The Hightowers, Marwyn, Qyburn, Quaithe, Magic and the Citadel.

[Kitakaze]

From AFFC's appendix...

The Hightowers were instrumental in the founding of the Citadel and continue to protect it to this day. Subtle and sophisticated, they have always been great patrons of learning and the Faith, and it is said that certain of them have also dabbled in alchemy, necromancy, and other sorcerous arts.

So the Hightowers played a major role in the founding of the Citadel, yet certain of them are said to dabble in various sorcerous, including necromancy. Archmaester Marwyn the Mage on the Citadel...

"Who do you think killed all the dragons the last time around? Gallant dragonslayers armed with swords? The world the citadel is building has no place in it for sorcery or prophecy or glass candles, much less for dragons. Ask yourself why Aemon Targaryen was allowed to waste his life upon the Wall, when by rights he should have been raised to archmaester. His blood was why. He could not be trusted. No more than I can."

The captain of Oldtown war galley Huntress to Samwell aboard the Cinnamon Wind regarding Lord Leyton...

"The Hightower must be doing something."

"To be sure. Lord Leyton's locked atop his tower with the Mad Maid, consulting books of spells. Might be he'll raise an army from the deeps. Or not."

If the Hightowers are patrons of the Citadel, which we know is opposed to magic and said to have been the cause of the extinction of dragons in Westeros, and they protect the Citadel, why is it that Lord Hightower is locked away in his tower working in sorcery?

Also, could Qyburn be a Hightower? He is identified as a necromancer as certains Hightowers are said to practice necromancy. Others can be identified as such as well, Thoros of Myr, for example, but it is Hightower and Qyburn whose last name we don't know that are specifically identified with this black sorcery.

Finally, to another type of black sorcery employed by Melisandre and Moqorro - shadowbinding. It is through shadowbinding that shadow babies and glamours are made. Melisandre on glamours (ADWD 412)

"The spell is made of shadow and suggestion. Men see what they expect to see. The bones are part of that." Was I wrong to spare this one? "If the glamour fails, they will kill you."

Could Morqorro in fact be Marwyn working a powerful glamour amongst other magics and seeking passage to Dany in Mereen? Let's examine the evidence. Marwyn is in possession of a dragonglass candle. About the candles from AFFC's prologue...

“Archmaester Marwyn believes in many curious things,” he said, “but he has no more proof of dragons than Mollander. Just more sailors’ stories.” “You’re wrong,” said Leo. “There is a glass candle burning in the Mage’s chambers.” A hush fell over the torchlit terrace. Armen sighed and shook his head. Mollander began to laugh. The Sphinx studied Leo with his big black eyes. Roone looked lost. Pate knew about the glass candles, though he had never seen one burn. They were the worstkept secret of the Citadel. It was said that they had been brought to Oldtown from Valyria a thousand years before the Doom. He had heard there were four; one was green and three were black, and all were tall and twisted. “What are these glass candles?” asked Roone. Armen the Acolyte cleared his throat. “The night before an acolyte says his vows, he must stand a vigil in the vault. No lantern is permitted him, no torch, no lamp, no taper... only a candle of obsidian. He must spend the night in darkness, unless he can light that candle. Some will try. The foolish and the stubborn, those who have made a study of these so-called higher mysteries. Often they cut their fingers, for the ridges on the candles are said to be as sharp as razors. Then, with bloody hands, they must wait upon the dawn, brooding on their failure. Wiser men simply go to sleep, or spend their night in prayer, but every year there are always a few who must try.” “Yes.” Pate had heard the same stories. “But what’s the use of a candle that casts no light?” “It is a lesson,” Armen said, “the last lesson we must learn before we don our maester’s chains. The glass candle is meant to represent truth and learning, rare and beautiful and fragile things. It is made in the shape of a candle to remind us that a maester must cast light wherever he serves, and it is sharp to remind us that knowledge can be dangerous. Wise men may grow arrogant in their wisdom, but a maester must always remain humble. The glass candle reminds us of that as well. Even after he has said his vow and donned his chain and gone forth to serve, a maester will think back on the darkness of his vigil and remember how nothing that he did could make the candle burn... for even with knowledge, some things are not possible.” Lazy Leo burst out laughing. “Not possible for you, you mean. I saw the candle burning with my own eyes.” “You saw some candle burning, I don’t doubt,” said Armen. “A candle of black wax, perhaps.” “I know what I saw. The light was queer and bright, much brighter than any beeswax or tallow candle. It cast strange shadows and the flame never flickered, not even when a draft blew through the open door behind me.” Armen crossed his arms. “Obsidian does not burn.” “Dragonglass,” Pate said. “The smallfolk call it dragonglass.” Somehow that seemed important. “They do,” mused Alleras, the Sphinx, “and if there are dragons in the world again...” “Dragons and darker things,” said Leo. “The grey sheep have closed their eyes, but the mastiff sees the truth. Old powers waken. Shadows stir. An age of wonder and terror will soon be upon us, an age for gods and heroes.”

