Aeron Greyjoy and the Others

[Lord Varys]

So, since it's confirmed for quite some time that there will be more Aeron Greyjoy chapters coming in TWoW we should start to speculate how on earth this boring POV could ever become interesting to the overall story. A POV on the Iron Islands would be completely pointless since literally no one of importance is there (no, Erik Anvilbreaker is no important character).

And it has already been confirmed in ADwD that Aeron has disappeared - meaning that the Damphair most likely is no longer on the Iron Islands.

So where the hell is he?

He obviously is not with Euron's forces in the south (on some ship or on the Shield Isles), nor has he accompanied Victarion to Slaver's Bay. He is also not with Asha's forces at Deepwood Motte. There is a certain possibility that he went to Torrhen's Square to join Dagmer Cleftjaw and his troops, but this would make little sense from a stretegic point of view since Aeron's main goal is to oust Euron Crow's Eye as King of the Iron Islands - a bunch of no-name warriors won't help him much.

It's also not likely that Euron has slipped away on the Westerosi main land, since he's not comfortable with the green land customs, people, and religion. No one there cares about the Drowned God or his issues with his older brother, so he would neither seek nor get any help there.

So what's Aeron up to?

My guess is he received some sort of 'sign/vision' from his imagined god pointing him far north to seek aid against his godless brother. I believe Aeron is on his way beyond the Wall by ship to pick up wights/Others to retake the Iron Islands and crush his brother.

From very early on a main question of the Others plot is why on earth do they not circumvent the spells within the magic ice wall preventing them marching south by using ships. Considering the fact that the Others are not stupid one would think that they would be able to build ships to get south (just as the wildlings did from time to time).

GRRM would be completely stupid to not address this question eventually. No idea if the Others are able to touch people in dreams and stuff, but even if not, Aeron is mad enough to decide on a whim that his salvation lies far north. And speculating that the Others become much stronger in winter now the time for their strike has come. From Mel's POV we know that they might eventually attack a towered fortress that is not Eastwatch (Mel was at Eastwatch and she remembered that it looked differently). And since there should no longer be any towers at Hardhome, it's of the list as well. That leaves only the Shadow Tower as a towered fortress at the Wall (and perhaps Pyke as a fortress not at the Wall).

If the Others should eventually attack the Wall, the Shadow Tower and the Bridge of Skulls (which apparently crosses the Gorge) would be the logical choice. Mostly because the Wall ends at the Gorge and if the spells in the Wall prevent the Others from marching south they would most likely attack in an environment where this magic holds no sway. Wights could not only cross the Bridge of Skulls but also walk through the Gorge and climb up the cliff. After all, they are dead and have no reason to fear falling down.

But from a strategic point of view the smart thing for the Others to do would be deploying vast numbers of wights by boat/float down south all over the western coast. It's mostly depopulated and only fisher folk travels the sea.

And if the Others have means of looking south, the Iron Islands would be the ideal place for a basis in the south:

1. Nearly no one is there anymore.

2. Lots of naval infrastructure is there. Ironborn wights should be able to man and navigate ships.

From there the Others could attack the southern regions of Westeros. Te weaken/sever the connection between the North and the South before starting the all-out attack on the Wall might also be good strategy. Wreaking havoc with wights in the south/south of the Wall would make it difficult for humanity to unite against the common foe.

Just as Mance tried to take Castle Black from the rear, the Others could try the same, only a much larger scale. Neither Stannis nor Jon would expect to be attacked by wights/Others from behind!

My guess would be that Aeron sees some (perhaps disintegrating) wights arrive on the coast of the Iron Islands and misinterprets them as a sign from the Drowned God. If there is a man mad enough to actually believe the Others to be servants of his god it would be Aeron Greyjoy. And he would also be mad enough to try to make a deal with them. In fact, he could be actually be successful if he shows up with a small fleet beyond the Wall. And it would also make a nice nod towards Victarion - he is now a servant of fire, whereas his brother allies himself with ice...

Any thoughts about that?

Or does anyone else have an idea how an Aeron POV could be interesting/important in future volumes of the series?

[Ice Turtle]

I think he is on Islands trying to gain support of small-folk and thralls. With so many captains away it may go out of hand and we will see the first open smallfolk rebellion. But if there isn't some capable leader (Aeron is probably as competent as Theon - which mean he sucks) it is going to end up badly for the Island folk.

As for magic, human sacrifices for drowned god sound a little like what Craster was doing and you never know who what is under water.

[IKE]

I think there could be something going on with Others.. I like to pretend Aeron's calling Cthulhu, not much different, but Others are more fitting to ASOIAF..

[JJtheCrow]

So do you think he would sail up the the Other leader and strike some sort of deal? Like help me take the Iron Islands and you can have the rest of westeros??? Doesn't seem plausable to me. I think i would have to give up on the series if that happened.

[aryagonnakill]

That seems a little far fetched for me, i know its grrm but... The entire story were told how the wall defends the realm, we've read many pov's talking about the wall coming down. Mance ryder could get his people around the wall, i dont think the others can organize dead wights much better then mance could organize alive people, and i dont think they can sail, or build ships. My opinion of Aeron is that he will either be on the iron islands gathering supporters, or with Eurons fleet trying to kill him. I see Aerons plot connecting with Theon's or Asha's and making it possible for one of them to sit the seastone chair, either by having support ready when they/ one of them return, or by killing euron right before they get there.

