A Thread for Small Questions XIV

[Beanie]

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?

There are just too many unknowns with Mel... But I think in that particular case, there was some magic was involved: Gost is a very reserved animal at best, so Jon found his reaction to Melisandre very odd.. Don't remember the actual quote but it went something like "Gost looked at him as if he didn't know who he [Jon] was"...

[Mr. E]

Was re-listening to ACOK and I suddenly had a query. I don't know if it's talked about anywhere, but does Oldtown/The Citadel hold any allegiances? I know the NW "Takes no part," but I can't remember if the Maesters do. I'm asking because Maester Luwin is still receiving ravens and messages from the Citadel even when he is serving a rebelling house and a technically "illegal" govt.

So is it stated anywhere that the maesters take no true allegiances, or is that something that just kind of slipped by?

[_Oberyn_]

Some maesters develop certain allegiances over time or start with some based on their family ties, but overall the citadel seem to have its own "New World Order" agenda going on.

[Pliskin]

Was re-listening to ACOK and I suddenly had a query. I don't know if it's talked about anywhere, but does Oldtown/The Citadel hold any allegiances? I know the NW "Takes no part," but I can't remember if the Maesters do. I'm asking because Maester Luwin is still receiving ravens and messages from the Citadel even when he is serving a rebelling house and a technically "illegal" govt.

The Citadel holds no allegiance.

But the Maesters when they're assigned to a noble family do take allegiance, and become sworn to their seat.

They forget about their own family and swear to the new one, as do the men of the NW.

It's well explained in the Theon sample chapter. The Karstark maester had no choice but to follow his lord's orders.

[Lebronn Jaime]

Was re-listening to ACOK and I suddenly had a query. I don't know if it's talked about anywhere, but does Oldtown/The Citadel hold any allegiances?

So is it stated anywhere that the maesters take no true allegiances, or is that something that just kind of slipped by?

Maesters serve the house they're bound to unquestioningly, but I imagine they have something resembling the Hippocratic Oath that restricts their service to ethical bounds. How individual Maesters choose to act is another issue. Oldtown (specifically the Hightowers) is sworn to Highgarden. Among his titles of the Lord of Oldtown is "Defender of the Citadel", in case you were going to ask about who protects the Maesters.

[Ser_Talligan]

About 150 pages into AFFC on my first read of it (the first 3 books were re-reads from high school) and Podrick Payne has, at once, broken my heart and became my favorite character. I made the mistake of checking http://awoiaf.westeros.org/ for Pod. He lives right?

Can someone please tell me he lives?

[Ghost714]

Okay, Mors Crowfood Umber had/has the greenboys with him outside the walls of Winterfell, and Hother Whoresbane Umber has all the graybeards with him inside Winterfell.

With that said, I have a question.

When Jaime and Brienne are supping with Roose Bolton in Harrenhall, Roose tells Jaime that there are a thousand Karstark men out looking for the Kingslayer, all trying to get a chance to marry Alys Karstark. Because Rickard Karstark had offered to wed his daughter to who ever brought him the head of the Kingslayer.

And if I am not mistaken, Robb mentions loosing three hundred mounted Karstark men.

So my question is, what happened to these men, do we know? Why is it Mors only has greenboys, and Hother greybeards?

[Val the Wildling Princess]

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?

I agree with what others have said. Something was wrong in that scene, if Ghost looks at Jon as if he doesn't know him you know something has to be wrong, I'm sure Melisandre used some kind of trick with Ghost. It's not like we have seen Ghost interact with a lot of people, but Jon found him once baring his teeth at Devan Seaworth just cause the boy flinched with fear. I think the only person we've seen Ghost being friendly so far with (apparently) no magic involved is Val when she returned from beyond the Wall.

[FanTasy]

About 150 pages into AFFC on my first read of it (the first 3 books were re-reads from high school) and Podrick Payne has, at once, broken my heart and became my favorite character. I made the mistake of checking http://awoiaf.westeros.org/ for Pod. He lives right?

Can someone please tell me he lives?

I would like to! The last we heard about him he was into a situation where his life was in peril. His death has not been confirmed though.

[Fire_Kiss]

About 150 pages into AFFC on my first read of it (the first 3 books were re-reads from high school) and Podrick Payne has, at once, broken my heart and became my favorite character. I made the mistake of checking http://awoiaf.westeros.org/ for Pod. He lives right?