So there are said to be four, three black, one green. Two are at the Citadel, one in the vault not yet lit and used by acolytes when standing their vigil the night before they swear their vows, the other is kept in the north tower on the Isle of Ravens. The third black I believe to be in the possession of Quaithe and the final green one I believe to be appropriately in the hands of the Last Greenseer and wizard Bloodraven north of the Wall. marwyn says of the dragonglass candles...

"Call it dragonglass." Archmaester Marwyn glanced at the candle for a moment. "It burns but is not consumed."

"What feeds the flame?" asked Sam.

"What feeds a dragon's fire?" Marwyn seated himself upon a stool. "All Valyrian sorcery was rooted in blood or fire. The sorcerers of the Freehold could see across mountains, seas and deserts with one of these glass candles. They could enter a man's dreams and give him visions, and speak to one another half a world apart, seated before their candles. Do you think that might be useful, Slayer?"

"We would have no more need of ravens."

Enter a man's dreams and give him visions? The TEC to Bran. Quaithe on the glass candles...

A bath will help soothe me. She padded barefoot through the grass to her terrace pool. The water felt cool on her skin, raising goosebumps. Little fish nibbled at her arms and legs. She closed her eyes and floated.

A soft rustle made her open them again. She sat up with a soft splash. “Missandei?” she called. “Irri? Jhiqui?”

“They sleep,” came the answer.

A woman stood under the persimmon tree, clad in a hooded robe that brushed the grass. Beneath the hood, her face seemed hard and shiny. She is wearing a mask, Dany knew, a wooden mask finished in dark red lacquer. “Quaithe? Am I dreaming?” She pinched her ear and winced at the pain. “I dreamt of you on Balerion, when first we came to Astapor.”

“You did not dream. Then or now.”

“What are you doing here? How did you get past my guards?”

“I came another way. Your guards never saw me.”

“If I call out, they will kill you.”

“They will swear to you that I am not here.”

“Are you here?”

“No. Hear me, Daenerys Targaryen. The glass candles are burning. Soon comes the pale mare, and after her the others. Kraken and dark flame, lion and griffin, the sun’s son and the mummer’s dragon. Trust none of them. Remember the Undying. Beware the perfumed seneschal.”

“Reznak? Why should I fear him?” Dany rose from the pool. Water trickled down her legs, and gooseflesh covered her arms in the cool night air. “If you have some warning for me, speak plainly. What do you want of me, Quaithe?”

Moonlight shone in the woman’s eyes. “To show you the way.”

“I remember the way. I go north to go south, east to go west, back to go forward. And to touch the light I have to pass beneath the shadow.” She squeezed the water from her silvery hair. “I am half-sick of riddling. In Qarth I was a beggar, but here I am a queen. I command you—”

“Daenerys. Remember the Undying. Remember who you are.”

“The blood of the dragon.” But my dragons are roaring in the darkness. “I remember the Undying. Child of three, they called me. Three mounts they promised me, three fires, and three treasons. One for blood and one for gold and one for …”

“Your Grace?” Missandei stood in the door of the queen’s bedchamber, a lantern in her hand. “Who are you talking to?”

Dany glanced back toward the persimmon tree. There was no woman there. No hooded robe, no lacquer mask, no Quaithe.

A shadow. A memory. No one. She was the blood of the dragon, but Ser Barristan had warned her that in that blood there was a taint.Could I be going mad? They had called her father mad, once. “I was praying,” she told the Naathi girl. “It will be light soon. I had best eat something, before court.”

So I think this is sufficiently clear that Quaithe is using one of the glass candles. Furthermore, I believe that between the red mask and the reference to her as a shadow and spawn of shadows by Jhogo in Qarth when she urges Dany to go to Asshai saying "to touch the light you must pass beneath the shadow" that there is a connection to the faith of R'hllor, the god of flame and shadow as described by GRRM. The dragonglass candles themselves echo themes of the powers related to worship of R'hllor. Peering into the flame to see great distances and into people's dreams and thoughts.

