A Thread for Small Questions XIV

[Ghost714]

While we know that Jon willingly joined the watch, we dont know why Benjen Stark joined it or Why Mormont the head of house mormont decided he had to step down, same for the rest we dont know if they joined the watch exrcising their free will or was encouraged to due some misunderstanding with the law or something like in Sams case.

I think it's pretty clear that Jeor Mormont wanted to join the Watch, so Jorah could become the Lord of Bear Island. Basically Jeor didn't want pull a Walder Frey, and make his son wait his whole life to become a Lord. Also i am sure that Jeor felt that the Watch had need of good men. Jeor definitely joined on his own free will, he was the Lord of his House, who from his own family could have forced him to join the Watch?

I also never got the impression that Benjen was forced to join the Watch. Benjen doesn't seem to have any resentment towards Ned. Also we know that Benjen visited Winterfell often, that doesn't seem indicative of someone being forced to leave Winterfell. If Benjen was forced to join the Watch, you would think that he would be angry and never go back to Winterfell.

[Hardstone]

Robert's just been crowned as King of the Seven Kingdoms. He has to name a new Small Council. He pardoned Barristan Selmy, Pycelle and Varys. Jon Arryn was made Hand of the King and Stannis was no doubt assigned as Master of Ships.

Who held the post of Master of Laws (before Renly came of age) and Master of Coin (before Petyr worked his way up from Gulltown/came of age)?

[Fire_Kiss]

Who held the post of Master of Laws (before Renly came of age) and Master of Coin (before Petyr worked his way up from Gulltown/came of age)?

I'm not sure this was ever mentioned... But perhaps it was an empty post held by others on the council until they found someone? *shrug*

[Lykos]

Is it mentioned in any of the books that a dragon crossed the Wall? Queen Alysanne visited the Wall on her dragon Silverwing, but did she cross it?

No one answered in the ADwD small questions so I try here, too.

[FanTasy]

Is it mentioned in any of the books that a dragon crossed the Wall? Queen Alysanne visited the Wall on her dragon Silverwing, but did she cross it?

No one answered in the ADwD small questions so I try here, too.

It is possible of course, but in the text she just visited Queenscrown.

[Lykos]

@FanTasy

Thanks, I want to prove/disprove my theory that dragons cannot pass the Wall. That it is a magical boundary, that neither wightified birds nor dragons can cross.

[Lady Blackfyre]

Is it mentioned in any of the books that a dragon crossed the Wall? Queen Alysanne visited the Wall on her dragon Silverwing, but did she cross it?

No one answered in the ADwD small questions so I try here, too.

I couldn't find any mention of dragons crossing the Wall, but personally I believe they would have been able to cross it, if they wanted. The closest thing I could find is from a Sam chapter in AFFC:

There were dragons here two hundred years ago, Sam found himself thinking, as he watched the cage making a slow descent. They would just have flown to the top of the Wall. Queen Alysanne had visited Castle Black on her dragon, and Jaehaerys, her king, had come after her on his own.

So Sam believes that the dragons would have been able to perch on the Wall, at least.

I know it doesn't help much... sorry. =/

[Lykos]

@Lady Blackfyre

Thank you

Isn´t it strange that it isn´t mentioned, if there was a dragon-air-recon mission. But Alysanne was s impressed by the work of the NW that she gave them the Gift. Does anyone think this is worth a topic?

[mor2]

I think it's pretty clear that Jeor Mormont wanted to join the Watch, so Jorah could become the Lord of Bear Island. Basically Jeor didn't want pull a Walder Frey, and make his son wait his whole life to become a Lord. Also i am sure that Jeor felt that the Watch had need of good men. Jeor definitely joined on his own free will, he was the Lord of his House, who from his own family could have forced him to join the Watch?

This isnt musical chairs and not everyone get to play, unless Jeor age making him unfit or he wasnt uncapable to deal with some problem, there was no reason for him to step down... also there a number of people who could have forced him and a number of situations in which he would want to do it himself in the interest of his house, not all of them nice. as I said it your statement that "Jeor definitely joined" based on a guess based on your perception of him.

[Lady Blackfyre]

Lycos, about your theory, I agree about bird-wights, but I'm not sure if there would be any impediment to dragons. They are somewhat "magical", as it seems, but they're still living animals. I'm really not sure how defined are the boundaries between "regular" animals and "magical" animals in the world of ASOIAF.

About a possible recon mission, the question is - would Queen Alysanne have any interest in that? Maybe she thought the land beyond the wall was just a bunch of frozen ice and not worth the effort. It is not mentioned that she wanted/tried to cross the Wall and couldn't, either... so I guess there's no proof either way.

I think it would be interesting to discuss this further, yes. Maybe you could post these ideas about the Wall's wards to some existing thread (this one, for example)? Or even start your own. Perhaps other people will be able to shed more light into it, or even come up with some ideas to help your theory. :)

[HiiiPower]

What is the difference between the wights and the Others??

[Fire_Kiss]

What is the difference between the wights and the Others??

A wight is basically a zombie. Someone who died and is controlled by an Other. They typically have blue eyes.

