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[TWoW SPOILERS] Sellswords (from Theon I)


GreenHand

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In the spoiler THEON chapter from 'The Winds of Winter' we find out that Ser Justin Massey is being sent across the narrow sea to find a company of sellswords (as trustworthy a company as possible). We also hear that Ser Justin himself is not entirely confident that coin alone will persuade the companies to join their cause...

What will he find? Who will the recruit? How will he do it?

In particular, it seems that most of the companies are in Slaver's Bay fighting for or against Meereen. Several characters have taken a long time to Meereen. Does Ser Justin have time to pursue these companies all the way to Meereen if they are to return in time to save Stannis' chances?

Who will be receptive to his advances with a war ongoing in Meereen and potential conflict in the disputed lands?

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There just cannot be any quality companies left for hire. The wise masters have purchased every company available for the Meereen campaign. The Golden Company (best of the best) has returned home to Westeros and is fighting to seat Aegon on the iron throne. Bravvos is the most powerful of the free cities and iron bank has given Stannis unlimited funding, if Massey is to find anything, it will likely be here.

My personal feelings is that Massey will sort of betray Stannis once he hears that he is dead. Remember that House Massey is an ancient house from the Crownlands and have served House Targaryen far longer than they have served house Baratheon. I can see Massey attempting to strike a deal with Danaerys on behalf of Shireen. He will likely see it as pointless trying to seat a young girl with greyscale upon the iron throne. Its also just as likely that he will see Dany as his true liege.

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This is Stannis grasping at his final straw. There's no possible way that Massey is going to be able to make it over there, get 20,000 dudes, and make it back before Stannis makes a critical error of some sort. BUT if he does, I agree that Massey might be Arya's ticket back to Westeros. I don't think he'll turn his cloak, but he will fail in this attempt. Didn't dude from the Iron Bank go with him?

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Sellswords? He only need recruit one person to bring down Cersei - Arya Stark.

And I think Cersei will have no problems bringing herself down. This new 'humility' is 100% false, and anyone who thinks otherwise probably thinks Ned Stark is still alive and hanging out with Tupac.

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There just cannot be any quality companies left for hire. The wise masters have purchased every company available for the Meereen campaign. The Golden Company (best of the best) has returned home to Westeros and is fighting to seat Aegon on the iron throne. Bravvos is the most powerful of the free cities and iron bank has given Stannis unlimited funding, if Massey is to find anything, it will likely be here.

My personal feelings is that Massey will sort of betray Stannis once he hears that he is dead. Remember that House Massey is an ancient house from the Crownlands and have served House Targaryen far longer than they have served house Baratheon. I can see Massey attempting to strike a deal with Danaerys on behalf of Shireen. He will likely see it as pointless trying to seat a young girl with greyscale upon the iron throne. Its also just as likely that he will see Dany as his true liege.

I think he will take jeyne to bravoos meet arya find out what happend to jeynethen they'll head to LF only to find out that aegon has already the GC and LF is inprisoned

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And I think Cersei will have no problems bringing herself down. This new 'humility' is 100% false, and anyone who thinks otherwise probably thinks Ned Stark is still alive and hanging out with Tupac.

Everyone knows Tupac is dead. Obviously it's Rhaegar he's been hanging out with at the ToJ.

But yes, I believe her new humility - or rather she's just a bit broken rather than humble - is genuine. That's not to say she's not going to be Cersei still. I expect we'll see Ser Robert put to good use next book.

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At first I thought Arya would come home on a dragon. Then her and Sam met up and I thought that might get her back to the Westeros, which it still could but now I see another way for Arya to return. Arya has to stike out on her own soon and leave the FM behind, joining a company of sellswords would be right up her alley but I don't think she'd "tell" who she really is just to get a ride.

It's enough to make your head hurt.

Truthfully, I don't think Massey's mission will go well. As stated, sellswords of any worth are already fighting against Dany or for YG. The leftovers aren't gonna do him any good in the North anyway.

How long will any southerner stand their ground once they see the Others and their dead get up and fight against them too? If word of the wrights/dead things walking reaches the Free Cities before he does no way will anyone join up.

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How long will any southerner stand their ground once they see the Others and their dead get up and fight against them too? If word of the wrights/dead things walking reaches the Free Cities before he does no way will anyone join up.

I don't think the word will hit the Free Cities before Massey gets there. The only people outside of the Wall that know is Sam, Stannis, and Mance Rayder. I think Stannis will keep it quiet for specifically that reason (unless this claim helps boost him to the Iron Throne). I don't see Mance Rayder bringing it up to the Boltons, so that leaves Sam. If word does reach the Cities, it'll be from the Citadel via Samwell.

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I think there has to be some free companies yet. I mean Braavosi's hate slavery, so if Yunkai offered them a contract they'd probably refuse. And I find it hard to believe that every sellsword in the world is either in Slaver's Bay, or with Aegon.

