Davos

[HelmHammerhand]

You guys are getting me very psyched for the Skagos chapters (hoping they'll happen). I'm actually not super-interested in Davos - I find him to be an honorable person and a great Hand but I just don't usually look forward to his chapters - but I'm excited about Skagos and RIckon.

[Thoros of Ders]

I simply posted this as a thought and have returned to tons of replies that have informed me even further on the subject. You guys are great, keep up the discussion.

[Lady Gaga's bastard]

Those of you asking, "How do we know Rickon is in Skagos?" I believe it was in a Davos chapter when Manderly talks to him during his granddaughter's wedding. Manderly tells Davos of Wex and what Wex saw during the fall of Winterfell, and of how Wex followed Osha, Rickon, and Shaggydog to the coast. So it is presumed from Wex (a smart mute kid) that Rickon is in Skagos

[The Real Summer Islander]

has anybody thought the cannibals might just be wights?

[Regallag the Ironborn]

has anybody thought the cannibals might just be wights?

'Just' wights? As in, "Don't worry, they're not people that eat other people. They're just undead monstrosities that can only be slain by obsidian and Valyrian steel. So there's nothing to worry about."

Really, I think the cannibalism rumor is something that the Skagosi allow to persist because it means they'll be left alone. There may be a grain of truth to it, maybe ritual cannibalism, or human sacrifice to the weirwoods, or something. I can't wait to find out for sure, though!

[aryagonnakill]

'Just' wights? As in, "Don't worry, they're not people that eat other people. They're just undead monstrosities that can only be slain by obsidian and Valyrian steel. So there's nothing to worry about."

Really, I think the cannibalism rumor is something that the Skagosi allow to persist because it means they'll be left alone. There may be a grain of truth to it, maybe ritual cannibalism, or human sacrifice to the weirwoods, or something. I can't wait to find out for sure, though!

I agree with you completely about the Skagosi, but gotta point out that wights aren't vulnerable to obsidian and valyrian steel, they are only vulnerable to fire.

[Regallag the Ironborn]

I agree with you completely about the Skagosi, but gotta point out that wights aren't vulnerable to obsidian and valyrian steel, they are only vulnerable to fire.

My bad. I keep mixing up the dread creatures from lands of darkness and cold.

[The Meeraculous Third Reed]

I'm looking forward to these chapters more than any other come the start of TWOW. I've been intrigued by Skagos ever since I heard about the rebellion. I generally think that the stories of cannibalism and such are unfounded, and that the Skagosi are mainly concerned with keeping themselves to themselves.

What I'm most interested in though is the potential Skagosi/Stark connection. It seems to be more than a coincidence that Osha headed to Skagos after having a private chat with Luwin in the godswood. My theory is that Luwin directed Osha towards Skagos because Ned's paternal grandmother was Skagos, a marriage pact having been enforced following the Skagosi rebellion.

[Needle and I]

We must have a Davos chapter in Skagos, this would BE amazing......

[George W. Lannister]

Agreed, wanting to read up on Skagos!!

A small theory of mine from a few months back is that when Rickon/Davos return to the mainland, it will be with large caches of obsidian (dragonglass). Skagos means "stone" in the Old Tongue and is a mountainous island, meaning it might (or might not) be similar to a volcanic island like Dragonstone. Throw in its proximity to the Wall and its First Men population, and it might all add up as a storage place for obsidian.

[TheButcherCrow]

What I'm most interested in though is the potential Skagosi/Stark connection. It seems to be more than a coincidence that Osha headed to Skagos after having a private chat with Luwin in the godswood. My theory is that Luwin directed Osha towards Skagos because Ned's paternal grandmother was Skagos, a marriage pact having been enforced following the Skagosi rebellion.

Agreed, the Stark family tree is properly mysterious, one can only suspect that GRRM has kept it that way for a reason. We know Ned's mother's mother (maternal grandmother) was a Flint (mountain clan). So your idea is very plausible, imo.

[Runaway Penguin]

Wyman Manderly for sure gave Davos some sort of recognition signal. Maybe letter of passage with recipe for Frey Pies?