An Other is the controller...not too much is known about them.

[Lady Blackfyre]

What is the difference between the wights and the Others??

The Others seem to be a species in themselves, while wights are just reanimated dead beings (people and animals), apparently not fully conscious. There's some debate on how (and even whether) the Others control the wights. The wights seem to be "raised" by the Others, and appear to be aligned with them, but it is not known whether the Others actively control the wights at all times or not.

The Wiki could give you some other details. :)

[Lady Octarina]

@Lady Blackfyre

Thank you

Isn´t it strange that it isn´t mentioned, if there was a dragon-air-recon mission. But Alysanne was s impressed by the work of the NW that she gave them the Gift. Does anyone think this is worth a topic?

I would like to follow that thread ^.^

Edit. I have a question, why was Bowen and all the other Officers so willing to forget Hardhome as a lost cause? I understand what they said about not being concerned with saving more Wildlings, because they were just more mouths to feed etc etc.... But what I don't get is, Cotter Pyke and all the other Nights Watch members with him also needed help. Why wasn't that ever mentioned, that they were not just leaving Wildlings to die, but Sworn Brothers also? Again I get that Jon was the only one who wanted to save the Wildlings, but why didn't the Officers at least care about helping their fellow Brothers?

That just always seemed weird to me, that it was never mentioned. Because Cotter Pyke said Send help by land, ships lost....(or something like that).

What do you guys think?

Bowen and the other guy who is always around him (forgot his name) are not rangers; they think more about the practical concerns on the Wall, not beyond it (like feeding the Watch and all the wildlings Jon brought south). They probably don't see much sense in ranging, and believe those who went to Hardhome are all dead anyway, so sending more men after them means there simply will be less men on the Wall against a huge number of what they probably see as uncontrollable wildlings. (of course, none of this is stated in the books, I believe, but knowing them that's probably what they thought on the subject)

[Lykos]

@Lady Octarina

Thank you. I think I´ll start one soon, the existing threads mostly lead to more questions and seem to have petered out month ago.

Another question, the wiki says that tCotF caused the seperation of Westeros and Essos by using magic ( waterhammer ) to stop the FM, thus creating the stepstones. In a second attempt the Neck is created. Where does that come from?

[Pliskin]

@Lady Octarina

Thank you. I think I´ll start one soon, the existing threads mostly lead to more questions and seem to have petered out month ago.

Another question, the wiki says that tCotF caused the seperation of Westeros and Essos by using magic ( waterhammer ) to stop the FM, thus creating the stepstones. In a second attempt the Neck is created. Where does that come from?

From Bran chapters I guess.

Don't remember if it was Old Nan or Maester Luwin.

[Elaena Targaryen]

@Lady Octarina

Thank you. I think I´ll start one soon, the existing threads mostly lead to more questions and seem to have petered out month ago.

Another question, the wiki says that tCotF caused the seperation of Westeros and Essos by using magic ( waterhammer ) to stop the FM, thus creating the stepstones. In a second attempt the Neck is created. Where does that come from?

I know in AGOT in Catelyn's chapter when she meets Robb's host at Moat Cailin she thinks about the legend that from the Children's Tower the COTF called to their gods to send the hammer of waters. How ever it does not specify if it was for the Stepstones or the Neck, I guess it could imply the Neck though. With that tower being damaged it could mean something went wrong and that could be why the Neck is still intact. Of course that is pure speculation and I don't know where it says in the books if the hammer of waters ever where called to smash the Neck, that could be just an assumption too.

[Hardstone]

In AGoT 14, when Yoren joins up with Benjen, Tyrion and Jon, he has a pair of rapists with him bound for the wall. Is Rast ever confirmed to be one of them?

In the TV series, he is one of them and he is even labelled as a rapist by Jon later on in the novel.

[Lady Blackfyre]

Well, Rast is confirmed to be a rapist in chapter 26:

Rast had two years and forty pounds on him. Jon stepped up behind him and rang the raper’s helm like a bell. As Rast went reeling,(...)

Considering his behavior towards Jon, I believe it's more or less safe to assume he's one of the two (as yet) unnamed rapists from the Fingers that confront Jon in chapter 19:

The other two were the ones Yoren had brought north with them, Jon remembered, rapers taken down in the Fingers. He’d forgotten their names. He hardly ever spoke to them, if he could help it. They were brutes and bullies, without a thimble of honor between them.

Jon stood up. “I’ll break the other one for you if you ask nicely.” Grenn was sixteen and a head taller than Jon. All four of them were bigger than he was, but they did not scare him. He’d beaten every one of them in the yard.

“Maybe we’ll break you,” one of the rapers said.

(...)

I couldn't find it confirmed directly, though.

[Buckwheat]

Can somebody provide a quote from ACOK, Arya 7 where Jaqen comes to Arya's bedroom at Harrenhal and says that a god needs three lives? I was reading the translated version and Jaqen says there that the red god needs to get three lives, which I find somehow strange because one would think Jaqen believes in Him of many faces, not the red one. Thanks.