The brother that Bloodraven loved . . .

[Toccs]

I don't think that there is much chance it was Daeron, since Daeron was old enough to be Bloodraven's father I doubt that there was much of a brotherly bond between them. We've all been looking to examples of his brothers on the Targaryen side, but what if the brother that he loved was actually on the Blackwood side.

Bloodraven bears the bastard name Rivers, which indicates that he was mostly raised by his mother's family in the Riverlands. I'm thinking that he didn't take up residence in King's Landing until after 184 when he was legitmized and became a royal prince.

Bloodraven and the Raven's Teeth are all armed with Weirwood bows and he seems to be aware of the magical properties of Weirwood arrows.

If there is any truth to the rumours (and there is usually some) then Bloodraven was already proficient with his warging powers during his time as Hand of the King and the animals that he has a bond with are ravens.

Is it just a coincidence that the Blackwood's worship the Old Gods and their seat is Raventree Hall which has a giant Weirwood tree that hundreds of ravens roost in every night?

There's definitely more to Raventree Hall then we've seen, and I think that the Blackwoods are going to play a bigger part in the future of both the main series and the Dunk and Egg stories and since Bloodraven is definitely going to be playing a bigger part in both series I think it is safe to say his relationship with the Blackwood side of his family will be explored in more depth.

In TMK Bloodraven indicates that he doesn't fancy the idea of going to the North. What if the Brackens poisoned the Raventree as a prelude to Bittersteel's invasion in order to cut off Bloodraven's supply of Weirwood and prevent another rain of magical arrows killing their pretender king.

[Fire Eater]

It isn't indicated that Bloodraven had any half-brothers by his mother.

I think Daeron was the brother he loved, given he served on his council and fought for him at the Battle of Redgrass Field. Just because Daeron wasn't much older doesn't mean that it's unlikely that they had a relationship.

Daeron could have looked out for him like an older brother and encouraged him.

[The Lord's Kiss]

I too think Daeron must have been the brother he loved.. He ended up killing his other brother Daemon and sending the one he hated Bittersteel into exile. He helped end the rebellion because of this love, just my opinion.

I hope the Blackwoods have a further and more prominent role to play in this story. Tytos is such a freakin badass, if Stannis dies I was just thinking it would be cool as hell if he could be king. But that ain't gonna happen. Edmure has a better shot and right now he's in chains.

[Toccs]

It isn't indicated that Bloodraven had any half-brothers by his mother.

Not specifically no. But there is plenty of foreshadowing that the Blackwoods have some connection to the deeper mysteries and a bigger part yet to play. To assume that the candidates for Bloodraven's "brother that I loved" must only be his Targaryen side of the family is to assume that we know all there is to know about Bloodraven and that is something we certainly do not know..

The Bloodraven/Blackwood/Old Gods/Raventree connection is significant in my opinion.

[WhiteWolf26]

I don't think that there is much chance it was Daeron, since Daeron was old enough to be Bloodraven's father I doubt that there was much of a brotherly bond between them. We've all been looking to examples of his brothers on the Targaryen side, but what if the brother that he loved was actually on the Blackwood side.

Bloodraven bears the bastard name Rivers, which indicates that he was mostly raised by his mother's family in the Riverlands. I'm thinking that he didn't take up residence in King's Landing until after 184 when he was legitmized and became a royal prince.

Bloodraven and the Raven's Teeth are all armed with Weirwood bows and he seems to be aware of the magical properties of Weirwood arrows.

If there is any truth to the rumours (and there is usually some) then Bloodraven was already proficient with his warging powers during his time as Hand of the King and the animals that he has a bond with are ravens.

Is it just a coincidence that the Blackwood's worship the Old Gods and their seat is Raventree Hall which has a giant Weirwood tree that hundreds of ravens roost in every night?

There's definitely more to Raventree Hall then we've seen, and I think that the Blackwoods are going to play a bigger part in the future of both the main series and the Dunk and Egg stories and since Bloodraven is definitely going to be playing a bigger part in both series I think it is safe to say his relationship with the Blackwood side of his family will be explored in more depth.