So going back to the notion of Marwyn glamouring himself to appear as Moqorro, let's look further at what possible evidence for this hypothesis there might be. As we have seen from Melisandre's insight, glamouring is a shadowbinding skill. Marwyn has studied with shadowbinders such a Mirri Maz Duur...

“Such a chivalrous Hopfrog. As you wish. Every man off every ship that’s sailed within a hundred leagues of Qarth is speaking of these dragons. A few will even tell you that they’ve seen them. The Mage is inclined to believe them.” Armen pursed his lips in disapproval. “Marwyn is unsound. Archmaester Perestan would be the first to tell you that.” “Archmaester Ryam says so too,” said Roone. Leo yawned. “The sea is wet, the sun is warm, and the menagerie hates the mastiff.” He has a mocking name for everyone, thought Pate, but he could not deny that Marwyn looked more a mastiff than a maester. As if he wants to bite you. The Mage was not like other maesters. People said that he kept company with whores and hedge wizards, talked with hairy Ibbenese and pitch-black Summer Islanders in their own tongues, and sacrificed to queer gods at the little sailors’ temples down by the wharves. Men spoke of seeing him down in the undercity, in rat pits and black brothels, consorting with mummers, singers, sellswords, even beggars. Some even whispered that once he had killed a man with his fists. When Marwyn had returned to Oldtown, after spending eight years in the east mapping distant lands, searching for lost books, and studying with warlocks and shadowbinders, Vinegar Vaellyn had dubbed him “Marwyn the Mage.” The name was soon all over Oldtown, to Vaellyn’s vast annoyance. “Leave spells and prayers to priests and septons and bend your wits to learning truths a man can trust in,” Archmaester Ryam had once counseled Pate, but Ryam’s ring and rod and mask were yellow gold, and his maester’s chain had no link of Valyrian steel.

So not only has he studied shadowbinding, he supposedly sacrifices to queer gods at small temples down by the wharves. How do we know this refers to R'hllor's temple? Pate tells us about in the same prologue...

He could hear singing too, beneath the pealing of the bells. Each morning at first light the red priests gathered to welcome the sun outside their modest wharfside temple. For the night is dark and full of terrors. Pate had heard them cry those words a hundred times, asking their god R’hllor to save them from the darkness. The Seven were gods enough for him, but he had heard that Stannis Baratheon worshiped at the nightfires now. He had even put the fiery heart of R’hllor on his banners in place of the crowned stag. If he should win the Iron Throne, we’ll all need to learn the words of the red priests’ song, Pate thought, but that was not likely.

Then there is some similarity in description, even though Marwyn is white and stout where Moqarro is tall and black, yet Marwyn is said to have a rock-hard ale belly and Moqorro a belly like a boulder. The change in height and size is not an issue considering when Melisandre lifted Mance's glamour from appearing to be Rattleshirt, he became much bigger. Tyrion also describes him as speaking the Common Tongue of Westeros with hardly a trace of an accent. Moqorro speaks and reads High Valyrian and Marwyn is said to be able to speak the language of the Ibbenese and the Summer Islands.

So why would someone like Marwyn use a glamour? The Kindly Man to Arya in the House of Black and White just before she gets Faceless blood magic done to her...

“Mummers change their faces with artifice,” the kindly man was saying, “and sorcerers use glamors, weaving light and shadow and desire to make illusions that trick the eye. These arts you shall learn, but what we do here goes deeper. Wise men can see through artifice, and glamors dissolve before sharp eyes…”

Now it may well be that with Marwyn's dragonglass candle he can know of Tyrion's journey to get to Dany hand seek to connect with him. Tyrion being a lover of books may well be familiar with Archmaester Marwyn who may seek to conceal his identity. It is not only to Tyrion that he would need to conceal his identity until reaching Dany. He is racing against the Citadel to get to Dany first and would rightly conceal himself and his plans. Before he hooks up with Victarion he may well have divined his part to play in the flame of the glass candle. It may even be he intends to conceal his identity after he makes it to Dany. Marwyn to Same on the notion of having sent a maester openly to counsel Dany...

Alleras stepped up next to Sam. "Aemon would have gone to her if he had the strength. He wanted us to send a maester to her, to counsel her and protect her and fetch her safely home."

"Did he?" Archmaester Marwyn shrugged. "Perhaps it's good that he died before he got to Oldtown. Elsewise the grey sheep might have had to kill him, and that would have made the poor old dears wring their wrinkled hands."

