Balon Swann & the Hunt for the Darkstar

[mwizzle83]

Really? To me that was the worst poser line ever. I mean what the F has he done to earn that title? Aside from mutilating a girl while everyone's distracted by Arys's bravery/foolishness and than run off.

I agree. Balon seems like a decent guy, but the knightiest knight? Lets remember who we're comparing him to. Anyone would seem knightly next to the likes of Boros Blount and Osmund Kettleblack.

[Damar]

I agree. Balon seems like a decent guy, but the knightiest knight? Lets remember who we're comparing him to. Anyone would seem knightly next to the likes of Boros Blount and Osmund Kettleblack.

True, but when compairing to most knights we've seen, Balon still comes out near the top, with Brienne the knightiest knight, than followed by older KG members like Barristan, and than men like Balon, Hyle Hunt and Justin Massey before it gets a lot worse.

[Loras]

I think that if this side-quest is going to be the prologue for book VI (I'm still holding out for Maester Harmune from Eastwatch-by-the-sea - for the record), that it will come from Darkstar's viewpoint.

I don't think that Balon Swann will have anything to reveal that could be essential to the plot, whereas Darkstar might know something about the Daynes and their history and thus the TOJ. I think it could be an interesting reveal at the beginning of the novel if Darkstar says that Rhaegar had another son, one who was born here.

His internal monologue could reveal something about the Lady Ashara - is she definitely dead? Did she fake her death? Is she Lemore? - or her and Eddard's relationship. He might be able to reveal something about Dawn...

I don't know, it just makes more sense to me if the prologue came from a character who actually could reveal something very important, rather than someone who couldn't.

[CBroome1979]

If GRRM stays true to his word, I would think the prologue would probably refer to either events at the Wall or North, or in reference to one of the two battles about to commence. It seems likely that Balon Swann is just being led on a wild goose chase to waste time until Prince Doran decides to make his move. At that point, Balon will either be detained or executed. As for Doran giving orders for Darkstar to kill Myrcella, he was still holding his cards close to his chest at that point, so he would not have ordered her death. But even if he had, there would have been many ways to accomplish this without the situation presented in the books at the river. And to those who don't think cuddly old Prince Doran would gleefully kill off Myrcella or any other Lannister, he has had the promise of vengeance to warm his blood for the past two decades, and some of those he's avenging were his niece and nephew, children murdered on the orders of the Lannisters. I wouldn't put him above anything, in regards to them.

[fusedafuse]

True, but when compairing to most knights we've seen, Balon still comes out near the top, with Brienne the knightiest knight, than followed by older KG members like Barristan, and than men like Balon, Hyle Hunt and Justin Massey before it gets a lot worse.

I admit having ignored Brienne, but Barristan is not really in Westeros, and really who else is alive? Loras? Nah I think Balon could earn the title 'knightiest knight', the blackwater and supporting Tyrion at his trial and all.

Really? To me that was the worst poser line ever. I mean what the F has he done to earn that title? Aside from mutilating a girl while everyone's distracted by Arys's bravery/foolishness and than run off.

Yeah, it was incredibly cocky. Seems to me like all the people in Dorne, expect Doran, are like that. Maybe it didn't go well in written speach, but I meant 'most badass line' as in 'silly line to show off like 'Hey, I'm a badass too"'. It amused me quite frankly, as it felt out of place, but I like to see such trashy lines thrown around in books that are ofttimes so serious.

And when I read about him, I read him as Rhaegar 2.0. He is a poser and definitely cruel, but with the purple eyes and the white hair he was kind of that 'trash-fantasy-antihero', caught in a more realistic, medieval world. Yeah when I reconsider the story there is nothing at all good about the Darkstar to say, he seems to be feared by everyone and he tries to kill a little girl for no real reason at all, the only difference between him and, say Ramsay is that the Darkstar would not flay prisoners, he would kill prisoners before they are in a prison cell though.

On an almost unrelated note, what are the words of House Dayne? I always thought they would be something like 'We are of the Light' or 'We are of the dawn', but the wiki states no words, have they really never been mentioned in the book?

[David C. Hunter]

I wonder if Balon is our next prologue, or Obara? How else will we know what happened, only trough Areo and report to Doran? My strongest hope is that they will find certain eight graves in Princes pass.

Also I like the theory that Darkstar is working for Doran in fact.

That is a hilarious theory to get rid of Obara Sand. I would actually be ok with that because Obara is the only Sand Snake that irritates me. In a lot of ways she is irrelevant to the Game of Thrones for Dorne anyway. In fact she is dead weight and cannot mask her emotions for jack.

The other sand snakes will do much better.

