stored in jars suggests that they're some sort of catapult, or other war machine which fires round jars. I think a catapult is most likely, though perhaps with modifications to somewhat more safely handle a jar of wildfire.

So, do they light the top of the jar, almost like a "molotov cocktail" and then put the jar on the spitfire, and launch it at advancing foes?

[zmflavius]

So, do they light the top of the jar, almost like a "molotov cocktail" and then put the jar on the spitfire, and launch it at advancing foes?

Well, I am given to understand that wildfire lights up upon contact with air (hence, why the jars are sealed. Though even the sealed jars eventually get burnt through given enough time). So simply smashing the jar would be sufficient. So, no, lighting it up manually is unnecessary.

[Galen M]

Well, I am given to understand that wildfire lights up upon contact with air (hence, why the jars are sealed. Though even the sealed jars eventually get burnt through given enough time). So simply smashing the jar would be sufficient. So, no, lighting it up manually is unnecessary.

not so sure about that. I thought they need some tiny spark (friction might be enough).

[Rinso]

Well, I am given to understand that wildfire lights up upon contact with air (hence, why the jars are sealed. Though even the sealed jars eventually get burnt through given enough time). So simply smashing the jar would be sufficient. So, no, lighting it up manually is unnecessary.

No, it definately needs fire. I recall in one of Tyrion's chapters in ACOK, the pyromancer guy poured a bit of it from a jar, to show it to Tyrion. It didn't light up.

[zmflavius]

not so sure about that. I thought they need some tiny spark (friction might be enough).

That might be so. I'd need to re-read.

No, it definately needs fire. I recall in one of Tyrion's chapters in ACOK, the pyromancer guy poured a bit of it from a jar, to show it to Tyrion. It didn't light up.

Ok then, nvm.

[serbrc]

Are the Blackwoods the only family south of the Neck that keeps the old gods? I know there are a few other remaining First Men houses in the south (both the Westerlings and the Hightowers are First Men); have all of them converted to the Seven?

And are there any First Men families in the south other than the ones I've named?

[Galen M]

Are the Blackwoods the only family south of the Neck that keeps the old gods? I know there are a few other remaining First Men houses in the south (both the Westerlings and the Hightowers are First Men); have all of them converted to the Seven?

And are there any First Men families in the south other than the ones I've named?

I thought one of the three groups of Dorne followed the First Men.

[Dragonfish]

And are there any First Men families in the south other than the ones I've named?

The Brackens are a First Men family, though they converted to the Seven long ago. The Darklyns must have been a First Men house as well, since they were kings before the Andals came.

[Maester Joergensen]

Well, I am given to understand that wildfire lights up upon contact with air (hence, why the jars are sealed. Though even the sealed jars eventually get burnt through given enough time). So simply smashing the jar would be sufficient. So, no, lighting it up manually is unnecessary.

It is pretty clearly said in Tyrions conversation with Jacelyn Bywater, that the spitfire crews should practice at ligthing jars of lampoil, and should be able to fire them without spilling, before they were allowed to get wildfire. So they clearly need to light the jars before fireing.

I always imagined the spitfires as some kind of ballista that shoot jars of wildfire. Don´t really know why. But now that I think of it, that seems rather risky. So i suppose a catapult is more likely.

[zmflavius]

It is pretty clearly said in Tyrions conversation with Jacelyn Bywater, that the spitfire crews should practice at ligthing jars of lampoil, and should be able to fire them without spilling, before they were allowed to get wildfire. So they clearly need to light the jars before fireing.

I always imagined the spitfires as some kind of ballista that shoot jars of wildfire. Don´t really know why. But now that I think of it, that seems rather risky. So i suppose a catapult is more likely.

Actually, I believe it was green paint.

[Galen M]

Actually, I believe it was green paint.

you're both right; they started with green paint, then loil, then wildfire.

[Kurr]

There's a bit in AFfC that's confusing me, regarding Mance's son. It's on ~p523, in one of Sam's chapters:

Gilly thought about that. "Dalla brought him forth during battle, as the swords sang all around her. That should be his name. Aemon Battleborn. Aemon Steelsong."

A name even my lord father might like. A warrior's name. The boy was Mance Rayder's son and Craster's grandson, after all.

So the son of Mance Rayder and Dalla is also Craster's grandson? That would mean Mance is Craster's son (I think Val, Dalla's sister, mentions she has no relation to Craster) - but Craster's sons were supposedly given to the Others, and Mance was taken by the NW as a child when "some raiders were put to the sword".

And how would Sam know this if it were true? Gilly doesn't say anything about taking care of her nephew/cousin, either.

[fassreiter]

There's a bit in AFfC that's confusing me, regarding Mance's son. It's on ~p523, in one of Sam's chapters:

So the son of Mance Rayder and Dalla is also Craster's grandson? That would mean Mance is Craster's son (I think Val, Dalla's sister, mentions she has no relation to Craster) - but Craster's sons were supposedly given to the Others, and Mance was taken by the NW as a child when "some raiders were put to the sword".