"Kill him?" Sam said, shocked. "Why?"

"If I tell you, they may need to kill you too." Marywn smiled a ghastly smile, the juice of the sourleaf running red between his teeth. "Who do you think killed all the dragons the last time around? Gallant dragonslayers armed with swords?" He spat. "The world the Citadel is building has no place in it for sorcery or prophecy or glass candles, much less for dragons. Ask yourself why Aemon Targaryen was allowed to waste his life upon the Wall, when by rights he should have been raised to archmaester. His blood was why. He could not be trusted. No more than I can."

"What will you do?" asked Alleras, the Sphinx.

"Get myself to Slaver's Bay, in Aemon's place. The swan ship that delivered Slayer should serve my needs well enough. The grey sheep will send their man on a galley, I don't doubt. With fair winds I should reach her first." Marwyn glanced at Sam again, and frowned. "You . . . you should stay and forge your chain. If I were you, I would do it quickly. A time will come when you'll be needed on the Wall." He turned to the pasty-faced novice. "Find Slayer a dry cell. He'll sleep here, and help you tend the ravens."

"B-b-but," Sam sputtered, "the other archmaesters . . . the Seneschal . . . what should I tell them?"

"Tell them how wise and good they are. Tell them that Aemon commanded you to put yourself into their hands. Tell them that you have always dreamed that one day you might be allowed to wear the chain and serve the greater good, that service is the highest honor, and obedience the highest virtue. But say nothing of prophecies or dragons, unless you fancy poison in your porridge." Marwyn snatched a stained leather cloak off a peg near the door and tied it tight. "Sphinx, look after this one."

"I will," Alleras answered, but the archmaester was already gone. They heard his boots stomping down the steps.

"Where has he gone?" asked Sam, bewildered.

"To the docks. The Mage is not a man who believes in wasting time." Alleras smiled. "I have a confession. Ours was no chance encounter, Sam. The Mage sent me to snatch you up before you spoke to Theobald. He knew that you were coming."

"How?"

Alleras nodded at the glass candle.

Sam stared at the strange pale flame for a moment, then blinked and looked away. Outside the window it was growing dark.

"There's an empty sleeping cell under mine in the west tower, with steps that lead right up to Walgrave's chambers," said the pasty-faced youth. "If you don't mind the ravens quorking, there's a good view of the Honeywine. Will that serve?"

"I suppose." He had to sleep somewhere.

"I will bring you some woolen coverlets. Stone walls turn cold at night, even here."

"My thanks." There was something about the pale, soft youth that he misliked, but he did not want to seem discourteous, so he added, "My name's not Slayer, truly. I'm Sam. Samwell Tarly."

"I'm Pate," the other said, "like the pig boy."

So some key points to consider is that Marwyn thinks that going to openly aid the Targaryen dragon queen as a maester of the citadel would result in that person being killed. Many people make much of him saying he can't be trusted and of Qyburn's esteem for him. Yet what Marwyn was talking about was that Maester Aemon could not be entrusted to carry out the Citadel's agenda in stifling magic and doing harm to the dragons. Also, Qyburn said Marwyn liked his thinking does not in relation to experimenting on the living, but about exploring the supernatural in general, which being the Archmaester specializing that is to be expected.

OTOH, Marwyn is definitely associated with some questionable characters. His instruction of MMD can be argued to be for the purposes of healing, yet with his foreknowledge of Sam's coming, I doubt that he is ignorant to having a Faceless Man (Jaqen H'ghar) with him pretending to be Pate the acolyte and in possession of Walgrave's key for every door in the Citadel. Leo Tyrell may seem a twat and when Sam first sees him he's doing the R'hllor thing with a candle outside Marwyn's room, but he also seems to be aware of Alleras' true identity as Sarella. His father is Moryn Tyrell, commander of Old Town's city watch and he has done something at the beginning of the book to get confined to the Citadel.

Summary of hypotheses...

- There are four dragon glass candles, the green one for Bloodraven, a black for Marwyn, a black for Quaithe and the other unused in the vault of the citadel. All of them are using fire based magic associated with the god of flame and shadow. Bloodraven in using a dragonglass flame to access Bran's dreams and give him visions, as well as animating Coldhands. Quaithe in her shadowbinding and visiting Dany via dragonglass flame to aid her. Marwyn as Moqorro with his various fire magics such as divination of future events, healing Victarion's hand by charring it.

