The Stone Beast Breathing Shadow Fire

[RoamingRonin]

The Yunkai masters - (winged) Harpies - are spreading lies about Dany in order to gain military support against her. And then there's the shadow war with the sons of the harpy.

But I think Dany would have recognized the stone beast as being a harpy. Instead she thinks of it as just as a stone beast. So there's that...

[bent branch]

_{This may be too literal but what about Drogon? He was hatched from a petrified egg and one of Dany's riders calls him Balerion come again and both Drogon and Balerion are said to breathe shadow fire. What if in time Drogon is put to the test as a second Balerion and fails to do so or could Drogon also be a symbol of Dany (in conqueror form as opposed to her silver which represents Dany in a different aspect or before her transformation as Queen/ mother of dragons)? Also could the triple visions tie into a separate theme aside from lies as both Stannis and Aegon are vying for the Iron throne?}

It is probably not Drogon as Dany would recognize him. However, I think it could be a symbol for Dany. As I said up thread, I think the visions could all link to false PTWPs. In the story, we are presented with four possible PTWP, Stannis, Aegon, Dany and Jon (although Jon is not so obvious until you put together R+L=J). If the first vision represents Stannis and the second vision represents Aegon and they are lies to be slain, then the lie to be slain about both of them is likely to be that they are PTWP. This indicates to me that the third vision is also a false PTWP. I think it is highly likely that the third vision eliminates either Jon or Dany. Since it really doesn't seem to represent Jon to me, I think it could be Dany. You have made a better case for it being Dany than I ever have.

[jet199]

There is quite a good theory about Littlefinger being the third lie. Basically the stone beast is the titan of Braavos and takes flight when her changes his signal to a mockingbird http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/97339-is-petyr-baelish-the-third-lie-dany-has-to-slay/?hl=%2Bslayer+%2Blies#entry4989114

However my favourite theory is that the beast is Dany herself as the smoking tower is likely to be Dragonstone. I think there is probably something in Dany's origins which are a lie. Or it could even represent Aegon the Conqueror and there is some lie which the whole Targ origin myth is based on.

[Ygrain]

_{This may be too literal but what about Drogon? He was hatched from a petrified egg and one of Dany's riders calls him Balerion come again and both Drogon and Balerion are said to breathe shadow fire. What if in time Drogon is put to the test as a second Balerion and fails to do so or could Drogon also be a symbol of Dany (in conqueror form as opposed to her silver which represents Dany in a different aspect or before her transformation as Queen/ mother of dragons)? Also could the triple visions tie into a separate theme aside from lies as both Stannis and Aegon are vying for the Iron throne?}

Quote, please? I cannot find anything to the accord. Drogon's fire is described as black, and so is Balerion's.

However, I quite like the idea that it might be a symbol of Dany herself.

It is probably not Drogon as Dany would recognize him. However, I think it could be a symbol for Dany. As I said up thread, I think the visions could all link to false PTWPs. In the story, we are presented with four possible PTWP, Stannis, Aegon, Dany and Jon (although Jon is not so obvious until you put together R+L=J). If the first vision represents Stannis and the second vision represents Aegon and they are lies to be slain, then the lie to be slain about both of them is likely to be that they are PTWP. This indicates to me that the third vision is also a false PTWP. I think it is highly likely that the third vision eliminates either Jon or Dany. Since it really doesn't seem to represent Jon to me, I think it could be Dany. You have made a better case for it being Dany than I ever have.

Now that is an interesting idea.

[Leto]

I must confess I havn't given this much thought, but "a beast taking wing" kind of brings Bran to mind. Well my mind at least.

[Swordofthemornin]

I really like that take on it, never thought of that before but it really fits. nice one.

[Arya kiddin']

No one answered my doubts so I'll re-iterate them. :P

Interesting.

The one problem I have:

It's "beast breathing shadow fire" and not "shadow beast breathing fire".

Another one:

Smoking tower, Smoke in AA prophecy and smoke in this prophecy if turn out to be the same or even at the same place, I don't quite see this happening. :dunno:

[Ygrain]

Sorry for derailing the thread but I wanted to ask: has it been discussed that after Dany says "I don't understand" and the Undying reply "help her... show her...", the beginning of the second round of visions is actually an explanation of what had been said prior?