And how would Sam know this if it were true? Gilly doesn't say anything about taking care of her nephew/cousin, either.

Yes, you are right. WTF? I guess it's just GRRM making a mistake. Or throwing out a fourth version of where Mance was born:

Osha says he's not wildling born, Quorin says he is, Selyse says he is a black brother's bastard, now he is Craster's son, too. I stick with Quorin's version, though. Does anyone know what to make of all that anyway?

[zmflavius]

Yes, you are right. WTF? I guess it's just GRRM making a mistake. Or throwing out a fourth version of where Mance was born:

Osha says he's not wildling born, Quorin says he is, Selyse says he is a black brother's bastard, now he is Craster's son, too. I stick with Quorin's version, though. Does anyone know what to make of all that anyway?

Selyse doesn't really know Mance, while Mance once served under Qhorin. I don't recall the exact wording of Osha's description of him though. So yeah, I think that Qhorin's is probably the most reliable, but there may be a grain of truth to Osha's story. I think the Craster's son bit was a gaffe.

[Robb S]

Here's a question that's been bugging me.

I could've sworn in one of the books Sansa thinks something along the lines of "One day I will have a son and he will hate and kill Lannisters" Does this actually happen? If so, where and in what book? Much appreciated

I vaguely remember that as well. if i had to guess without flipping through the series it was most likely in the third book before marrying Tyrion.

[Robb S]

A question about the bastard names..

I know that each last name of a bastard has to do with where they come from. But is it where they are born or where they grow up? Or is it derived from where ever the father is from?

If it is where they are born and considering that Jon was born somewhere in the South during Robert's rebellion. shouldn't his last name be flowers or something.

And if this is true. and the R + L = J theory is correct and he was born in the Tower of Joy in the Dornish Marches. His name would be Sand...

just a bit of info to chew on... Let me know if i am remotely correct. Thanks.

[Dragonfish]

A question about the bastard names..

I know that each last name of a bastard has to do with where they come from. But is it where they are born or where they grow up? Or is it derived from where ever the father is from?

If it is where they are born and considering that Jon was born somewhere in the South during Robert's rebellion. shouldn't his last name be flowers or something.

And if this is true. and the R + L = J theory is correct and he was born in the Tower of Joy in the Dornish Marches. His name would be Sand...

just a bit of info to chew on... Let me know if i am remotely correct. Thanks.

I don't think there are any hard and fast rules concerning bastard names, it's just a custom. But my best guess would be that a bastard child would normally be named according to where they're raised, since that is essentially where they're from (even if they were born elsewhere).

[maria underfoot]

What I want to ask is rather trivial but I was wondering. Who did Cersei lose her virginity to? I am not sure whether is was Jaime or Robert. It is hinted that she and Jaime were 'experimenting' long before she got married to Robert. But if that is the case and she wasn't a maiden, she has no right to criticize Taena (When Cersei finds out that she had slept with men before marrying her boring husband, she thinks Taena is slut), or Margaery. Of course, I understand her plan to undo the little queen, but in her thoughts as well she seems to consider pre-marriage relationships wrong and unacceptable. Unless of course she believes that fidelity concerns everyone but herself, which would add a whole new lot of hypocrisy to our sweet queen. (big surprise, I know!)

[Elenya Westerling]

What I want to ask is rather trivial but I was wondering. Who did Cersei lose her virginity to? I am not sure whether is was Jaime or Robert. It is hinted that she and Jaime were 'experimenting' long before she got married to Robert. But if that is the case and she wasn't a maiden, she has no right to criticize Taena (When Cersei finds out that she had slept with men before marrying her boring husband, she thinks Taena is slut), or Margaery. Of course, I understand her plan to undo the little queen, but in her thoughts as well she seems to consider pre-marriage relationships wrong and unacceptable. Unless of course she believes that fidelity concerns everyone but herself, which would add a whole new lot of hypocrisy to our sweet queen. (big surprise, I know!)

Definitley Jaime, I'm pretty sure they had sex the night before she was going to marry Robert. And I think you hit the nail on the head with "fidelity concerns everyone but herself".

[Evamitchelle]

What I want to ask is rather trivial but I was wondering. Who did Cersei lose her virginity to? I am not sure whether is was Jaime or Robert. It is hinted that she and Jaime were 'experimenting' long before she got married to Robert. But if that is the case and she wasn't a maiden, she has no right to criticize Taena (When Cersei finds out that she had slept with men before marrying her boring husband, she thinks Taena is slut), or Margaery. Of course, I understand her plan to undo the little queen, but in her thoughts as well she seems to consider pre-marriage relationships wrong and unacceptable. Unless of course she believes that fidelity concerns everyone but herself, which would add a whole new lot of hypocrisy to our sweet queen. (big surprise, I know!)

Yeah definitely Jaime. She said she "fucked Jaime on the morning of her wedding" so there's that, and there's also the time when she convinced Jaime to join the Kingsguard when they were 15. So she definitely wasn't a maid when she married Robert, he was just to drunk to notice.