Prologue Idea!

[KingInTheNorth32]

Hey guys,

It dawned on me the other day that I have a great idea for the prologue of the next installment in the ASOIAF series, TWOW. I apologize if someone else has thought of this before but to me its a great way to start the next book.

I would love it if GRRM started TWOW with the prologue being the POV of either Galbart Gobert or Maege Mormont, the two envoys Robb Stark sent to deliver his message and letter to Howland Reed.

Think about how great this would be. It could begin to shed some light on two of our favorite mysteries. Will R+L=J actually be proven true, and is Robb's decree of Jon to be his heir going to amount to anything? We've all wondered just when and how Howland will play a role, and we know that we arent getting any new POV chapters so that leaves only the prologue and epilogues of the remaining books. Plus we're all wondering how Galbart and Maege's journey to get to Howland actually turned out.

I mean, we have to find out in some fashion what happened to Glover and Mormont right? I guess it could be revealed in a Davos or Theon in chapter but I just thought this may be good idea. Let me know what you guys think and expand on it any way you would like

[andrew_]

You mean Galbart Glover? lol

And yes i think that would be a terrific idea, but it might be from the view of Howland himself. Whatever happens in the next two books, Howland should play an important part

[Patrick Tully]

They were sent to Reed with fake battle plans on paper and the real verbal battle plans. Will they keep fighting openly with Robb dead?

For them to be a prologue POV means they will die, but maybe one could be mortally wounded and show us some insights into Grey Water Watch as they succumb to their wounds.

[TristanGreyjoy]

The way the prologues have gone we are do for somewhere south of the wall that we havent seen yet and greywater watch seems quite probable and exciting

[TyrionsFlagon]

This is a great idea! I hope it comes true.

[Hyder The Unlikely]

Never thought of it, but after reading your post I am actually excited to see more about that story, and I can't wait to find out who Jon actually is

[Imjustababydirewolf]

Shouldn't this prologue be a southern maester or something at least tangentially related to the maesters (like Pate at the Citadel)? If so, it would need to be GWW maester for this to work. I hope Howland Reed plays an important part and that we get to see Graywater Watch (but I think the last part may be doubtful), but I am not sure it will begin with the prologue.

[girlfrommonday]

but Greywater Watch has no maesters

[Tyryan Lannister]

Shouldn't this prologue be a southern maester or something at least tangentially related to the maesters (like Pate at the Citadel)? If so, it would need to be GWW maester for this to work. I hope Howland Reed plays an important part and that we get to see Graywater Watch (but I think the last part may be doubtful), but I am not sure it will begin with the prologue.

but Greywater Watch has no maesters

yep. Two reasons why Robb sent them instead of message by raven: one was so that it would be less likely to fall into enemy hands. But the second is because, as we have been told, not even ravens kind find the location of GWW at any given time do to its mobile nature, which kind of negates the need for a maester

[Tyryan Lannister]

however much I would love for this to be the case, two things stop me from jumping on the wagon: one, because, unless it was told from the POV of a servant or something like that, it would mean that one of Galbart, Maege, or Howland would die, and I don't want that. And two, because, as has been pointed, the south of the Wall prologues also revolve around the maestars. My prediction is that it will be a Frey related maester who gets caught by the Brotherhood, basically a repeat of the Storm of Swords epilogue. That or the maester at Storm's End during Aegon's taking of the castle, which I feel is the most likely one if Martin keeps the pattern going.

[ACVG]

Since the Epi/Pre-logue characters always dies my guess, in order for this to continue the pattern, as well as the pattern that GRRM always gives us a POV of someone who could give us a unique perspective.

I think its gonna be some lowly sellsword in Yunkai... who by the end will be killed off by Victarion by the end of the chapter, letting us know that he has arrived.

This would give us a perspective on what ppl are thinking around there, actually isnt that where we left Tyrion, scratch that...

[girlfrommonday]

But the second is because, as we have been told, not even ravens kind find the location of GWW at any given time do to its mobile nature, which kind of negates the need for a maester

just one off-topic note: I think GWW doesn't 'use' the maesters because culture of the crannogmen is strongly based on the heritage of First Men/CotF (they are very CotF-alike at some level), not because lack of the ravens. If I think correctly, maesters are very Andal thing, right?

and I always thought that we don't have Howland Reed and his people yet, not only because of his friendship with Ned, but also because this could give us some kind (too much) of information about pre-Andal history/culture (definitely more concrete than Old Nan's stories). After all, crannogmen still practicing magic.

[Runaway Penguin]

Prologue? Southern maester. May be several candidates:

Maester of Storm's End

Maester poking nose at Robert Strong

that Archmaester who ran off to see dragons

or even Eyrie maester.

Anyway, Prologue will end pushing up the daisies/feeding the fish.

[girlfrommonday]

The more I think about it: can we be sure about maester's prologue? After all, Pate wasn't maester, but he was sufficiently close to give us insight into the Citadel. We could get prologue associated with the maesters but the actual POV can be different.

[Mother of Kittens]

Last time we had a prologue from the Wall (beyond it actually), next one will be a Maester from the south, who by the way will going to die. Who will it be? Maybe a new character we haven't heard of and from a place we haven't visited yet. Or, somebody who was mentioned before like Qyburn or Marwyn. I want to hear something from the mysterious Isle of Faces, it's kinda intriguing but anyone and anywhere can do.

[Tyryan Lannister]

just one off-topic note: I think GWW doesn't 'use' the maesters because culture of the crannogmen is strongly based on the heritage of First Men/CotF (they are very CotF-alike at some level), not because lack of the ravens. If I think correctly, maesters are very Andal thing, right?

and I always thought that we don't have Howland Reed and his people yet, not only because of his friendship with Ned, but also because this could give us some kind (too much) of information about pre-Andal history/culture (definitely more concrete than Old Nan's stories). After all, crannogmen still practicing magic.

Not necessarily. The septons are. The maesters it's unclear. The main thing that makes it unclear is that we have from Leaf that it was the Children who first taught the First Men to use ravens as message carriers... and since the maesters are primarily advisers and "postmen with ravens", they had to learn this somewhere, and Occum's Razor leads us to it having been the Children who taught the group that eventually became the Maesters.

[Taemlyn Blackfyre]

The first time I read the Red Wedding chapters I completely overlooked the Maege and Galbart subplot. Only after a few re-reads and message board theories did I realise that GRRM has a plan for Robb's "first battle" sent through to the Neck. Of course, time has passed, but not nearly as much as you might think. Howland Reed and the Mallisters could join with the remnants of Robb's army (best guesses say as many as 5000).

But I don't see this as a Prologue.

[girlfrommonday]

The main thing that makes it unclear is that we have from Leaf that it was the Children who first taught the First Men to use ravens as message carriers... and since the maesters are primarily advisers and "postmen with ravens", they had to learn this somewhere, and Occum's Razor leads us to it having been the Children who taught the group that eventually became the Maesters.

Thanks, now I remember. But it also could be First Men - since they possess the knowledge about the ravens, they could be teachers to anyone. My problem with ties of CoF and Maesters is Citadel's reclutance to magic (I trust the words of Marwyn). But they could change their minds for some reason once in the past... Not enough data to say something clever ;)