• mother of dragons . . . child of three three heads has the dragon
  

Viserys screamed as the molten gold ran down his cheeks and filled his mouth. A tall lord with copper skin and silver-gold hair stood beneath the banner of a fiery stallion, a burning city behind him. Rubies flew like drops of blood from the chest of a dying prince, and he sank to his knees in the water and with his last breath murmured a woman’s name mother of dragons, daughter of death

• mother of dragons . . . child of storm
  

Glowing like sunset, a red sword was raised in the hand of a blue-eyed king who cast no shadow. A cloth dragon swayed on poles amidst a cheering crowd. From a smoking tower, a great stone beast took wing, breathing shadow

fire. . . . mother of dragons, slayer of lies

• three fires must you light . . . one for life and one for death and one to love
  

Her silver was trotting through the grass, to a darkling stream beneath a sea of stars. A corpse stood at the prow of a ship, eyes bright in his dead face, grey lips smiling sadly. A blue flower grew from a chink in a wall of ice, and filled the air with sweetness. . . . mother of dragons, bride of fire .

I won't pretend I understand why a child of storm should be paired with a slayer of lies but I think that the other two points seem to fit. Could someone link me if there has been a similar discussion?

[MoIaF]

If this part of the prophesy does indeed relate to Jon, it would mean that the last part of all the Mother of Dragon prophesies all relate to Jon.

I'm going to borrow this from Ygrain - hope you don't mind.

• mother of dragons . . . child of three three heads has the dragon
  

Viserys screamed as the molten gold ran down his cheeks and filled his mouth. A tall lord with copper skin and silver-gold hair stood beneath the banner of a fiery stallion, a burning city behind him. Rubies flew like drops of blood from the chest of a dying prince, and he sank to his knees in the water and with his last breath murmured a woman’s name mother of dragons, daughter of death

• mother of dragons . . . child of storm
  

Glowing like sunset, a red sword was raised in the hand of a blue-eyed king who cast no shadow. A cloth dragon swayed on poles amidst a cheering crowd. From a smoking tower, a great stone beast took wing, breathing shadow

fire. . . . mother of dragons, slayer of lies

• three fires must you light . . . one for life and one for death and one to love
  

Her silver was trotting through the grass, to a darkling stream beneath a sea of stars. A corpse stood at the prow of a ship, eyes bright in his dead face, grey lips smiling sadly. A blue flower grew from a chink in a wall of ice, and filled the air with sweetness. . . . mother of dragons, bride of fire .

I would make a lot of sense if they all relate to Jon.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

If this part of the prophesy does indeed relate to Jon, it would mean that the last part of all the Mother of Dragon prophesies all relate to Jon.

I'mgoing borrow this from Ygrain - hope you don't mind.

I would make a lot of sense if they all relate to Jon.

That is an awesome catch.

[MoIaF]

^^Thanks^^

Also, I was thinking that if those relate to Jon, then the last part of these mght also relate to Jon:

. . . three fires must you light . . . one for life and one for death and one to love . . .
. . . three mounts must you ride . . . one to bed and one to dread and one to love . . .
. . . three treasons will you know . . . once for blood and once for gold and once for love . . .

The love part doesn't necessarily need to signify romantic love, if R+L=J then Jon would be family to Dany and it could be love of family.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

^^Thanks^^

Also, I was thinking that if those relate to Jon, then the last part of these mght also relate to Jon:

. . . three fires must you light . . . one for life and one for death and one to love . . .

. . . three mounts must you ride . . . one to bed and one to dread and one to love . . .

. . . three treasons will you know . . . once for blood and once for gold and once for love . . .

The love part doesn't necessarily need to signify romantic love, if R+L=J then Jon would be family to Dany and it could be love of family.

I need to go back and look and see which of the threes "line up" with which of the triplet visions. For example, a lot of people line up the mounts with bride of fire for some reason, even though they don't align with each other in the order.

[Targaryen_Rubies]

Quote, please? I cannot find anything to the accord. Drogon's fire is described as black, and so is Balerion's.

However, I quite like the idea that it might be a symbol of Dany herself.

Now that is an interesting idea.

Sorry, I meant black.