- Moqorro is Marwyn disguising himself to get to Dany unknown by the Citadel and has learned powers associated with the cult of R'hllor. As he gets closer to Dany and her dragons, the more powerful he will become. He is using his powers aiding Victarion not to take control of the dragons personally, but to gain Victarion's trust, expedite his access to Dany, and attempt to assist her in gaining full control of her dragons to be used in the coming War for the Dawn.

- Euron had the Faceless Man we call Jaqen H'ghar kill his father Balon Greyjoy. He then had the same FM get the tome locked in the vault called Blood and Fire and/or The Death of Dragons to try and gain control of Dany's dragons. The FM's may have been paid Euron's fossilized dragon egg for this. Marwyn being the authority on lost books may have played along with Euron's ploy so that he could get access to Victarion going after Dany and her dragons with the hell horn.

- Qyburn is a Hightower.

[MotherMerciless]

I was under the impression that 4 candles were taken to the Citadel, and thus thought that those 4 were still at the Citadel.

This led me to believe Quaithe had access to other candles, or could access them remotely, or was using the ones said to be owned by Urrathon Night Walker.

[Arya kiddin']

Well,

1. What about the glass candle tha is in Uttharon Night-Walker's home in Qarth? How do you conclude Bloodraven has a glass candle?

2. Moqorro is Marwyn theory has been around for sometime. There is not sufficient proof on either side.

3. Euron - faceless man - dragon egg theory is vastly supported, but how are you gettig it from quoted text?

4. Qyburn is a hightower has no base at all..

Could you please explain more?

[Little Balerion]

Qyburn was thrown out of the Citadel.

Moqorro can't be Marwyn - the timelines won't match up.

Tyrion is aboard Selaesori Qhoran with Moqorro at Volantis weeks before Sam meets Marwyn at Oldtown.

[Kitakaze]

Well,

1. What about the glass candle tha is in Uttharon Night-Walker's home in Qarth? How do you conclude Bloodraven has a glass candle?

Based on Marwyn's description of what the dragonglass candles are capable of with allowing to enter a man's dreams and give him visions and because of the significance of dragonglass to the CofF...

"Call it dragonglass." Archmaester Marwyn glanced at the candle for a moment. "It burns but is not consumed."

"What feeds the flame?" asked Sam.

"What feeds a dragon's fire?" Marwyn seated himself upon a stool. "All Valyrian sorcery was rooted in blood or fire. The sorcerers of the Freehold could see across mountains, seas and deserts with one of these glass candles. They could enter a man's dreams and give him visions, and speak to one another half a world apart, seated before their candles. Do you think that might be useful, Slayer?"

And it may be just a coincidence and unrelated but adding to the above that Bloodraven's going into Bran's dreams, he is the Last Greenseer and one of the dragonglass candles is said to be green. Maybe too obvious.

2. Moqorro is Marwyn theory has been around for sometime. There is not sufficient proof on either side.

I agree, but there are the connections I pointed out and the fact that Marwyn is in such a rush to get there and help with her dragons and we have Morqorro showing up. He's a shadowbinder and glamours are and shadowbinding skill. He said that had Aemon Targaryen gone to openly assist here, he would have been killed, so he has that reason to disguise himself.

3. Euron - faceless man - dragon egg theory is vastly supported, but how are you gettig it from quoted text?

The description of Jaqen when he changes in front of Arya and the Alchemist. Also, I highly doubt Euron would chuck a dragon egg in the sea knowing their worth. GRRM has don't this fake out already with the Horn of Jorumun and someone lying about actually finding it.

4. Qyburn is a hightower has no base at all..

Could you please explain more?

Basically that the two times GRRM uses "necromancy" and "necromancer" is with House Hightower saying certain members have practiced it, Qyburn being the only necromancer named. The one house associated with it is instrumental to the Citadel and that is where he lost his maester's chain. That and the fact that the appendix for AFFC even has such a major entry for the Hightowers tells me they will have equally important roles in the future just as the Martells did not really come into the picture until later.

[Kitakaze]

Qyburn was thrown out of the Citadel.

Moqorro can't be Marwyn - the timelines won't match up.

Tyrion is aboard Selaesori Qhoran with Moqorro at Volantis weeks before Sam meets Marwyn at Oldtown.

Can we pin down the exact dates because Sam's arrival at Oldtown is the final chapter for AFFC and the Widow mentioning that Benerro will have one of his priests aboard the Stinky Steward seem like they can line up. Marwyn is hauling ass to get there and stressing that the Grey Sheep should not know.

