History of Westeros

The Dance of the Dragons Part 1 – w/Radio Westeros

Our joint coverage of the Dance of the Dragons with Radio Westeros begins with the key events that led to war. The Queen Who Never Was, the Year of the Red Spring, the formation of the Blacks & Greens and much more.

The Dance of the Dragons is the flowery name bestowed upon the savage internecine struggle for the Iron Throne of Westeros fought between two rival branches of House Targaryen during the years 129 to 131 AC. To characterize the dark, turbulent, bloody doings of this period as a “dance” strikes us as grotesquely inappropriate. No doubt the phrase originated with some singer. “The Dying of the Dragons” would be altogether more fitting, but tradition and time have burned the more poetic usage into the pages of history, so we must dance along with the rest.

  • Rhaenys Targaryen - The Queen Who Never Was by Drafturgy
    Rhaenys Targaryen – The Queen Who Never Was by Drafturgy
  • Rhaenys Targaryen & Corlys Velaryon by Drafturgy
    Rhaenys Targaryen & Corlys Velaryon by Drafturgy
  • Visenya, Aegon, and Rhaenys by NaomiMakesArt
    Visenya, Aegon, and Rhaenys by NaomiMakesArt
  • Laena and Laenor Velaryon by NaomiMakesArt
    Laena and Laenor Velaryon by NaomiMakesArt
  • Rhaenyra and the Strongs by Poly-Hebdo
    Rhaenyra and the Strongs by Poly-Hebdo
  • Alys Rivers and Aemond Targaryen by NaomiMakesArt
    Alys Rivers and Aemond Targaryen by NaomiMakesArt
  • Rhaenyra and Daemon by NaomiMakesArt
    Rhaenyra and Daemon by NaomiMakesArt
  • Rhaenyra by Doug Wheatley
    Rhaenyra by Doug Wheatley
  • Rhaenyra by NaomiMakesArt
    Rhaenyra by NaomiMakesArt

The Three-Eyed Bloodraven

The third of our THREE (1, 2) Bloodraven episodes. This one has a deep dive into the life of Brynden Rivers beginning from the point at which he took the Black. Was he a ranger? What did he and Maester Aemon talk about? Who is Coldhands? and much more on… the Three-Eyed Bloodraven!

Thanks to guest producer Zack of Game of Owns!

Before them a pale lord in ebon finery sat dreaming in a tangled nest of roots, a woven weirwood throne that embraced his withered limbs as a mother does a child. His body was so skeletal and his clothes so rotted that at first Bran took him for another corpse, a dead man propped up so long that the roots had grown over him, under him, and through him. What skin the corpse lord showed was white, save for a bloody blotch that crept up his neck onto his cheek. His white hair was fine and thin as root hair and long enough to brush against the earthen floor. Roots coiled around his legs like wooden serpents. One burrowed through his breeches into the desiccated flesh of his thigh, to emerge again from his shoulder. A spray of dark red leaves sprouted from his skull, and grey mushrooms spotted his brow. A little skin remained, stretched across his face, tight and hard as white leather, but even that was fraying, and here and there the brown and yellow bone beneath was poking through.

– Bran II, ADWD
  • Bloodraven's sigil by Abjiklam
    Bloodraven’s sigil by Abjiklam
  • Eastwatch
    Eastwatch
  • Bloodraven by Luciferys
    By Luciferys
  • Bloodraven by Mike Hallstein
    By Mike Hallstein
  • Bloodraven by Luciferys
    By Luciferys
  • Bloodraven by Mike Hallstein
    By Mike Hallstein
  • Bloodraven by ProKriK
    By ProKriK
  • Bloodraven by Luciferys
    By Luciferys
  • Manuscript note from GRRM
    Manuscript note from GRRM

Nymeria: Part 2 – Ten Thousand Ships

GRRM’s version of the Odyssey is here! We’ve got Brindled Men, wyverns, killer diseases, ancient cities, corsairs, dark gods. Plus characters like Daenerys, Missandei and her brothers, Victarion, Barristan Selmy and his new knights. See our previous episode in our Nymeria series here. Special thanks to Michal Schick of Vassals of Kingsgrave podcast and Hypable for the voices.

Legend tells us that Nymeria took ten thousand ships to sea, searching for a new home for her people beyond the long reach of Valyria and its dragonlords. Beldecar argues that this number was vastly inflated, perhaps as much as tenfold. Other chroniclers offer other numbers, but in truth no true count was ever made. We can safely say there were a great many ships. Most were river craft, skiffs and poleboats, trading galleys, fishing boats, pleasure barges, even rafts, their decks and holds crammed full of women and children and old men. Only one in ten was remotely seaworthy, Beldecar insists. 
Nymeria’s voyage was long and terrible. More than a hundred ships foundered and sank in the first storm her fleet encountered. As many or more turned back in fear, and were taken by slavers out of Volantis. Others fell behind or drifted away, never to be seen again. The remainder of the fleet limped across the Summer Sea to the Basilisk Isles…

– The World of Ice and Fire
  • The Rhoyne and Sothoryos
  • Zamoyos
  • Basilisk Isles
  • Isle of Toads & Toad Stone (also Klaradox)
  • Sothoryos
  • Wyvern Point
  • Zamettar
  • Naath
  • Summer Isles
  • Abulu
  • Jaqen H’ghar
  • Missandei by Eluascinnamon
  • The Greenblood

Nymeria: Part 1 – Mother Rhoyne

The first of multiple episodes on Nymeria of the Rhoynar. Foreshadowing for ASOIAF via the rise & fall of the Rhoynar; includes: greyscale, Darkstar, water wizards, the Water Gardens of Dorne, Volantis, dragons and much more. Special thanks to Michal Schick of Vassals of Kingsgrave podcast and Hypable for the voices.