In TMK Bloodraven indicates that he doesn't fancy the idea of going to the North. What if the Brackens poisoned the Raventree as a prelude to Bittersteel's invasion in order to cut off Bloodraven's supply of Weirwood and prevent another rain of magical arrows killing their pretender king.

You have you Daerons confused I think. Daeron II is the brother he loved.

ETA: arent all the great bastards products of aegon the unworthys sexcapades pre his marriage to his sister? So wouldnt that make Bloodraven older than Daeron II

[redviper9]

I also think it was Daeron. As Fire Eater mentioned above, there hasn't been any indication that he had half-brothers from his mother's side of the family. That, and he ultimately chose to remain loyal to Daeron and fiercely advocated a hard line against the rebels.

Slight tangent: any guesses as to what his relationship with Daemon was like prior to the rebellion? We know he and Bittersteel hated each other, but I don't recall reading anything about Bloodraven and Daemon, other than Bloodraven leading the fight against Daemon and essentially killing him when he ordered the Raven's Teeth to fire.

[Toccs]

I think Daeron was the brother he loved, given he served on his council and fought for him at the Battle of Redgrass Field. Just because Daeron wasn't much older doesn't mean that it's unlikely that they had a relationship.

Daeron could have looked out for him like an older brother and encouraged him.

I'm not saying they didn't have any relationship, obviously they did since Bloodraven fought for him and sat on his council. But Daeron had a son who was almost 10 years older then Bloodraven, any relationship would have been more of a father/son dynamic speaking from my experience with families I know that have similar age differences.

Also if Bloordaven was raised in the Riverlands and didn't go to court until his legitmization then he would have had no relationship to speak of with Daeron prior to that.

[Toccs]

You have you Daerons confused I think. Daeron II is the brother he loved.

I don't have them confused. Daeron II was already almost 50 when he became king, his son Baelor was of a similar age to his half brother Daemon who was himself several years older then Bloodraven.

[redviper9]

Not specifically no. But there is plenty of foreshadowing that the Blackwoods have some connection to the deeper mysteries and a bigger part yet to play. To assume that the candidates for Bloodraven's "brother that I loved" must only be his Targaryen side of the family is to assume that we know all there is to know about Bloodraven and that is something we certainly do not know..

The Bloodraven/Blackwood/Old Gods/Raventree connection is significant in my opinion.

I also think/hope the Blackwoods play a bigger role. I actually think both them and the Brackens could become more prominent, especially if Aegon is revealed to be a Blackfyre (and we already know that the first rebellion is one of the many sources of tension between the two houses).

[Jolene Brown]

Couldn't he have loved Daemon? I got the impression that he was a decent guy (part of why he lost). It would be an interesting irony if Bloodraven loved Daemon but fought against him anyway out of a sense of duty. I haven't read Dunk & Egg though, so my info is fairly secondhand.

[redviper9]

Couldn't he have loved Daemon? I got the impression that he was a decent guy (part of why he lost). It would be an interesting irony if Bloodraven loved Daemon but fought against him anyway out of a sense of duty. I haven't read Dunk & Egg though, so my info is fairly secondhand.

This question is partly why I asked above if anyone knew anything or had any guesses as to what Bloodraven's relationship with Daemon was like prior to the rebellion. We know he and Bittersteel hated each other; we know he and Shiera Seastar were lovers; and we know he remained loyal to Daeron when Daemon rebelled. All we really seem to know about BR and Daemon is that BR gave the battlefield order that resulted in Daemon's death.

[Toccs]

Couldn't he have loved Daemon? I got the impression that he was a decent guy (part of why he lost). It would be an interesting irony if Bloodraven loved Daemon but fought against him anyway out of a sense of duty. I haven't read Dunk & Egg though, so my info is fairly secondhand.

I've thought this too, maybe he loved Daemon and hated Bittersteel because Bittersteel encouraged Daemon to rebel which forced Bloodraven to kill him.

But there is the way that he killed Daemon at the Redgrass Field. I don't think that there is anything inherently bad about the way he used terrain and tactics to his advantage but it's that he deliberately killed young Aegon first so that Daemon would stay beside his dying son and then he killed young Aemon as soon as he picked up the sword. It just seems to me like a man reluctantly fighting against his half brother might have at least tried to save the children and take them captive.