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I agree, there are surely sellsword companies left. But since sellswords are somewhat untrustworthy to begin with, these a probably the least capable and the least trustworthy. Probably not worth the gold. Sellswords are a liability if they can be easily turned in battle at the last minute. As Littlefinger so well demonstrates, even common sworn soldiers follow whose paying them. The Iron Throne may be nigh bankrupt but the Lannisters and and Tyrells still have plenty of financial tugging power.

...Bravvos is the most powerful of the free cities and iron bank has given Stannis unlimited funding, if Massey is to find anything, it will likely be here...

Actually, I'm not so sure. I don't think we are specifically told its unlimited funding. Just a lot of funding ("Gold Dragons in both fists").

Massey is going with Tycho to physically claim the gold promised. He will take a lot of gold but one they are back in Westeros they will only have as much gold as they brought. If they hired as many sellswords as the money could get, And, in the face of Lannister/Tyrell bribes demand higher pay then they cannot quickly run back to Braavos for more.

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I think after Massey gets what he can out of Braavos he will be forced to head for Slavers Bay to get a decent sellsword company. And I think it is going to be the WINDBLOWN led by the Tattered Prince of Pentos. Through the Meereen conflict the Tattered Prince has been less interested in profiting from the conflict than in getting someone to give him Pentos. He has switched sides several times to maneuver towards this. Despite the conflict he was open to being hired by Quintin Martell for the Dragon heist.

But you may say Barristan Selmy is making a deal with the Windblown. Firstly I think that Dany, having already adamantly refused the Tattered Prince out of gratitude to Illyrio, may well not support Barristan's deal. His mission for Barristan will only last at most the length of the Meereen Battle about to breakout. If he seats Stannis on the Iron Throne then he may get an ally with the power of Westeros behind him.

The Tattered Prince will go with whoever promises him Pentos. But I don't think they're particularly trustworthy. <shrug>

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I think after Massey gets what he can out of Braavos he will be forced to head for Slavers Bay to get a decent sellsword company. And I think it is going to be the WINDBLOWN led by the Tattered Prince of Pentos. Through the Meereen conflict the Tattered Prince has been less interested in profiting from the conflict than in getting someone to give him Pentos. He has switched sides several times to maneuver towards this. Despite the conflict he was open to being hired by Quintin Martell for the Dragon heist.

But you may say Barristan Selmy is making a deal with the Windblown. Firstly I think that Dany, having already adamantly refused the Tattered Prince out of gratitude to Illyrio, may well not support Barristan's deal. His mission for Barristan will only last at most the length of the Meereen Battle about to breakout. If he seats Stannis on the Iron Throne then he may get an ally with the power of Westeros behind him.

The Tattered Prince will go with whoever promises him Pentos. But I don't think they're particularly trustworthy. <shrug>

I don't know if the timing would be right for him to turn up in Slavers Bay. By the time he gets there the battle of fire would likely be over and everyone would have left, so from a narrative perspective it makes little sense. Perhaps he can make his way there and interesect with Dany and or Tyrion in Volantis? If my theory is correct and Dany goes east while Tyrion goes west, that would likely leave Tyrion to negotiate with him, which could prove... interesting.

However personally I think he'll manage to find at least some good sellswords in Braavos. I think about seven free companies are accounted for so far:

.Golden Company: With Aegon

. Storm Crows: With Dany

.Second Sons: With Yunkai, but about to switch sides

.Wind blown: Same as Second Sons

. Company of the cat: With Yunkai

. Brave Companions: Disbanded

. And I remember Yunkai having one more sellsword company.

So only seven companies are out of the question. There must be more than that.

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I agree, there are surely sellsword companies left. But since sellswords are somewhat untrustworthy to begin with, these a probably the least capable and the least trustworthy. Probably not worth the gold. Sellswords are a liability if they can be easily turned in battle at the last minute. As Littlefinger so well demonstrates, even common sworn soldiers follow whose paying them. The Iron Throne may be nigh bankrupt but the Lannisters and and Tyrells still have plenty of financial tugging power.

Actually, I'm not so sure. I don't think we are specifically told its unlimited funding. Just a lot of funding ("Gold Dragons in both fists").

Massey is going with Tycho to physically claim the gold promised. He will take a lot of gold but one they are back in Westeros they will only have as much gold as they brought. If they hired as many sellswords as the money could get, And, in the face of Lannister/Tyrell bribes demand higher pay then they cannot quickly run back to Braavos for more.

Stannis says the Iron Bank has opened their coffers to me, not opened half-way or partially. This leads me to think that the bank is fully invested in Stannis' endeavor. Not to mention that Tycho has likely charged interest up the arse. I think Stannis is hoping to have all the gold in the Westerlands, High Garden and Old Town at this disposal.

