A Thread for Small Questions XIV

[Branna]

Why do people on the internet think Stannis is supposed to be fat and bearded? I've read the books multiple times and have always thought he was lean with a five o'clock shadow. Did I miss something, or is everyone else crazy.

[Lady Octarina]

Why do people on the internet think Stannis is supposed to be fat and bearded? I've read the books multiple times and have always thought he was lean with a five o'clock shadow. Did I miss something, or is everyone else crazy.

Everyone else is crazy, he is described as you say. You see, I think the thing is,so many people feel attracted to Robert and Renly, since they are so easier to like (though I don't like them =P), and Stannis has such a difficult personality, that it's probably simpler to imagine him that way.

[Rune Targaryen]

Everyone else is crazy, he is described as you say. You see, I think the thing is,so many people feel attracted to Robert and Renly, since they are so easier to like (though I don't like them =P), and Stannis has such a difficult personality, that it's probably simpler to imagine him that way.

So, fat people (like me) have difficult personality?

[David Selig]

I have been seeing alot of references to "myrish swamp" coming up on the threads.i would like to know the origin of this.

Is it taken from some Cersei-taena merrywether sex scene?

Yes, it is.

[witless chum]

There's a deep gorge between where the Wall ends in the west and the sea, which is very hard to pass and easily defensible. That's the reason.

The Bridge of Skulls, where Bowen Marsh defeats the wildlings, is in that area. Seems like small raiding parties and the like could climb through the gorge if they were skilled at it, but an army like Mance's or the presumed Other/Wight invasion wouldn't be able to.

[Neriwyn]

Why do people on the internet think Stannis is supposed to be fat and bearded? I've read the books multiple times and have always thought he was lean with a five o'clock shadow. Did I miss something, or is everyone else crazy.

Thanks to you, I learn a new expression (5 o'click shadow) ^_^ !

Stannis Baratheon, Lord of Dragonstone and by the grace of the gods rightful heir to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, was broad of shoulder and sinewy of limb, with a tightness to his face and flesh that spoke of leather cured in the sun until it was as tough as steel. Hard was the word men used when they spoke of Stannis, and hard he was. Though he was not yet five-and-thirty, only a fringe of thin black hair remained on his head, circling behind his ears like the shadow of a crown. His brother, the late King Robert, had grown a beard in his final years. Maester Cressen had never seen it, but they said it was a wild thing, thick and flerce. As if in answer, Stannis kept his own whiskers cropped tight and short. They lay like a blue-black shadow across his square jaw and the bony hollows of his cheeks. His eyes were open wounds beneath his heavy brows, a blue as dark as the sea by night. His mouth would have given despair to even the drollest of fools; it was a mouth made for frowns and scowls and sharply worded commands, all thin pale lips and clenched muscles, a mouth that had forgotten how to smile and had never known how to laugh. Sometimes when the world grew very still and silent of a night, Maester Cressen fancied he could hear Lord Stannis grinding his teeth half a castle away.

I confess, I always pictured Stannis with a wild beard, short hair on his head (but not fat, more athletic).

[superdupe]

I always picture a really grim John Smoltz when I think of Stannis. Of the three Baratheon brothers, the only one from the HBO series that looks like I pictured him is Robert.

[Drinking Cersei's Tears]

After the Battle of the Blackwater, I believe Stannis is described as extremely thin, almost emaciated.

[wolfpack13]

When thinking of the signals of the houses we have seen actual wolves, stags, even dragons, and have heard tales of krackens, zorses, mammoths, and other beasts. We haven't heard anyhting about lions anywhere in either westeros, the free cities, or anywhere.

Are they extinct, in captivity, mythical in this world or what?

[Fire_Kiss]

When thinking of the signals of the houses we have seen actual wolves, stags, even dragons, and have heard tales of krackens, zorses, mammoths, and other beasts. We haven't heard anyhting about lions anywhere in either westeros, the free cities, or anywhere.

Are they extinct, in captivity, mythical in this world or what?

Drogo killed a rare white lion and gifted Dany with the pelt.

There are lions in cages at Casterly Rock, Cersie recalls putting her hand in the cage in ADWD

[David Selig]

The founder of House Clegane saved Tytos Lannister from an attack by a lion. Illyrio mentioned to Tyrion "I can take you to a real lion, my little friend. The prince keeps a pride in his menagerie.".