[Artos Stark]

I also believe that Balon is being led to his dead and that the Darkstar kills him in a great battle and likely in doing so becomes the next Sword of the Morning

[Magic 8 Ball]

I can certainly see "Darkstar" killing Balon, but as I posted in the crackpot thread, I'm really beginning to believe that Darkstar isn't "real", so he can't become the new sword of the morning.

I can't find any evidence to contradict this theory, and it explains some things that seemed odd about him.

He doesn't have an established family tree, just some notion that he comes from some ill-defined cadet house of the Daynes, some murky knightly house that we don't have much information on.

I think "Darkstar" is a fiction cooked up by Doran Martell to do violent dishonorable deeds that serve a political purpose in his schemes. You can't have a real person going around randomly slicing open little girl's faces. If someone demands his head, it really doesn't matter because he simply doesn't exist.

I had a hard time stomaching his sudden bizarre attack on Myrcella until I thought of it this way. There have probably been numerous individuals playing the role of "Darkstar" over the years.

When Darkstar comes off as fake and awkward, it's because he really is a fake. It's some sellsword or man-at-arms playing a role on behalf of Doran, nobody seems to know him or his background very well, and when someone shows up as "Darkstar" claiming to be "the most dangerous man in Dorne", they really aren't kidding because they are there to do something nasty "off the books" for Doran Martell.

[mchaza]

DarkStar tried to kill Mycella simply because either Crowning her or killing her will provoke War with the Lannisters and Dorne wants war, Doran understands this and is willing to give them war but is trying to hold out until Danny comes to even the odds because Dorne cannot hope to defeat the Tyrells and Lannisters by the themselves. Now they are going to join with Ageon tho and the Golden company since he has already conquered the Stormlands.

Doran also would of wanted Mycella alive as a hostage, he knows that Cersei is fanatical about her children so she will do what it takes to keep her alive like keeping the Lannisters out of the War, until they have the winning edge.

[xRobbStarkx]

I can certainly see "Darkstar" killing Balon, but as I posted in the crackpot thread, I'm really beginning to believe that Darkstar isn't "real", so he can't become the new sword of the morning.

I can't find any evidence to contradict this theory, and it explains some things that seemed odd about him.

He doesn't have an established family tree, just some notion that he comes from some ill-defined cadet house of the Daynes, some murky knightly house that we don't have much information on.

I think "Darkstar" is a fiction cooked up by Doran Martell to do violent dishonorable deeds that serve a political purpose in his schemes. You can't have a real person going around randomly slicing open little girl's faces. If someone demands his head, it really doesn't matter because he simply doesn't exist.

I had a hard time stomaching his sudden bizarre attack on Myrcella until I thought of it this way. There have probably been numerous individuals playing the role of "Darkstar" over the years.

When Darkstar comes off as fake and awkward, it's because he really is a fake. It's some sellsword or man-at-arms playing a role on behalf of Doran, nobody seems to know him or his background very well, and when someone shows up as "Darkstar" claiming to be "the most dangerous man in Dorne", they really aren't kidding because they are there to do something nasty "off the books" for Doran Martell.

Doran refers to Darkstar as "the most dangerous man in all of Dorne", which seems to indicate a real person. Despite Darkstar's laughable one-liner, I would like to see him in a battle to test Doran's declaration of him being the most dangerous Dornishman. Then again, maybe he is considered so "dangerous" because he is willing to do anything to get Dorne into the war, even attacking a little girl.

[Independent George]

Until I see some evidence otherwise, I hold to my theory that the attack on Myrcella was in fact merely a botched attempt at seppuku after Darkstar saw the ambush. He just has really bad aim.

[Été]

I also think Darkstar is likely to be on Doran's payroll, though I'd be rather sad to either him or Balon Swann getting killed off before we get a chance to know them better. Unfortunately, a prologue POV seems like our only chance of seeing that fight.

Its not given to the Lord of Starfall but to the one who deserves it, currently the Sword of the Mourning sits in Starfall, I dont know who decides to wield dawn but their must be some counsel at starfall that decides.

Just to clarify - the Sword of the Morning is a member of the Dayne family who is given custody of Dawn. There isn't a Sword of the Morning at Starfall because the position has been vacant since Ned killed Arthur Dayne. The sword is still there, though, awaiting the next holder of the office.

Darkstar's inherent douchiness seems to preclude him from ever being awarded that title (and I have my own hyper-crackpot theory about whether or not he's actually a Dayne), but it would be kinda interesting if he stole Dawn from Starfall.

[aryagonnakill]

I can certainly see "Darkstar" killing Balon, but as I posted in the crackpot thread, I'm really beginning to believe that Darkstar isn't "real", so he can't become the new sword of the morning.