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I think after Massey gets what he can out of Braavos he will be forced to head for Slavers Bay to get a decent sellsword company. And I think it is going to be the WINDBLOWN led by the Tattered Prince of Pentos. Through the Meereen conflict the Tattered Prince has been less interested in profiting from the conflict than in getting someone to give him Pentos. He has switched sides several times to maneuver towards this. Despite the conflict he was open to being hired by Quintin Martell for the Dragon heist.

But you may say Barristan Selmy is making a deal with the Windblown. Firstly I think that Dany, having already adamantly refused the Tattered Prince out of gratitude to Illyrio, may well not support Barristan's deal. His mission for Barristan will only last at most the length of the Meereen Battle about to breakout. If he seats Stannis on the Iron Throne then he may get an ally with the power of Westeros behind him.

The Tattered Prince will go with whoever promises him Pentos. But I don't think they're particularly trustworthy. <shrug>

Dany and her forces are almost certainly to win. Even Tyrion recognizes that the battle is already lost for the wise masters because of disease and a poorly trained army. In addition to Barristan and her other men, she is likely to have a Khalasar and Victarian at her back. Why would the sell swords turn to Stannis when they have a true scion of house Targaryen with a superior claim and superior forces? I actually foresee all of the companies raised by the wise masters to serve Dany. Not only does she have all of the wealth in Meereen, but she will likely get plenty more by ransoming what is left of the wise masters.

I expect Massey to find just this situation at Slavers Bay and come to terms with Dany. It would not really be treason as Massey would be serving the true heir to the iron throne and he is likely to do right by Shireen. Dany will have much more to offer than Stannis. To top it off, this could be done without borrowing from the iron bank.

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I agree that there are probably more sellsword companies ... but I think we'll see something more interesting come from this than him just hiring some new company we've never heard of (or at least I hope something more interesting comes from it)

I agree. I hope to see Massey join Dany in exchange for a great lordship and Shireen Baratheon being made lady of Storms End.

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An excerpt from the Theon preview chapter:

"A company of good repute, if you can find one. The Golden Company would be my first choice, if they are not already under contract. Seek for them in the Disputed Lands, if need be. But first hire as many swords as you can find in Braavos, and send them to me by way of Eastwatch. Archers as well, we need more bows."

If Stannis is ordering Massey to search the Disputed Lands, that puts the fleet near the Stepstones. Perhaps this is where Edric Storm returns to the story. I also think the request for archers puts the Summer Isles in play. Must gut reaction, however, is that none of this can come to pass in the time frame (allegedly) remaining in the series. I suspect Massey's mission may get caught up in the events at Hardhome and never make it East. I know that would take them further North than the journey may require, but something tells me the sellswords may instead be wildlings.

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An excerpt from the Theon preview chapter:

If Stannis is ordering Massey to search the Disputed Lands, that puts the fleet near the Stepstones. Perhaps this is where Edric Storm returns to the story. I also think the request for archers puts the Summer Isles in play.

That is true. Aurane Waters with the War Drommonds may also be in the Stepstones. There are bands of Pirates in the Stepstones. These may make good mercenaries IF their established is some exiled, disaffected Westerosi Lord of honour (Who may be looking for more than money).

And you're right the Summer Islanders are reknowned archers and bowmakers. One cannot help but wonder if Sarella Sand or the Exiled Summer Isle King Jhalabar Xho would feature. (Also Margaery Tyrell has been learning the Summer Isles language - why?).

Not many men would wish to marry Shireen for non-political reasons. But Edric Storm grew genuinely fond of her and is proud of his Baratheon heritage. So if given financial means he may well run to Shireen's aid if Stannis is thought dead. We don't know what he has been doing since his departure. It may surprise us. Andrew Estermont who went with him to Lys was one of Stannis' right-hand men. I think Edric may eventually wed Shireen and inherit Storm's End.

Must gut reaction, however, is that none of this can come to pass in the time frame (allegedly) remaining in the series. I suspect Massey's mission may get caught up in the events at Hardhome and never make it East. I know that would take them further North than the journey may require, but something tells me the sellswords may instead be wildlings.

I think this is an intriguing possibility. Justin Massey has (arguably) shown a certain decency/kindness beyond what was needed for his ambitions. He may see and appreciate the plight of the Wildlings ...as well as the opportunity therein. The Wildlings are a tough, warlike people. If they are to live South of the Wall then they must find a place in that new world which is not as free as the lands beyond the Wall. I can see them forming a battle company paid by Iron Bank gold. Those that went to Hardhome clearly didn't trust the Night's Watch but they may take work for pay on their own terms. Justin is bound to go via Hardhome because his charge, Tycho Nestoris, must travel North to retrieve his stranded ships which Cotter Pyke took to Hardhome.

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