[Lady of Long Lake]

When thinking of the signals of the houses we have seen actual wolves, stags, even dragons, and have heard tales of krackens, zorses, mammoths, and other beasts. We haven't heard anyhting about lions anywhere in either westeros, the free cities, or anywhere.

Are they extinct, in captivity, mythical in this world or what?

There's Shadow Cats up North too. They are probably like our mountain lions in NA.

[Jon Flowers]

Stannis starts out as described by maester Cressen as being lean and hard (read athletic), but after repeatedly being used by Melisandre to create shadows, he becomes emaciated and if I remember correctly is later described as resembling a walking corpse. His wasting away reminds me of Beric Dondarrion's condition, both mental and physical after also being the focus for repeated magic spells.

[ptyx]

Actually, we have proof that magic in general exists, not gods. I mean, we learn that the old golds are actually people who live in a cave and observe all that happens in Westeros through trees and other living things. I can't remember any magic or miracle, or the word you prefer, related to the Seven, though.

There was the vision that Davos had when starving on an isle after the Blackwater. I guess it was the strongest manifestation of the Seven so far. Davos himself believes that the Gods saved his life then.

[Lady Octarina]

So, fat people (like me) have difficult personality?

Well, I'm fat too, and I have a horrible personality :laugh: But seriously now, what I meant was that people have the tendency to imagine characters they don't sympathize with as unattractive, according to their perception. I'm not speaking on terms of "universal values", since such things don't exist, only trying to understand their perspective.

Stannis starts out as described by maester Cressen as being lean and hard (read athletic), but after repeatedly being used by Melisandre to create shadows, he becomes emaciated and if I remember correctly is later described as resembling a walking corpse. His wasting away reminds me of Beric Dondarrion's condition, both mental and physical after also being the focus for repeated magic spells.

I agree with how you describe his physical decay, but I don't think his mental state is ever mentioned in a similar way to Beric's. I mean, the man is devising war strategies, he surely can't be that bad?

[Fire_Kiss]

Well, I'm fat too, and I have a horrible personality :laugh: But seriously now, what I meant was that people have the tendency to imagine characters they don't sympathize with as unattractive, according to their perception. I'm not speaking on terms of "universal values", since such things don't exist, only trying to understand their perspective.

I know in my first few read-throughs, I imagined Stannis as unattractive and portly. (i didn't like him much, but now I've grown to love him.)

I agree with how you describe his physical decay, but I don't think his mental state is ever mentioned in a similar way to Beric's. I mean, the man is devising war strategies, he surely can't be that bad?

I think that's debatable. I mean, he IS spending a lot of time in the tower in Asha's POV's. But reading the WOW teaser, I see that he's still pretty competent.

[kissdbyfire]

When thinking of the signals of the houses we have seen actual wolves, stags, even dragons, and have heard tales of krackens, zorses, mammoths, and other beasts. We haven't heard anyhting about lions anywhere in either westeros, the free cities, or anywhere.

Are they extinct, in captivity, mythical in this world or what?

There were mountain lions in the Westerlands but they have become extinct.

As Leaf tells Bran in ADwD (Bran III):

“Gone down into the earth,” she answered. “Into the stones, into the trees. Before the First Men came all this land that you call Westeros was home to us, yet even in those days we were few. The gods gave us long lives but not great numbers, lest we overrun the world as deer will overrun a wood where there are no wolves to hunt them. That was in the dawn of days, when our sun was rising. Now it sinks, and this is our long dwindling. The giants are almost gone as well, they who were our bane and our brothers. The great lions of the western hills have been slain, the unicorns are all but gone, the mammoths down to a few hundred. The direwolves will outlast us all, but their time will come as well. In the world that men have made, there is no room for them, or us.”

[Hardstone]

How old are the Greatjon's other children? Are any with Mors and his green boys?

[Lady Octarina]

So, I was wondering... the direwolves are kind of an indicator f who deserves to be trusted or not, correct? If that's the case, and Ghost likes Melisandre... could that mean Jon can actually trust her?

[_Oberyn_]

So, I was wondering... the direwolves are kind of an indicator f who deserves to be trusted or not, correct? If that's the case, and Ghost likes Melisandre... could that mean Jon can actually trust her?

Not necessarily, Mel has a big bag of tricks and as good as the direwolfs intinct may be there is nothing to say thay cant be fooled.