[redviper9]

I've thought this too, maybe he loved Daemon and hated Bittersteel because Bittersteel encouraged Daemon to rebel which forced Bloodraven to kill him.

But there is the way that he killed Daemon at the Redgrass Field. I don't think that there is anything inherently bad about the way he used terrain and tactics to his advantage but it's that he deliberately killed young Aegon first so that Daemon would stay beside his dying son and then he killed young Aemon as soon as he picked up the sword. It just seems to me like a man reluctantly fighting against his half brother might have at least tried to save the children and take them captive.

Yeah, it does seem that Bloodraven used Daemon's love for his children against him, in much the same way people used Ned's and Robb's honor codes to bring them down.

In The Mystery Knight, Bloodraven opted not to execute Daemon II -- Daemon's third son -- though this was done to prevent Bittersteel from crowning another of Daemon's sons more than anything else.

[Toccs]

Then again who is to say that Daemon is not the brother that he hated and Bittersteel is in fact the brother that he loved.

If the fight between Bloodraven and Bittersteel at the Redgrass Field was truly second only to the fight between Gwayne Corbray and Daemon and if Bittersteel won the fight and was able to escape, why did he let Bloodraven live and only take an eye?

Maybe Bloodraven and Bittersteel grew up close as royal bastards in the Riverlands and Bloodraven hated Daemon for causing the rift between them.

[kissdbyfire]

In TMK Bloodraven indicates that he doesn't fancy the idea of going to the North. What if the Brackens poisoned the Raventree as a prelude to Bittersteel's invasion in order to cut off Bloodraven's supply of Weirwood and prevent another rain of magical arrows killing their pretender king.

I'd love to see a lot more of the Blackwoods. As to the poisoned weirwood at Raventree Hall, it was poisoned long before Bittersteel and Bloodraven and all that.

ADwD, Jaime

"The Brackens poisoned it,” said his host. “For a thousand years it has not shown a leaf. In another thousand it will have turned to stone, the maesters say. Weirwoods never rot.”

[The Red Hand]

Couldn't he have loved Daemon? I got the impression that he was a decent guy (part of why he lost). It would be an interesting irony if Bloodraven loved Daemon but fought against him anyway out of a sense of duty. I haven't read Dunk & Egg though, so my info is fairly secondhand.

Thats the feeling I got when BR first talked about it. Wasn't he talking about sadness or regrets when he said it? I'm pretty sure it was Daemon, but only time will tell.

[Sapphire]

At first I assumed Daeron was the brother Bloodraven loved, but there's a big age difference bwteen them. It's possible Daeron took charge of his little brother and Bloodraven's loyalty was borne of brotherly love rather than only duty. I think Daemon could also be the one. They're of a similar age and without the animosity that marred the relationship with Bittersteel. It would make sense that Brynden is haunted by the brother he loved and had to kill. Edit: Daeron died of the Great Spring Sickness, which Bloodraven was blamed for. Guess he could be haunted by not being able to nip that disease before it got a foothold in KL.

Then again who is to say that Daemon is not the brother that he hated and Bittersteel is in fact the brother that he loved.

If the fight between Bloodraven and Bittersteel at the Redgrass Field was truly second only to the fight between Gwayne Corbray and Daemon and if Bittersteel won the fight and was able to escape, why did he let Bloodraven live and only take an eye?

Maybe Bloodraven and Bittersteel grew up close as royal bastards in the Riverlands and Bloodraven hated Daemon for causing the rift between them.

The Blackwoods and Brackens hate each other and the Unworthy added fuel to the fire when he took a mistress from both families. I can't see them being allowed to associate tbh.

[the Scorpion Knight]

I think the brother he loved was daemon

[not in the face]

Is there any chance it was Aemon? Nightswatch brotherhood and all.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

I too think Daeron II must be the one he loved and Bittersteel was the one he hated. I don't see why the age gap between Brynden and Daeron had to have an adverse effect on their relationship.