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.
UPDATE: HBO is now developing a Nymeria series with the working title Ten Thousand Ships. Hopefully it makes it to series. In the interim, check out Ash’s Nymeria spinoff pitch from 2017.
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
Ten Thousand Ships Images
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.
UPDATE: HBO is now developing a Nymeria series with the working title Ten Thousand Ships. Hopefully it makes it to series. In the interim, check out Ash’s Nymeria spinoff pitch from 2017.
“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
Rhoynar and Nymeria Images
Tanselle Too-Tall by Eliyadoodles (left) & Hong-Ara (right) Old Man of the River by Klaradox Areo Hotah by hubsher Rhoynar Cities Rhoyne (Nymeria) Tyrion’s Journey (Klaradox) Rhoyne and the Trident (Klaradox) Selhoru to Westeros Andalos (Klaradox) Cities (Klaradox) Volantis (Klaradox) Norvos (Klaradox) Qohor (Klaradox) Ar Noy and the Sorrows (Klaradox) Bridge of Dream (Klaradox) Andalos and Valyria (Klaradox) Volantis (Klaradox) Mouths of the Rhoyne (Klaradox) Sarhoy (Klaradox) Chroyane (Klaradox) Sar Mell (Klaradox)
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 S 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.
Bloodraven Images
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. You can find part 1 in this series here. Special thank you, as always, to Michael Klarfeld for the maps and video intro.
Manderly Images
Manderly Sigil by Eagle of Seagard Wyman, Wynafryd, and Wylla by Hong-Ara Wendel, Wyman, Wylis, and Donella by Sir-Heartsalot Big Walder and Wyman by GibiLynx Wyman, Wylis, Wendel, and Wylla by hubsher Wynafryd and Wylla by eluas-cinnamon Wylla Manderly by thethreehares and eliyadoodles Wyman Manderly by Jenny Slife (FacelessFrey) Wynafyrd and Wylla by furiousstarfishnerd
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, LML, and JoeMagician and chat about this exciting news! This series has since been cancelled – but hey, we still have House of the Dragon to look forward to. That and all of the other announced series! Listen to our previous ‘Why We Love’ here.
“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.
“If you look at the published books so far, there’s really very little material about [the Age of Heroes]. A sentence here, a sentence there. Old Nan tells a tale that takes up a paragraph. So Jane had to create the characters, the settings and some of the events, and we had to look at everything that was said and say, ‘O.K., here’s what was said at this point, we need to make it consistent to that.’ We kicked around some ideas and I made some suggestions. But mostly it’s been Jane running with it.” – GRRM.
Targaryen Politics in Post-Dragon Westeros (Con Panel Audio)
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. You can find our other panels here.
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. Find our second episode on House Manderly here.
Manderly Images
The Mander (Klaradox) King’s Landing White Knife Rhoyne Asshai Greenblood Oldtown Shield Islands The Bite Braavos Northeast Manderly Sigil (Eagle of Seagard) Iron Islands Merling King (Klaradox)
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
House Manderly Remembers
“I know about the promise,” insisted the girl. “Maester Theomore, tell them! A thousand years before the Conquest, a promise was made, and oaths were sworn in the Wolf’s Den before the old gods and the new. When we were sore beset and friendless, hounded from our homes and in peril of our lives, the wolves took us in and nourished us and protected us against our enemies. The city is built upon the land they gave us. In return we swore that we should always be their men. Stark men!” – Davos III, ADWD
Why We Love: The Animals of ASOIAF
Let’s talk about animals in 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 (Girls Gone Canon, Drunk ASOIAF History) & Tara Lynne (The Geekiary, Ice & Fire Con). Listen to our other ‘Why We Love’ here.
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
Animals in ASOIAF – Cats!
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
A Good Boy
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