Varys.... what the hell does he want?

[Independent George]

this is debatable. by telling robert about the pregnancy he pretty much is for the assasination. also ned stark tells varys to stop the execution so this could have caused varys to send another urgent message warning jorah, OR Jorah could have even acted on his own accord after falling in love with dany.

It's not debatable - it's stated explicitly in the text. Varys never hired an assassin - he quietly let it be known a lordship was promised to anyone who killed Dany. Jorah says outright in SOS that Varys gave orders that she was to be watched, but not harmed.

meanwhile, varys wanted to prevent the war in the riverlands when he meant to have ned confess and be sent to the wall. i don't care what anyone says, varys wanted to send ned back and had no idea joff would call an audible and hack off the hand's head (and if varys was behind this then he's just evil and played mind games with ned?), why? isnt the conflict the best thing that could have happened for their plan?

Remember Varys' conversation with Illyrio in GOT - he wants war but not right then. Illyrio wants him to delay, Varys wants Illyrio to hurry.

[lunadangelo]

Just because Vary's does not tell Jorah to kill her and to watch her instead does not mean that he did not send somebody directly or indirectly ( e.g. promising anybody a title) to/for killing her. In fact, I recall that he tells Ned around or just after Rob's death that it was too late to change the message as that birds had already flown or something along those lines.

In any case, I think Jorah acted on his own accord having fallen for Daenarys.

I think the problem with working out Varys' intentions is that he does a lot of double dealings. And whilst he knows he can control some things, he is also clever enough to realise he can not control (human - nature ) everything. I mean who actually foresaw that the eggs would really hatch, that Drogo would kill Viserys, that Joffrey would kill Ned, that ...... I could go on and on.

Hence he has oftentimes what appear to be contradictory irons in the fire, all forming an inter-tangled SPIDER'S WEB.

[Ser Richard Horpe]

It's not debatable - it's stated explicitly in the text. Varys never hired an assassin - he quietly let it be known a lordship was promised to anyone who killed Dany. Jorah says outright in SOS that Varys gave orders that she was to be watched, but not harmed.

is your proof jorah's testimony? first off this is Jorah speaking not varys, and also to be noted, this is Jorah speaking whilst trying to save his own skin/ convince dany of his allegiance. varys never hired jorah to kill her. it is clear the wine poisoner is/was hired. if it was just a blanket offer of lordship, wouldnt there be more attempts on dany's life? DERP

also i haven't read GOT since Nam so i'm not entirely sure if its in the book or not, but Varys definately tells Ned it is too late to cancel the assasination in the show, pretty sure that scene happens in the book too, i may be mistaken. again though , why would varys lie here, to fool us as readers? good one varys...

[Whitering]

Maybe he just believed the same as Rhaegar did, and that the Prince that was Promised would come from the Targ line.

[Janicia]

Varys must have been fairly young when he started working for the Mad King. What if he was a pawn, rather than a player, at that point? It is plausible that Varys focused on ingratiating himself with the Mad King, by giving him as much information as possible, without thinking about the implications of that information. When everything slipped out of control, when the Mad King's behavior became intolerable and when Varys was unable to prevent the sack of Kings Landing, that might have motivated him to become a player of the game.

I don't like the theory that Varys is a steadfast Targaryan or Blackfyre loyalist because I don't think Varys is the kind of person who believes in the sanctity of bloodlines. He rose from nothing and he's seen all sorts of stupidity and cruelty from the noblest bloodlines. I don't think he ever intended to put Dany or Viserys on the throne, they were just pawns in the game to crown Aegon. Varys supports Aegon because of all the pains they've taken to educate Aegon to be a good king. It is important to Varys that Aegon have a plausible blood claim to the throne so that he can be accepted by the realm, but Varys wouldn't support a mad Aegon just because of bloodlines.

[Lady Flandrensis]

Varys appears to want the best for the realm. At least he seems to have a sort of Maester's loyalty to the realm rather than to people. He hates magic, has a vendetta for his gelding, and seems to care little for owning riches or power himself, though he wields quite a bit of influence. I'd say he's full of ambition for something but what it is... :dunno:

[Broken Fox]

I feel Varys being a Targaryen loyalist, or any House's loyalist for that matter, belittles his character. I like the idea of him being a true neutral character.