[Little Balerion]

Can we pin down the exact dates because Sam's arrival at Oldtown is the final chapter for AFFC and the Widow mentioning that Benerro will have one of his priests aboard the Stinky Steward seem like they can line up. Marwyn is hauling ass to get there and stressing that the Grey Sheep should not know.

This is the best timeline there is https://docs.google....Fha1ZfNUE#gid=8

Sam reaches Oldtown after Tyrion leaves with Moqorro aboard the Selaesori Qhoran. Even if we assume that Sam reaches Oldtown two weeks earlier, Oldtown to Volantis is a large distance to cover. It would be impossible for Marwyn to reach there in such short time.

[Sordelor]

Balon is not Euron's father.

[Kitakaze]

I was under the impression that 4 candles were taken to the Citadel, and thus thought that those 4 were still at the Citadel.

This led me to believe Quaithe had access to other candles, or could access them remotely, or was using the ones said to be owned by Urrathon Night Walker.

You're correct and I had missed mention that they were brought specifically to Oldtown...

Pate knew about the glass candles, though he had never seen one burn. They were the worstkept secret of the Citadel. It was said that they had been brought to Oldtown from Valyria a thousand years before the Doom. He had heard there were four; one was green and three were black, and all were tall and twisted. “What are these glass candles?” asked Roone. Armen the Acolyte cleared his throat. “The night before an acolyte says his vows, he must stand a vigil in the vault.

So that has us at two in the Citadel. One can have been acquired by Bloodraven when he was Hand. The saying that they allow one to go into another man's dreams and give him visions is too much of a connection for me to dismiss it. Quaithe must be accessing one that are not those four in Qarth and multiple are mentioned burning at Urrathon Nigh Walker's. When she communicates with Dany in the pyramid, she says Dany's not dreaming, Quaithe will not bee detected by Dany's guards and to boot, she's not actually there.

This makes me have a guess at where the fourth Westeros glass candle is. I'm thinking in Lord Leyton's tower. I think it would be another one of GRRM's Tolkien nods. Hightower is locked up there reclusive in his tower with his creepy sidekick doing magic and sorcery and whatnot. The tower is one of the tallest manmade structures in the world, taller than the Wall. Lord Leyton and Mad Maid Mara sound like Saruman and Grima in the Tower of Orthanc with the palantir.

[Kitakaze]

This is the best timeline there is https://docs.google....Fha1ZfNUE#gid=8

Sam reaches Oldtown after Tyrion leaves with Moqorro aboard the Selaesori Qhoran. Even if we assume that Sam reaches Oldtown two weeks earlier, Oldtown to Volantis is a large distance to cover. It would be impossible for Marwyn to reach there in such short time.

Thank you for that. That is quite helpful. OK, so according to that, Sam arrives 5/21 300 to Oldtown, sees Marwyn that day. 11 days earlier Moqorro is already in Volantis. The main reason I was thinking Marwiyn = Moqorro is...

- Marwyn is a shadowbinder.

- Moqorro speaks Westerosi near flawlessly.

- The FM going after most likely the Fire and Blood book is in Marwyn's company and Marwyn has already forseen Sam's coming, so why not the FM? This is related to combating/controlling/hatching/killing dragons which Euron is out do do for his own nefarious purposes and Marwyn legitimately demonstrates concern for Sam being needed at the Wall in what's to come. When he says he can't be trusted, it's in reference to trusted by anti-magic citadel.

And getting back to the first OP question, if the Hightowers are patrons of the Faith and the Citadel which is anti-magic, what are they doing atop a huge tower with a huge fire at the top, doing all necromancy, sorcery, etc?

[Kitakaze]

Balon is not Euron's father.

Older brother. Whoops/thanks.

[Phonzadellika]

You're correct and I had missed mention that they were brought specifically to Oldtown...

Pate knew about the glass candles, though he had never seen one burn. They were the worstkept secret of the Citadel. It was said that they had been brought to Oldtown from Valyria a thousand years before the Doom. He had heard there were four; one was green and three were black, and all were tall and twisted. “What are these glass candles?” asked Roone. Armen the Acolyte cleared his throat. “The night before an acolyte says his vows, he must stand a vigil in the vault.

So that has us at two in the Citadel. One can have been acquired by Bloodraven when he was Hand. The saying that they allow one to go into another man's dreams and give him visions is too much of a connection for me to dismiss it. Quaithe must be accessing one that are not those four in Qarth and multiple are mentioned burning at Urrathon Nigh Walker's. When she communicates with Dany in the pyramid, she says Dany's not dreaming, Quaithe will not bee detected by Dany's guards and to boot, she's not actually there.