[Lord Martin]

Don't mind me if I think aloud here:

It seems to me the first visions are all of deaths that caused Dany to be who she is... Viserys, Rhaego and Rhaegar, hence the name "daughter of death." But that isn't the only thing those three have in common, the vision is in indigo (purple) and all the dead are Targaryens by blood. So there is a secondary bond between them all.

Then we get Stannis as AA, Aegon as a Dragon and the stone beast, which is followed by "slayer of lies." So each of these must refer to a lie or falsehood. Stannis isn't AA, Aegon isn't a dragon. But what is the lie with a stone beast taking wing from a flaming tower? What is the second tie with all of these?

Could the hint be the phrase child of "storm?" Both Stannis and Aegon have connections to the Stormlands (Stannis born there, Aegon lands there). Could there be another Tower in the storm lands with a tie to Dragons? I guess Summerhall is there, right? Could there still be a "stone" dragons' egg at Summerhall? Is the vision one of the past of the tragedy at Summerhall? Is Rhaegar the stone beast and the fact the idea that he is AA reborn is a lie?

Also, does anyone else think of House Hightower when smoking towers get mentioned? Could Lord Leyton have greyscale? Is this a reference to Euron's attack on Old Town? Is the beast a metaphor for the death of dragons? There are also sphinxes to consider, the sphinx is the riddle after all...

Probably not much useful here but hey...

[TheTowerOfJoy]

Couple of things:

1) The tower could simply be referring to the Tower of Joy, where Jon was theoretically born. The lie to be slain being that he was Ned Stark's bastard.

2) Mel's prophecy about "waking stone dragons" could be the lie that is being slain here... I've had a theory that Mel will sacrifice Shireen in a final attempt to "wake the stone dragon". Perhaps the "winged stone beast, breathing shadow fire" is a greyscale plague that is kicked off by this sacrifice?

[Fire Eater]

Nice theory; the stone beast breathing shadow fire is among the lies that is directly or indirectly slain by Dany. Dany will publicly reveal that Aegon is fake, and her dragons and dealing with Stannis will allow it be revealed that he isn't AA.

Your dragon shall awaken and spread his stony wings

They walked quickly, across a shadowed yard and down some steps, under the stone tail of a frozen dragon.

Special thanks to Minerva of Alamut for finding this. The latter is from the scene of Hand Davos smuggling Edric Storm, a boy with king's blood, to safety from Stannis. A nickname for Edric as with Edric Dayne, is Ned, the name of the Hand who smuggled Jon to safety from Robert. The stone dragon in that picture is described as frozen, and Jon will be kept in the ice cells in the Wall after the Ides of Marsh when his heritage is revealed to him.

The lie of Jon's heritage is one that Dany will (unintentionally) help slay, Jon meeting her will allow R+L=J will be publicly revealed and Jon to prove his heritage. The stone beast could be a reference to the stone dragon which is Jon.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

Couple of things:

1) The tower could simply be referring to the Tower of Joy, where Jon was theoretically born. The lie to be slain being that he was Ned Stark's bastard.

That's also how I'm interpreting the lie, if it is Jon. The lie that he's Ned's bastard. The lies shouldn't necessarily have to imply treachery or bad intent.

[Rooghar Targaryen]

Agree with the Jon idea,

Breakdown:

From a smoking tower, = A reference to the Tower of Joy. It's a tower in ruins (smoking). Jon comes from there, it was where he was born.

a great stone beast took wing, = I like the part wolf, part dragon idea as the beast. Stone because he has been hidden for a long time. "Took Wing" meaning he will start to lead.

breathing shadow = Jon is associated with shadows and and the black (Nightswatch). Also, maybe a Mel reincarnation shadow thingy coming up with Jon in the next book or something to do with the Shadow tower.

Dany would be slaying the lie of Jon being Eddard's son.

That's my guess haha.

[Frey family reunion]

I too assumed it referred to Jon Connington and the tower was Hightower. I'm now second guessing that assumption based on some of the points brought up by the OP. Crackpot idea, perhaps the stone beast is Sansa Stark under her assumed name of Stone. A lot of imagery with Sansa concerning birds and taking flight, and the smoking tower may refer to Harrehall and Sansa's association with that through her maternal line. Of course absolutely no idea what the shadow fire would refer too.

[aceluby]

So does anyone else think this sounds a lot like the winged snake (or serpant, can't remember) that Bran sees while wearing Summer's skin at the end of ASOS?