[Ramsay B.]

I feel Varys being a Targaryen loyalist, or any House's loyalist for that matter, belittles his character. I like the idea of him being a true neutral character.

Yes, I hope he is more than just a Blackfyre loyalist. It's so much more intriguing that way. I hope before all said and done that we get a lot more information about the exact details of Varys coming over to Westeros and him being the rot that began Aerys's madness(along with the events at Duskendale).

[Grimbold]

That's a good question.

A fellow who was brought to Westeros by and to serve the Mad King. Later on, it's like he wants the targaryens back in the throne. But that doesn't make much sense... didn't we warn Aerys of the chance of Raegar staging a coup, essentially playing them agaisnt each other?

[Rhaegarsjoy]

I think he works for the Martells, who suggested Elia the sickly over every noble woman in westeros and whose bringing back Doran Martells nephew to take the throne? Explains why he told everyone viserys and Dany were his plan for vengeance when he took no active role in reinstalling them.

[Ramsay B.]

I think he works for the Martells, who suggested Elia the sickly over every noble woman in westeros and whose bringing back Doran Martells nephew to take the throne? Explains why he told everyone viserys and Dany were his plan for vengeance when he took no active role in reinstalling them.

Never heard that before. That's smart thinking.

[Yakman]

It's certainly an interesting question.

For a man who has no attachments, but certainly has more than a fair share of coin, he sleeps in ascetic's cell. He destests magic, yet sleeps on a bed that rises with a magical charm.

He is committed to plotting with Illyrio, yet the major impediment to that plot, who has nearly wrecked it, Littlefinger, remains free and at large.

What does Varys want?

Well, we know what Illyrio wants. So for right now, I'll say that Varys wants to help Illyrio and leave it at that. But I'll keep an eye open.

[Morienthar]

Fyre and Blood.

[Yakman]

nope.

[joluoto]

I don't think he's just a Blackfyre loyalist. I think he might use the Blackfyre loyalists for his own purposes.

[Yakman]

I don't think he's just a Blackfyre loyalist. I think he might use the Blackfyre loyalists for his own purposes.

The only Blackfyre Loyalists are the Golden Company.

[joluoto]

The only Blackfyre Loyalists are the Golden Company.

And possibly Illyrio. I'm not sure Varys really see Illyrio as a friend they way Illyrio cpnsider Varys. Wouldn't surprise me if Illyrio in Varys' eyes is just a tool to be used.

[BaseBornBastard]

I believe that Varys' motives (whatever they may be) can be traced back to the day he was cut. I think that whatever "the voice" said to Varys when his parts were being burnt on the brazier changed him. I'm convinced that Varys, from his encounter with this entity, knows something that most people do not and that this knowledge has shaped his actions ever since. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that he knows of the Long Night that's about to come, and is doing what he can to help humanity. If Aegon is actually real, then my guess is that Varys thinks he's AAR. If not, I still believe his actions are centered around combating the threat of the Others.

[Yakman]

And possibly Illyrio. I'm not sure Varys really see Illyrio as a friend they way Illyrio cpnsider Varys. Wouldn't surprise me if Illyrio in Varys' eyes is just a tool to be used.

Illyrio is a Pentoshi merchant from humble origins who stole and fought his way from water dancer to plutocrat to would be Grand Vizier.

He could care less about the claims of some failed cadet branch. The Blackfyres are dead and buried. If Illyrio is related to them, then he's a bastard offspring from some whore's nest. His lineage, is at best, tangential to the plot.

His relationship with Varys is fascinating though... but I think there's more on the surface than hidden at this point.

[joluoto]

Illyrio is a Pentoshi merchant from humble origins who stole and fought his way from water dancer to plutocrat to would be Grand Vizier.

He could care less about the claims of some failed cadet branch. The Blackfyres are dead and buried. If Illyrio is related to them, then he's a bastard offspring from some whore's nest. His lineage, is at best, tangential to the plot.

His relationship with Varys is fascinating though... but I think there's more on the surface than hidden at this point.

The Blackfyre theorists have always claimed it actually was Illyrio's wife who was a Blackfyre (she had Valyrian features).