I can't find any evidence to contradict this theory, and it explains some things that seemed odd about him.

He doesn't have an established family tree, just some notion that he comes from some ill-defined cadet house of the Daynes, some murky knightly house that we don't have much information on.

I think "Darkstar" is a fiction cooked up by Doran Martell to do violent dishonorable deeds that serve a political purpose in his schemes. You can't have a real person going around randomly slicing open little girl's faces. If someone demands his head, it really doesn't matter because he simply doesn't exist.

I had a hard time stomaching his sudden bizarre attack on Myrcella until I thought of it this way. There have probably been numerous individuals playing the role of "Darkstar" over the years.

When Darkstar comes off as fake and awkward, it's because he really is a fake. It's some sellsword or man-at-arms playing a role on behalf of Doran, nobody seems to know him or his background very well, and when someone shows up as "Darkstar" claiming to be "the most dangerous man in Dorne", they really aren't kidding because they are there to do something nasty "off the books" for Doran Martell.

I have to disagree based on arianne's pov chapter in affc where her and darkstar and a few others are waiting in the desert for arys and myrcella. Arianne knows darkstar from the past, and it is hinted that she knows him intimately, she says that from far away his eyes looked, some color i can't remember, but that she had seen them much closer and knew they were purple, also the look he gives arianne where she says arys would have fought him then and she didn't know how the fight would go.

[The King of Worms]

A good and possible prologue for Winds of Winter would be Balon being killed by Darkstar,,,

Balon is at the ruins of the Tower of Joy. Finds the graves of the old Kingsguard. At what seems like the grave of the legendary Arthur Dayne there is a sword thrust into the ground. Looking behind and all around him he cautiously approaches, and cannot resis it. He reaches out to grab the Valyrian steel... what looks like the legendary sword Dawn.

And he is bitten by some black sand snake. Incredible pain... the flesh ballons with venom... blurred vision.. and he hears treacherous laughter...

[Ser Endrew Tarth]

Given his "darker" disposition, if Darkstar gains the sword dawn, will he become "The Sword of the Evening"? lol

Good thread though, I had all but forgotten Darkstar was on the lamb with Swann in hot pursuit...

[morgan1028]

Balon Swann will more than likely die at the hands of Darkstar. Unless Obara does him in. I have nothing to base this on just a feeling. Incidentally High Hermitage is a cool name for a castle

[NichealBluth]

If he works for him, what does Doran accomplish by attacking Myrcella? I suppose he may have wanted to only wound her, but why?

Although Doran saying Darkstar is the most dangerous man in Dorne kinda does get me thinking he might be working for him.

Balon is at the ruins of the Tower of Joy. Finds the graves of the old Kingsguard. At what seems like the grave of the legendary Arthur Dayne there is a sword thrust into the ground. Looking behind and all around him he cautiously approaches, and cannot resis it. He reaches out to grab the Valyrian steel... what looks like the legendary sword Dawn.

And he is bitten by some black sand snake. Incredible pain... the flesh ballons with venom... blurred vision.. and he hears treacherous laughter...

That would be awesome!

I'm not sure it would even work, though. Balon Swann doesn't seem like the kind of knight that would take Dawn. And why would Dawn be at Arthur's grave?

[the Scorpion Knight]

I wouldn't be surprised if balon swann simply abandons them to protect myrcella by joining aegon

[SerGrahamando ofUttershill]

If he works for him, what does Doran accomplish by attacking Myrcella? I suppose he may have wanted to only wound her, but why?

Although Doran saying Darkstar is the most dangerous man in Dorne kinda does get me thinking he might be working for him.

I've got a suspicion that the girl being returned to KL is not the real Myrcella. She was wounded so that she could not be recognised easily. Although we know she was wounded it isn't clear how badly. Also, Doran makes several comments about how all children can look the same when he is at the Water Gardens. And why would he return such a valuable hostage when he has doubts about Gregor's death and is planning to declare war on the Iron Throne, and therfore on the Lannisters?

[Ciazio]

I've got a suspicion that the girl being returned to KL is not the real Myrcella. She was wounded so that she could not be recognised easily. Although we know she was wounded it isn't clear how badly. Also, Doran makes several comments about how all children can look the same when he is at the Water Gardens. And why would he return such a valuable hostage when he has doubts about Gregor's death and is planning to declare war on the Iron Throne, and therfore on the Lannisters?

Might be but... "Myrcella" is going to be delivered to her mother......... Moreover, she's only missing an ear, Cersei is definetively going to recognize her even if she's missing by 2 years.

Again, might be, but...