Can someone please tell me he lives?

He's one of my favorite side-charecters too! He's so good-hearted and brave! I'm holding out hope, since we have no confirmation.

P.S. if you want to read up on a charecter or place but don't want spoilers, check out The Tower Of The Hand. There's a place where you can enter how far you've read, and the website edits out the spoilers for you.

[Smartell]

I tried to find this somewhere on the forums but couldn't... In the first book when Arya is lost in the Red Keep she overhears a conversation between who I assume is Varys, but is the other guy Illyrio Mopatis? It's probably a really silly question, but I feel as confused as Arya did. :dunno:

[kissdbyfire]

I tried to find this somewhere on the forums but couldn't... In the first book when Arya is lost in the Red Keep she overhears a conversation between who I assume is Varys, but is the other guy Illyrio Mopatis? It's probably a really silly question, but I feel as confused as Arya did. :dunno:

Yes, the other man is Illyrio Mopatis.

[Fire_Kiss]

I tried to find this somewhere on the forums but couldn't... In the first book when Arya is lost in the Red Keep she overhears a conversation between who I assume is Varys, but is the other guy Illyrio Mopatis? It's probably a really silly question, but I feel as confused as Arya did. :dunno:

It's never revealed in-book, but Martin confirms this in a SSM.

[Lady Octarina]

It's never revealed in-book, but Martin confirms this in a SSM.

And the TV show has Illyrio in the scene, that was how I found out.

[MarianneSnow]

Do we know who Robert Baratheon's squire was when he was Lord of Storm's End and during the Rebellions especially when he was battling Rhaegar on the Trident?

[_Oberyn_]

I dont think so but i've wandered if he ever accidentaly backhanded one of them with the hammer :lol:

[Hardstone]

Are Moon Boy, Butterbumps and Patchface in a secret alliance?

[Revan Baratheon]

Quick question: Is Daven Lannister a lannister of lannisport or casterly rock? Also what is the primary difference between these two branches?

Why are the lannisport ones inferior?

[Fire_Kiss]

And the TV show has Illyrio in the scene, that was how I found out.

Oh yeah! I forgot about that! Haha

[Ghost714]

I agree with what others have said. Something was wrong in that scene, if Ghost looks at Jon as if he doesn't know him you know something has to be wrong, I'm sure Melisandre used some kind of trick with Ghost. It's not like we have seen Ghost interact with a lot of people, but Jon found him once baring his teeth at Devan Seaworth just cause the boy flinched with fear. I think the only person we've seen Ghost being friendly so far with (apparently) no magic involved is Val when she returned from beyond the Wall.

I actually believe that Bloodraven had a hand in the Stark finding the Direwolve pups, I believe Catelyn and others have it right by believing the old gods sent those wolves to the Stark children. So I also believe that Bloodraven has a hand in the direwolves being able to know when someone is false, or when someone means to harm the Stark kids. Bloodraven can Warg many animals at once, and he can see the past, present, and future, so I think that is why he is able to influence the wolves on who's to be trusted. I am not saying that it is all Bloodraven, because I think animals, and especially Direwolves in this story, can sense things that people can't.

So even though Mel is for burning Weirwoods, Bloodraven still had Ghost trust Mel, because Bloodraven can see that Mel seriously cares about stopping the Others and the Long Night. I think Bloodraven wanted Ghost to trust Mel, so Jon would trust Mel, because Bloodraven knows Jon will need Mel's help to fight the Others. If it were anything else, I would say Bloodraven would not be in Mel's favor, but In my opinion, Bloodraven would be willing to look past Mel and her destruction of the Old gods, because fighting the Others is all that matters now. If the Others aren't stopped, there won't be anyone to worship any gods, so that's why Bloodraven would be willing to look past Mel's folly's, in order to work together to stop the Others.

I know I am going to get some heat for thinking like this, but that's just the way I see it.

In conclusion, Ghost's reaction to Mel only further confirms that she is an over all "good guy" in my opinion. Yes Mel has done some things that could be considered as "bad", Mel is one of GRRM's grey characters, but even though she has done "bad things", when you look at the "big picture", she is still on the good side in my book. Similar to how Arya has killed people, she is a grey character, yet overal still on the side of "good".