If you were one of the smallfolk, who would you want to be your overlord?

[Mark Antony]

The Ned

[Lion of Judah]

Eddard Stark or Layton Hightower.

[The Mother of The Others]

That superhooker in Braavos who was running her own micro-community.

[Mark Antony]

That superhooker in Braavos

:rofl:

[Arkantos]

Not to drag this thread into a Stannis discussion, but no, he is NOT a good man. He burns people alive. On an ongoing basis. That makes him a very, very BAD man.

He is not a good man because he burns people?

Jesus Christ, I really can't be bothered with this sort of thing any more.

Hurr durr my modern ideals should apply to everything because they are clearly right because we are more advanced n shit!

[BlueEyedCrow]

Edmure is a good choice, but living in the Riverlands is basically a death sentence for the smallfolk. It seems that in every war the Riverlands gets the brunt of all the fighting and violence. Based upon their upbringing, the Stark boys Ned/Robb/Bran/Jon seem like good candidates. Stannis might be good because of his sense of justice. Living in the Vale and or Dorne might be nice because of their lack of involvement in the War of the Five Kings, and their geographic isolation.

[DolorousKim]

My first choice would definitely be Ned Stark. He made time to get to know his smallfolk as well as he could, not just his lord bannermen/knights. He valued the skills of and gained knowledge from folks from all walks of life -- no hands off lord was he. He had a strong sense of justice, and I appreciate that he carried out the most grave sentences himself (definitely less chance of frivolous death sentences when you are the one swinging the sword).

But, since Ned is dead, my next choice would probably be Jon Snow. Considering how young he is, I think that his command decisions for the Nights Watch have been exemplary. He learned his lessons well from Ned.

If Jon is not available due to his commitment to the Nights Watch, I guess I would go with Wyman Manderly. He is way shrewd, and seems to have left his land and peoples well defended and provisioned for the long winter to come. He also seems like he's good for some chuckles along the way, but still capable of being a fearsome badass when need be.

[Blue Moon]

I would want Eddard Stark, a good and decent man, who maintained order in his lands. When Bran and company are traveling

north to the Wall, they encounter a mountain man (possibly a Liddle) who laments how different and dangerous the north has

become since there is no Stark in Winterfell.

"When there was a Stark in Winterfell, a maiden girl could walk the Kingsroad in her name-day gown and

still go unmolested, and travelers could find fire, bread, and salt at many an inn and holdfast."

I think Lord Eddard always did the best he could for his people.

[JonisnoGarySnow]

Ned, or Edmure Tully probably.

[Gurkhal]

Dorne is probably a good choice because there don't seem to happen much down there.

[Gregorius]

Doran Martell or Wyman Manderly seem to be good choices. Ned Stark, too.

[Ser Grimes]

Okay so:

1. Mance Rayder - Doesn't make ya kneel

2. Howland Reed - Doesn't make ya fight

3. Doran Martell - Doesn't risk war

4. Edmure Tully - Doesn't let ya die

5. Stannis Baratheon - Isn't prejudiced about who he burns

[Arkantos]

Edmure Tully doesn't let you die? Except when he fails to place sentries and lets his newly raised army get slaughtered whilst training.

[Ser Grimes]

Okay, he doesn't INTENTIONALLY allow you to die***

He just sucks at life...

lol

[I Remain Unvanquished]

Eddard Stark. Bringing his smallfolk to his Dunstable to talk about their jobs shows that he cared and respected them. Ned,unlike Edmure, also knew how to fight a war. Edmure would, however, be a good lord during peacetime.

[King Daemon Blackfyre]

The Ned would be an excellent lord, but being smallfolk in the North would suck - extremely harsh winters (personally hate the cold), accompanied by chronic food shortages, massive distances stunting travel/trade, and constant wildling and Ironborn raids.

If I was a commoner, I'd pick Dorne under Doran Martell - good climate, social/sexual freedom, geographic isolation from the rest of Westeros with good natural borders making foreign invasions very difficult, trade links with wealthy areas of Essos, and a cautious lord who values the lives of the smallfolk and wants to spare them from war.

[Myrish Swamp Thing]

Mace Tyrell. Because that would make me a Reachman, and so I would have plenty of food.

[I Remain Unvanquished]

The Ned would be an excellent lord, but being smallfolk in the North would suck - extremely harsh winters (personally hate the cold), accompanied by chronic food shortages, massive distances stunting travel/trade, and constant wildling and Ironborn raids.

If I was a commoner, I'd pick Dorne under Doran Martell - good climate, social/sexual freedom, geographic isolation from the rest of Westeros with good natural borders making foreign invasions very difficult, trade links with wealthy areas of Essos, and a cautious lord who values the lives of the smallfolk and wants to spare them from war.

True the north would be unbearable during the winter but Dorne being mostly desert would be nearly as bad. Doran Martell is a pretty good lord though.

Climate wise, the Riverlands or the reach are probably the best. Militarily either the North or Dorne since their natural barriers makes it nearly impossible to attack them.

[MJ_Lone wolf]

Prince Doran Martell of Dorne, although considered to be a weak ruler he seems to have the interest of Dorne at heart with every decision he makes. He thinks things through before he acts almost to a fault but he has kept Dorne away from all the bloodshed of the wars in the rest of westeros. If I was a commoner I would want a ruler who did think before they act instead of making rash decisions based on emotion like many of the other lords have done in the series. Dany would be my first choice but her dragons and strong will I feel will always have her involved in a conflict of some kind

^^This^^

[Harald Hard-Ruler]

Stannis because he seems to promote people based on actions not lineage. Social Mobility FTW.