[The Bastard of Walton]

I hope Davos makes it to the end, one of my best characters.

Rickon is the last Stark child who can rally the north, unless Sansa can convince the Vale to fight.

[Black Maester Sam]

Agreed, wanting to read up on Skagos!!

A small theory of mine from a few months back is that when Rickon/Davos return to the mainland, it will be with large caches of obsidian (dragonglass). Skagos means "stone" in the Old Tongue and is a mountainous island, meaning it might (or might not) be similar to a volcanic island like Dragonstone. Throw in its proximity to the Wall and its First Men population, and it might all add up as a storage place for obsidian.

Thats a great theory, the watch is in great need of obsidian. Did they ever get a delivery from Dragonstone before it fell?

As far as i know it's the only source of obsidian that we know of.

[Beric Zoolander]

Found it, from Jon I in ADWD:

Wow I never put this together, I knew it was Shaggy either on his way to or on Skagos but it never occurred to me this could be a unicorn. Very cool.

I think Davos on Skagos is going to be interesting to say the least. Still don't know why he of all people had to go and get Rickon and why it was necessary for it to be so stealthy. Clearly he got there fine without Davos. Also as for one thing the OP said, I think he'll have little trouble determining who Rickon is, thanks to Shaggy.

[Runaway Penguin]

Why Davos?

For three reasons:

1. Testing Stannis via his Hand

2. He is VERY experienced sailor, perhaps more so than Manderly's captains (crash shipbuilding programme means a lot of hastily promoted commanders)

3. He is dead. By sending a dead man on a secret mission you make sure nobody is missed and that he isn't discovered in your city by chance.

Asfor why the secrecy... Because Manderly is "officially" loyal ally to Boltons and friend to Freys.

[Suzanna Stormborn]

OK the problem I have been having with all this.....Why is Jon able to Warg just like the other Stark children? He is not their sibling right? he is their cousin. And there is no mention anywhere of Ned or Lyanna being able to Warg, so where the hell did all the Stark children and Jon get the warging abilities from if it is not genetic?

--The answer is, the Starks and JOn are not the ones with the powers, the direwolves are the ones who have the power to connect with the minds of their humans.

So that means we are going to eventually find out something else about the 6 direwolves and their lineage or something. I think Bran has maybe already discovered whatever it is. They have such a strong connection not only to their masters but to each other as well. They can feel and sense each other from great distances. The Varymar warging chapter doesn't give mention to the animals being in each others heads or having a connection to each other at all. IMHO there is something huge with the direwolves we have not discovered yet.

All the prophecies and mentionings of the wolves making a comeback, I think it partially has to do with the Starks, but there is some big stuff still uncovered involving the direwolves specifically.

Anyone else think so?

And yes there is unicorns on skagos, but i don't think anyone will be riding them into battle if they are more like goats than horses, otherwise he would have said horse in ghost's POV. I think the reason we are shown shaggydog eating a goaticorn is to show us where Rickon is currently residing, because skagos is the only place where the unicorns are known to exist.

Whoever Rickon has been living with on Skagos is a lord and he is in a castle.

I saw it mentioned earlier in this thread that skagos is just a normal place where they live normally, I'm not sure this is true. They still invoke the right of First Night, which is where the lords get to sleep with commoner brides on their wedding night. I bet you this place is like North Korea, a crazy brain washed and oppressed sort of island, where Rickon and his wolf have been running absolutely wild. I bet Rickon is the toughest 6 year old on the planet. What I am curious about is who has been watching out for him? Do they treat him like their leige lord cuz they know who he is?How could they not know who he is, with his giant wolf and appropriate age?

So I agree with whoever was saying earlier int he thread that someone had to have gone with them to Skagos. maybe it's someone we haven't been thinking of who was a friend of Ned's and wanted to keep them safe. Maybe it's Howland Reed or an Umber or Manderly. But if ShaggyDog is in the forest killing unicorns at night that means him and rickon are free to do what they want on this island, and are not locked up somewhere or anything.

