In this audio only episode, Aziz, Jim McGeehin (Something Like a Lawyer), Samantha Wallace & Steve Love discuss the paradigm shift in Westeros that occurred as the dragons died out. House Targaryen lost their great source of power, which necessitated many changes. Recorded live at Con of Thrones 2018.
House Manderly: Part 1 – Blood of the Merling
…a thousand years ago… We explore the double backstory of House Manderly, the ancient realm in the south where they came to be, and the ancient realm in the north where they reside and prosper now.
- The Mander
- King’s Landing
- White Knife
- Rhoyne
- Asshai
- Greenblood
- Oldtown
- Shield Islands
- Iron Islands
- The Bite
- Northeast
- Braavos
- Merling King
- Manderly Sigil (Eagle of Seagard)
The Manderlys are no northmen, not down deep. ‘Twas no more than nine hundred years ago when they came north, laden down with all their gold and gods. They’d been great lords on the Mander until they overreached themselves and the green hands slapped them down. The wolf king took their gold, but he gave them land and let them keep their gods.” – ADWD, Davos I
Why We Love: The Animals of ASOIAF
A live roundtable discussion centered around selected favorite animal-related quotes, plus an Ice & Fire Con ’18 chat! Ash is joined by Lady Gwyn (Radio Westeros), Haley (The Manimals & DrinkingGOT), Chloe (Drunk ASOIAF (and History), Ice & Fire Con) & Tara Lynne (The Geekiary, Ice & Fire Con).
The king was in no mood for more argument. “Enough, Ned, I will hear no more. A direwolf is a savage beast. Sooner or later it would have turned on your girl the same way the other did on my son. Get her a dog, she’ll be happier for it.” – AGOT, Eddard III
“Her son was attended by his kittens. As she watched the cats frolic about his feet, Cersei felt a little better. No harm will ever come to Tommen whilst I still live. She would kill half the lords in Westeros and all the common people, if that was what it took to keep him safe.” – AFFC, Cersei VIII
He always slept better with the great white wolf beside him; there was comfort in the smell of him, and welcome warmth in that shaggy pale fur.” – ACOK, Jon VII
Blackfyre Rebellions: Part 7 – Bloodraven
The first of THREE Bloodraven episodes and part 7 of our Blackfyre Rebellions series. This one covers the time from his birth until the death of King Daeron II.
Six years ago in King’s Landing, Dunk had seen him with his own two eyes, as he rode a pale horse up the Street of Steel with fifty Raven’s Teeth behind him. That was before King Aerys had ascended to the Iron Throne and made him the Hand, but even so he cut a striking figure, garbed in smoke and scarlet with Dark Sister on his hip. His pallid skin and bone-white hair made him look a living corpse. Across his cheek and chin spread a wine-stain birthmark that was supposed to resemble a red raven, though Dunk only saw an odd-shaped blotch of discolored skin. He stared so hard that Bloodraven felt it. The king’s sorcerer had turned to study him as he went by. He had one eye, and that one red. The other was an empty socket, the gift Bittersteel had given him upon the Redgrass Field. Yet it seemed to Dunk that both eyes had looked right through his skin, down to his very soul. Despite the heat, the memory made him shiver. – The Sworn Sword
- @Maryon_B
- @Maryon_B
- Abjiklam
- Abjiklam & Eagle of Seagard
- ProKriK
- WinryArts
- The Lady Rae
History on Blood and Fire w/ Daniele Bolelli
A special episode! This is a collaboration with Daniele Bolelli of the History on Fire podcast. We chat about a wide variety of real world historical influences on A Game of Thrones/ASOIAF.
The Wall comes from Hadrian’s Wall, which I saw while visiting Scotland. I stood on Hadrian’s Wall and tried to imagine what it would be like to be a Roman soldier sent here from Italy or Antioch. To stand here, to gaze off into the distance, not knowing what might emerge from the forest. Of course fantasy is the stuff of bright colours and being larger than real life, so my Wall is bigger and considerably longer and more magical. And, of course, what lies beyond it has to be more than just Scots.”
Crusader Kings 2: A Game of Thrones Streams
Aziz vs. AGOT Prologue
Originally posted to Patrons/Donors-only over a year ago, now available to all! The actual factual first chapter of the series, the AGOT prologue.
He had been four years on the Wall. The first time he had been sent beyond, all the old stories had come rushing back, and his bowels had turned to water. He had laughed about it afterward. He was a veteran of a hundred rangings by now, and the endless dark wilderness that the southron called the haunted forest had no more terrors for him.
Until tonight. Something was different tonight. There was an edge to this darkness that made his hackles rise.
All day, Will had felt as though something were watching him, something cold and implacable that loved him not. Gared had felt it too. Will wanted nothing so much as to ride hellbent for the safety of the Wall, but that was not a feeling to share with your commander.
The Other halted. Will saw its eyes; blue, deeper and bluer than any human eyes, a blue that burned like ice. They fixed on the longsword trembling on high, watched the moonlight running cold along the metal.
A shadow emerged from the dark of the wood. It stood in front of Royce. Tall, it was, and gaunt and hard as old bones, with flesh pale as milk. Its armor seemed to change color as it moved; here it was white as new-fallen snow, there black as shadow, everywhere dappled with the deep grey-green of the trees. The patterns ran like moonlight on water with every step it took.
The Crypts of Winterfell
Explore the dark and ancient past of House Stark and Winterfell. The crypts, the statues, the history, the dreams, Bael the Bard, skinchangers, direwolves, dragons, the fires of the earth and so much more. Find the History of Westeros Facebook Group here.
The castle itself is peculiar in that the Starks did not level the ground when laying down the foundations and walls of the castle. Very likely, this reveals that the castle was built in pieces over the years rather than being planned as a single structure. Some scholars suspect that it was once a complex of linked ringforts, though the centuries have eradicated almost all evidence of this. – TWOIAF
By ancient custom an iron longsword had been laid across the lap of each who had been Lord of Winterfell, to keep the vengeful spirits in their crypts. The oldest had long ago rusted away to nothing, leaving only a few red stains where the metal had rested on stone. Ned wondered if that meant those ghosts were free to roam the castle now. He hoped not. The first Lords of Winterfell had been men hard as the land they ruled. – AGOT, Eddard I
Blackfish
The past, present, and possible futures of Ser Brynden Tully of Riverrun, Knight of the Gate, called Blackfish.
“During one of their louder quarrels, when Catelyn was eight, Lord Hoster had called Brynden “the black goat of the Tully flock.” Laughing, Brynden had pointed out that the sigil of their house was a leaping trout, so he ought to be a black fish rather than a black goat, and from that day forward he had taken it as his personal emblem.” – AGOT, Catelyn VI
‘Even on his deathbed, Catelyn thought sadly. “He has not wed. You know that, Father. Nor will he ever.”’ – AGOT, Catelyn XI
Sons of the Dragon Reaction Chat
Join us w/guests BryndenBFish and LmL for a chat as we look at the sons of Aegon the Conqueror! These sons are featured in the just released – “Sons of the Dragon”. Buy it here.
I been a king’s man since I was a boy,” he said. “I mean to die a king’s man.”
Brother, you need never kneel to me again. We shall rule this realm together, you and I.” Then the king presented his father’s sword, Blackfyre, to his brother, saying, “You are more fit to bear this blade than me. Wield it in my service, and I shall be content.”