This makes me have a guess at where the fourth Westeros glass candle is. I'm thinking in Lord Leyton's tower. I think it would be another one of GRRM's Tolkien nods. Hightower is locked up there reclusive in his tower with his creepy sidekick doing magic and sorcery and whatnot. The tower is one of the tallest manmade structures in the world, taller than the Wall. Lord Leyton and Mad Maid Mara sound like Saruman and Grima in the Tower of Orthanc with the palantir.

I read it as that there are 4 glass candles in the citadel, not total in the world. I seem to remember that in ACOK it being mentioned that the warlocks use the glass candles to talk to each other.

[Kitakaze]

I was under the impression that 4 candles were taken to the Citadel, and thus thought that those 4 were still at the Citadel.

This led me to believe Quaithe had access to other candles, or could access them remotely, or was using the ones said to be owned by Urrathon Night Walker.

What we get from the passage is that since Dany'd dragons have come with her to Qarth and since the Undying BBQ, weird magical related things have been going down, and the power of the warlocks is returning after being discounted for so long.

Pre-Dany/dragons...

Once they were mighty … but now they are as ludicrous as those feeble old soldiers who boast of their prowess long after strength and skill have left them. They read their crumbling scrolls, drink their shade-of-the-evening until their lips turn blue, and hint of dread powers, but they are hollow husks compared to those who went before. Pyat Pree’s gifts will turn to dust in your hands, I warn you.

Post-Dany/dragons...

And so it was, then. But now? I am less certain. It is said that the glass candles are burning in the house of Urrathon Night-Walker, that have not burned in a hundred years. Ghost grass grows in the Garden of Gehane, phantom tortoises have been seen carrying messages between windowless houses on Warlock’s Way, and all the rats in the city are chewing off their tails. The wife of Mathos Mallarawan, who once mocked a warlock’s drab moth-eaten robe, has gone mad and will wear no clothes at all. Even fresh-washed silks make her feel as though a thousand insects were crawling on her skin. And Blind Sybassion the Eater of Eyes can see again, or so hisslaves do swear. A man must wonder … These are strange times in Qarth.

The warlock are the antithesis of the power of the old gods. The trees that surround the House of the Undying with the black bark and inky blue leaves used to make shade of the evening which is like the nether-version of weirwood paste. The door into the House of the Undying is like a warlock version of the Black Gate under the Nighfort.

[Kitakaze]

I read it as that there are 4 glass candles in the citadel, not total in the world. I seem to remember that in ACOK it being mentioned that the warlocks use the glass candles to talk to each other.

They're basically GRRM's version of Tolkien's palantir...

"Call it dragonglass." Archmaester Marwyn glanced at the candle for a moment. "It burns but is not consumed."

"What feeds the flame?" asked Sam.

"What feeds a dragon's fire?" Marwyn seated himself upon a stool. "All Valyrian sorcery was rooted in blood or fire. The sorcerers of the Freehold could see across mountains, seas and deserts with one of these glass candles. They could enter a man's dreams and give him visions, and speak to one another half a world apart, seated before their candles. Do you think that might be useful, Slayer?"

[TheTowerOfJoy]

I'm not sure all the timelines line up, but I like this one none-the-less :) I especially like the bits about the Hightowers...

[Kitakaze]

Regarding Qyburn being a Hightower, again from the appendix...

The Hightowers were instrumental in the founding of the Citadel and continue to protect it to this day. Subtle and sophisticated, they have always been great patrons of learning and the Faith, and it is said that certain of them have also dabbled in alchemy, necromancy, and other sorcerous arts

Not only was Qyburn so devoted to learning that he opened the bodies of the living, but such a patron of the Faith was he, that when he busted out his necromancy skills and makes Frankengregore, he makes it a champion of the Faith with rainbow-plumed greathelm and seven-pointed stars clasping its cloak with a holy vow of silence (having no head will do that) on top.

Qyburn had to get his interest in necromancy somewhere, and considering he happened to be a maester in the only city mentioned to have people into necromancy, I think it's a good bet he's a Hightower.

Real question is, what is Saruman/Hightower doing up in Orthanc/Hightower with his Grima Wormtongue/Malora the Mad Maid?