Also If I had to guess at this point at the end of DWD Nymeria must be the biggest. she has been a pack leader eating as much as she wanted and a terror to people residing all over her stomping ground. I cannot wait for her and Arya to meet back up!!

[WardenOfTheNorth]

I think the Davos chapters are going to be the most interesting during TWOW, mostly because this is a part of the North, which we as readers have never seen. Skagos is supposed to be a place where mythical beasts (I believe Unicorn was mentioned) and cannibals reside.

I am curious though as to how Rickon got to Skagos? I understand that he's with Osha and Shaggydog but why go there if its so dangerous? This might have been explained in ADWD and perhaps I missed it so please correct me.

The other thing is that I don't think Davos will come out of this book alive. Of all the characters that will die in TWOW I'm more than certain Davos will be one of them for a couple of reasons:

1. Davos alone is supposed to find Rickon and Osha, two people he has never met before. I understand that Skagos is just an island, but I believe its larger than any of the Iron Islands.

2. Winter. Plain and simple, Davos is sailing straight into the freezing cold that is the North during winter. The Island will more than likely already have a dozen feet at least settled onto the island floor.

3. The inhabitants of Skagos, as I mentioned earlier, are so far only understood as mythical creatures; however, this wouldn't be the first time I've doubted something in ASOIAF and GRRM comes around slams a giant in my face. The cannibals that live on Skagos will probably be similar to wildlings in strength and even more vicious when they see a new meal presenting itself.

When I found out that Davos had to go to Skaagos, I was excited because it seems so interesting...a shame we wont get to see it until the next book.

[DExit]

I saw it mentioned earlier in this thread that skagos is just a normal place where they live normally, I'm not sure this is true. They still invoke the right of First Night, which is where the lords get to sleep with commoner brides on their wedding night. I bet you this place is like North Korea, a crazy brain washed and oppressed sort of island, where Rickon and his wolf have been running absolutely wild. I bet Rickon is the toughest 6 year old on the planet. What I am curious about is who has been watching out for him? Do they treat him like their leige lord cuz they know who he is?How could they not know who he is, with his giant wolf and appropriate age?

Rickon as Kim Jung-Un!

On topic: the statement you made over the first night and then being sure that Skagos is sick or weird is wrong. Roose mentions other northern houses that we all respect also having the right of the first night, so that is by no means a standard.

Now I have thought about it, the whole Skagosi uprising settles me as to be more in a subtext of the risings of the Whelsh nationalists against english lords in Wales. In any case, the rebbellion was routed, so the starks probably posted some new mainland-lords on skagos in castles with large amount of mainlanders with them. These lords and their subject are beyond a doubt loyall to the Starks. But maybe the native skagosi are living in the remote area's of the islands and are not at all loyal, who nows?

[Suzanna Stormborn]

Rickon as Kim Jung-Un!

On topic: the statement you made over the first night and then being sure that Skagos is sick or weird is wrong. Roose mentions other northern houses that we all respect also having the right of the first night, so that is by no means a standard.

Now I have thought about it, the whole Skagosi uprising settles me as to be more in a subtext of the risings of the Whelsh nationalists against english lords in Wales. In any case, the rebbellion was routed, so the starks probably posted some new mainland-lords on skagos in castles with large amount of mainlanders with them. These lords and their subject are beyond a doubt loyall to the Starks. But maybe the native skagosi are living in the remote area's of the islands and are not at all loyal, who nows?

Haha Kim Jung- Un.

Yeah I hope Rickon isn't a bad seed or anything. But let's face it his upbringing was not under the valiant and noble Ned Stark like the rest of the children, there is no telling what kind of kid he will end up being when we finally catch up with him. OMG now that I think about it. IF Osha has been his guardian......what group of people will he be taking in life lessons from? the Wildlings right? who think all the 'kneelers' are stupid. there is absolutely no telling what this kid and his monster crazy wolf are going to be like!

And yeah I saw that a few of the other houses still invoke the First Night rites, but they keep it on the DL, the Boltons are the main ones, sicko's!! It just seems like skagos is unruly and no one is really keeping a lid on the place.