[xRobbStarkx]

Although it would be a cool turn on a boring ass character, that is so much planning on the white walkers part, I pictured them more like straight up animated corpses I can't see them huddled around a map of Westeros making plans to attack by ship or even making a pact with a human for that matter. When I picture their attack, I picture a mass of blue-eyed white walkers on the move down from the North, an iminent threat on anyone in their path.

I'll admit Coldhands did change everything though, because he alone seemed to be able to be cognizant of his actions and actually chose to help Bran, so who knows if he was an exception or the first sign that the white walkers are more than just zombie-like killers.

Maybe evidence to your theory would be the Greyjoy's words, (What is dead may never die), maybe such a pact has happened before? Just speculation

[Raerin]

I believe that there was only one reason to introduce Damphair POV, namely to allow us, the readers, to see something worthy of depicting by the author. I think Martin introduced Aeron as a witness to the cataclysm: Iron Isles flooded by the sea. The role which Damphair plays in TWoW is to awesomely die.

[The Meeraculous Third Reed]

I think he may have gone to Ibben, for reasons explained here.

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/66155-a-crackpot-theory-aeron-has-gone-to-ibben/page__p__3185233#entry3185233

[flinky]

unless he can go west to get to Ibben he wont make it there until ADOS, that is like going from england around africa then back up to india

[TheCrannogman]

Hes floating in the ocean somewhere, waiting for the Drowned God to let him wash up on shore where he is needed.

Actually I like everything you've said about The Others attacking at Shadow Tower and the Bridge of Skulls, and it would definitely tie into Mel's vision when she sees all of the skulls. They probably will use boats too (dead things at sea...). My problem is I just cant se Aeron teaming up with them, the Others are like an incarnation of the Storm God who is evil, a pious man as Aeron would never make a deal with the devil.

[The Meeraculous Third Reed]

unless he can go west to get to Ibben he wont make it there until ADOS, that is like going from england around africa then back up to india

Well it is a logistical nightmare but I think it can just about be done. Tyrion got from KL to Meereen in the space of a few months, and as the Kingsmoot most likely took place temporally within the SOS timeframe, I don't think it can be completely ruled out. It's unlikely, but not impossible.

[Lord Varys]

Well, think about the effect some wights could have on Aeron if they had showed up at the coast of Old Wyk some time after the Kingsmoot. 'What's dead may never die', after all. Living corpses would embody the essence of his religion. Even more so, since anything coming from the sea would be seen as a gift/sign by the Drowned God in Aeron's weird line of reasoning.

There has been no reference to the Others whatsoever in the stuff we know about Ironborn religion, so I don't see Aeron considering them to be evil incarnate.

Yes, it's not that likely that he would just decide on a whim to go north to strike a deal with the Others, but if

1. Some wights showed up at the coast he considers to be signs/servants of the Drowned God

2. Weird dreams/visions point him north

him traveling north would be a possibility. Not sure if the Others would be willing to strike a deal with him, but it would technically possible since Craster is proof enough that there can be some sort of understanding/relationship between humanity and Others.

Say, if Aeron would provide the Others sufficient ships/boats to get Others/wights in the rear of the Night's Watch/Stannis, I don't see why they would not promise him their help to get rid of Euron. After all, if the Others do intend to conquer all of Westeros, they would have to invade the Iron Islands eventually. So why not jump on the chance when it's given.

I don't think there won't be an all-out attack on the Wall, but I'd be really surprised if the Others would not try to circumvent the Wall. In winter they should be immensely more powerful. I guess it'll be even possible that the sea is going to freeze, so that the Others/wights can walk south around the Wall.

As to Aeron still being on the Iron Islands:

Asha's chapters established that he apparently left the islands. No one can find him. Victarion assumed in AFfC that he would remain there and raise the smallfolk, but apparently he does not do that. Euron's Lord Steward of the Iron Islands has taken precautions to prevent the priests from messing with politics by imprisoning them. But he could not find Aeron. To raise the people Aeron would have to give public speeches and stuff, which in turn would make it impossible to disappear completely. But since no one knows where he is, he evidently left the Iron Islands.

[Lord Martin]

I'd like to think he's headed south towards Oldtowne and has been learning how to summon or control Krakens or Sea Dragons.

If that is what he's doing, then I'd expect him to turn those monsters on Euron and his fleet.

Redwyne is sailing towards Euron's fleet too, I'd be awesome if there was a massive battle and then a Kraken came in and wiped out everything!

[Ice Turtle]

A lot off topic but anyone else noticed that Cotter Pyke mentioned Patchface in his letter to Jon? I can imagine that as ironborn he was interested in his story.

[Apoapsis]

Damphair has obviously been travelling with the Iron Fleet, glamoured as a dusky woman.

On a more serious note, I'm afraid he's just been busy setting something up with Asha to declare the kingsmoot invalid and depose Euron. "Afraid", because I really couldn't give a fish about who gets the seastone chair.

[bent branch]

All of this is making me hope that Aeron's chapter is included with the paperback release of ADWD in August.

[Lothar Imbel]

He received a vision from The Drowned God about Patchface, and has gone north to meet him.

Patchface will blow Aeron's mind.

[flinky]

Patchface is the drowned gods Azor Ahai, Mel is afraid of what he is going to do. i havent finished my highlighting of ADWD but he is going to do something i know i know oh oh oh

[The Meeraculous Third Reed]

Another thought.

Aeron may have headed back to the shores of the westerlands, where he first had his spiritual awakening.

[Arkash]

(Aeron is probably as competent as Theon - which mean he sucks)

I wouldnt bet on that... he is said to be very charismatic, tall, powerful, impressive, big deep voice...