“This is Ny Sar, where the Mother gathers in her Wild Daughter, Noyne,” said Yandry, “but she will not reach her widest point until she meets her other daughters. At Dagger Lake the Qhoyne comes rushing in, the Darkling Daughter, full of gold and amber from the Axe and pine-cones from the Forest of Qohor. South of there the Mother meets Lhorulu, the Smiling Daughter from the Golden Fields. Where they join once stood Chroyane, the festival city, where the streets were made of water and the houses made of gold. Then south and east again for long leagues, until at last comes creeping in Selhoru, the Shy Daughter who hides her course in reeds and writhes. There Mother Rhoyne waxes so wide that a man upon a boat in the center of the stream cannot see a shore to either side. You shall see, my little friend.” – Tyrion IV, ADWD

Blackfyre Rebellions: Part 8 – Bloodraven 2

The second of THREE Bloodraven episodes and part 8 of our Blackfyre Rebellions series. This one covers Bloodraven’s time as Hand up to the point where he takes the Black. A full accounting of the reigns of Aerys I and Maekar, plus Aerion Brightflame, Daeron the Drunkard, Egg, Maester Aemon, Blackfyres and so much more including the discovery of the Prince That Was Promised prophecy. Big thanks to Camille Stoner and Valkyrist (who you can catch on the Vassals of Kingsgrave pod) for the voices, and to all the art contributors, particularly Klaradox for the maps, as always.

Bloodraven proved to be a capable Hand, but also a master of whispers who rivaled Lady Misery, and there were those who thought he and his half sister and paramour, Shiera Seastar, used sorcery to ferret out secrets. It became common to refer to his “thousand eyes and one,” and men both high and low began to distrust their neighbor for fear of their being a spy in Bloodraven’s employ. Yet Aerys had need of spies, given the trouble that followed the Great Spring Sickness. Summer came, and with it a drought that lasted more than two years. Many blamed the king, and many more accused Bloodraven. There were poor brothers who preached treason, and knights and lords as well. And amongst those were some who whispered a specific treason: that the Black Dragon must return from across the narrow sea and take its rightful place. – The World of Ice and Fire.

The Five Year Gap (Con Panel Audio)

A great panel from Con of Thrones 2018, featuring Ash, Joe Magician, Bookshelfstud & JoannaLannister. Why scrapping the five year gap was a great idea, why GRRM planned it in the first place, and how many of the characters might have turned out if he hadn’t.

“It’s a lot harder [in real life]. Sometimes in my own life, I wish I could play a montage of my life. I want to get in shape now. So let’s do a montage, and boom — I’ll be fifty pounds lighter and in good shape, and it will only take me a minute with some montage of me lifting weights and running, shoving away the steak and having a salad. But of course in real life, you don’t get to montage. You have to go through it day by day.” – GRRM.

“It worked for characters like Arya and Dany but not so much for the adults or those who had a lot of action coming. He was writing chapters where Jon thought, “Well, not a lot has happened these past five years, it’s been kinda nice.” And Cersei chapters where she thought, “Well, I’ve had to kill sooo many people the last five years.” So he ended up dropping it. He said he would have done it sooner if he hadn’t told so many fans about it. And there is no gap anymore. “If a twelve-year old has to conquer the world, then so be it.” – SSM.

House Manderly: Part 2 – Winter is Coming… To White Harbor

This one starts with recent Manderly history and ends with thoughts on starvation, human sacrifice, cannibalism, fear and prophecy.

“While tearing apart a bird with fat fingers, Lord Wyman made polite inquiry after Lady Hornwood, who was a cousin of his. “She was born a Manderly, you know. Perhaps, when her grief has run its course, she would like to be a Manderly again, eh?” He took a bite from a wing, and smiled broadly. “As it happens, I am a widower these past eight years. Past time I took another wife, don’t you agree, my lords? A man does get lonely.” Tossing the bones aside, he reached for a leg. “Or if the lady fancies a younger lad, well, my son Wendel is unwed as well. He is off south guarding Lady Catelyn, but no doubt he will wish to take a bride on his return. A valiant boy, and jolly. Just the man to teach her to laugh again, eh?” He wiped a bit of grease off his chin with the sleeve of his tunic.” – Bran II, ACOK.

Why We Love: The Age of Heroes

The just-announced HBO pilot set during the Age of Heroes gives us a great reason to talk about that epic era and how it might look on TV. Join Aziz, Ash, LuciferMeansLightbringer, and JoeMagician and chat about this exciting news!

“Taking place thousands of years before the events of ‘Game of Thrones,’ the series chronicles the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. And only one thing is for sure: from the horrifying secrets of Westeros’ history to the true origin of the white walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend … it’s not the story we think we know.”

“No one can even say for certain if Brandon the Builder ever lived. He is as remote from the time of the novels as Noah and Gilgamesh are from our own time.” – SSM.


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