[Kitakaze]

Regarding the notion that Bloodraven has one of the glass candles and has used them to visit Jojen's and Bran's dreams to give them visions, that ability is not warging. Warging/skinchanging is taking control of another's body. What Bloodraven does is to go into Jojen and Bran's dreams and bring them vision's of a three-eyed crow. For Jojen he shows him a winged wolf trying to fly but bound to the earth with stone chains that the TEC can not break with its beak. When Jojen tells dad Howland about it, then he and his sister get sent to Winterfell.

There's nothing that really rings of skinchanging about that, but that is exactly what the dragonglass candles are meant to do, and he know this substance to be sacred to the CotF and the First Men. So if you have one dragonglass candle that is conspicuously green where all others described are black, and they are used for farseeing and entering dreams of others, and you have a guy specifically described as the Last Greenseer coming to people in green dreams, I think you're kind of spelling it out pretty obvious.

[TheTowerOfJoy]

Regarding the notion that Bloodraven has one of the glass candles and has used them to visit Jojen's and Bran's dreams to give them visions, that ability is not warging. Warging/skinchanging is taking control of another's body. What Bloodraven does is to go into Jojen and Bran's dreams and bring them vision's of a three-eyed crow. For Jojen he shows him a winged wolf trying to fly but bound to the earth with stone chains that the TEC can not break with its beak. When Jojen tells dad Howland about it, then he and his sister get sent to Winterfell.

There's nothing that really rings of skinchanging about that, but that is exactly what the dragonglass candles are meant to do, and he know this substance to be sacred to the CotF and the First Men. So if you have one dragonglass candle that is conspicuously green where all others described are black, and they are used for farseeing and entering dreams of others, and you have a guy specifically described as the Last Greenseer coming to people in green dreams, I think you're kind of spelling it out pretty obvious.

There is the concept of "Green Dreams" though, which sounds an awful lot like what they're experiencing.

I'm thinking that the Weirnet serves basically the same purpose as the glass candles.

[grand old duke of stark]

Very interesting theories. I think Planetos has many glass candles, mainly in Essos. The Citadel only 4, three black and one green. Marwyn being Marwyn probably has his own, which may or may not be known to the maesters. Quaithe seemingly has one too. And obviously so do some of the Undying. Theoretically, they can be getting to Dany as well. In fact, maybe Quaithe is one of them too. Though I think she's not because she seems to be helping Dany whilst the Undying are trying to destroy her. It's possible BR has a glass candle, but since his powers are weirwood connected and seem confined to Westeros, he probably doesn't.

Meanwhile, back in Oldtown, Jaquen is probably sent to kill someone and/or obtain that information. Is that someone Marwyn? Has Marwyn scuttle off to the Cinnamon Wind in time to avoid assassination? Did he take precious objects like the candle or his book including Signs and Portents? (Has Jaquen gotten on the ship as well? ) I guess we have to stay tuned for the next exciting episode. Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of man? The Shadow knows.

[Kitakaze]

Marwyn knows of Sam's coming through his personal glass candle. Melisandre states that one of the first things she does when looking into the flames is to check for personal threats to her. Marwyn being no dummy and suspicious of the "Grey Sheep" would most certainly take precautions as well. This does not rule out that he could be unaware that Pate's been offed and replaced by an FM who we know to be Jaqen H'ghar. In which case Marwyn might want to chuck out his sourleaf before chewing on it. The Alchemist/Jaqen has obtained the key at the prologue, killing Pate in the process, at the end of the book has replaced him and along with Leo Tyrell, and Alleras is hanging out with Marwyn and being clued in on major happenings, such as Sam's coming.

Things to consider...

- Marwyn shouldn't be oblivious to an FM under his nose. It is however possible given the skill of an FM at concealing themselves.

- If Marwyn is aware, Alleras and Leo make no such indication. Alleras and Pate were genuinely friends, so it is unlikely that would cooperate with an FM who killed his friend. FM are simply too stealthy for that.

- If Marwyn is unaware of the FM under his nose, the FM has already obtained the key and is using his position as witless Archmaester Walgrave's errand boy to his advantage. Getting access to the book Fire and Blood/The Death of Dragons may be the main purpose there. The book may record how the final Targaryen dragons actually died and information about what manner of black art sorcerous poison would work. Both the FM and the maesters of the citadel are deeply versed in poison knowledge.

- A total left field thought, but could there be significance to Jaqen taking on the guise of an Alchemist? The order of Alchemists included the pyromancers with their wildfire and prior to being replaced by the order of maesters, had for countless years been the counsel of the lords of Westeros. The Alchemists deal in various spells relating to fire and would have a direct interest in accessing secret knowledge pertaining to dragonkind.