History of Westeros

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

House Dayne: Part 1 – Characters


Aziz & Ashaya break down the major characters from House Dayne. Theories, background and predictions!

Thanks to Lucifer Means Lightbringer of Astronomy of Ice and Fire for the quotes!

The primary topics in this episode:

  1. Overview: Stereotypes/Archetypes
  2. Part 1 – The Meta History of House Dayne
  3. Part 2 – Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning
  4. Part 3 – Ashara Dayne: Tragedy, Conflict & Mystery
  5. Part 4 – The Current Daynes of Starfall
  6. Part 5 – The Sword of the Evening
  7. Outtro
  8. Trivia

“The finest knight I ever saw was Ser Arthur Dayne, who fought with a blade called Dawn, forged from the heart of a fallen star. They called him the Sword of the Morning, and he would have killed me but for Howland Reed.”

“Men call me Darkstar, and I am of the night.”

“He wondered what Ser Arthur Dayne would have to say of this lot. “How is it that the Kingsguard has fallen so low,” most like.”

“The Prince of Dragonstone had never trusted him as he had trusted Arthur Dayne. Harrenhal was proof of that. The year of the false spring. The memory was still bitter.”

“And these were no shadows; their faces burned clear, even now. Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, had a sad smile on his lips.”

There was Little Lord Lazyeye, Squire Squishlips, one I named the Whale That Walks, that sort of thing. The only one who was even halfway presentable was young Baelor Hightower.”

“The Dornishmen who had come to court with the Princess Elia were in the prince’s confidence as well, particularly Prince Lewyn Martell, Elia’s uncle and a Sworn Brother of the Kingsguard. But the most formidable of all Rhaegar’s friends and allies in King’s Landing was surely Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning.”

“She is stronger than I am. The realization chilled him. Robert had been stronger than him, to be sure. The White Bull Gerold Hightower as well, in his heyday, and Ser Arthur Dayne.”

“Continuing the most ambitious and imaginative epic fantasy since The Lord of the Rings The action in Book Four of A Song of Ice and Fire begins the day after the end of A STORM OF SWORDS. While the remaining northern lords war endlessly with each other and the ironmen of the isles attack the Dreadfort, Sansa becomes a skilled player in the game of thrones with Littlefinger as her mentor, Arya a skilled assassin, and Bran a magician and shapeshifter of great power. All seek to gain revenge for the death of their parents and Robb Stark, whose head was cut off and replaced with the head of his direwolf. Valar morghulis. All men must die, and wolves, too. Danerys trains her growing dragons and learns from Barristan the secrets of her father, her brother Rhaegar, and other matters that will culminate at Starfell. And Jon Snow is the nine-hundredth-and-ninety-eighth lord commander of the Night’s Watch. The Wall is his. The night is dark, and he has King Stannis to face. The cold wind is rising, and still there are inhuman powers gathering in the north.”

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The Shadow of Summerhall: Aerys & Rhaegar (spoilers)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbgMl0LgNn0

This episode delves deep into Aerys, Rhaella, and Rhaegar Targaryen, as well as other characters who were impacted by Summerhall. There’s talk of how the Mad King could wreak havoc on the Seven Kingdoms even now…though our main focus is, of course, the Aftermath of Summerhall. Why didn’t it work? Who tried to capitalize on the instability? What impact did the event have on the survivors? What impact does it have on the current ASOIAF storyline?

The primary topics in this episode:

  1. The Day After
  2. Jaehaerys Ascends, Blackfyres Descend
  3. Aerys Ascends, Madness Descends
  4. Dragons in the Shadow
  5. Rhaegar, Who Thought Himself So Wise
  6. The Mad King’s Revenge

“Once it takes fire, the substance will burn fiercely until it is no more.”

“…many of the accounts written of Harrenhal speak of his hysterical laughter, long silences, bouts of weeping, and sudden rages.”

“Drawing on his father’s plans, His Grace put aside his grief, called his lords bannermen, and resolved to meet the Ninepenny Kings upon the Stepstones, choosing to take the war to them rather than awaiting their landing on the shores of the Seven Kingdoms.”

Your grandsire commanded it. A woods witch had told him that the prince that was promised would be born of their line.”

 

“High in the halls of the kings who are gone, Jenny would dance with her ghosts.”

 

“It was a prince that was promised, not a princess. Rhaegar, I thought… the smoke was from the fire that devoured Summerhall on the day of his birth, the salt from the tears shed for those who died. He shared my belief when he was young, but later he became persuaded that it was his own son who fulfilled the prophecy, for a comet had been seen above King’s Landing on the night Aegon was conceived, and Rhaegar was certain the bleeding star had to be a comet. What fools we were, who thought ourselves so wise!”

 

“It was the shadow of Summerhall that haunted him, was it not?” “Yes. And yet Summerhall was the place the prince loved best.”

 

“He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire.”

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The Pardon of Barristan Selmy by King Robert Baratheon

After the Battle of the Trident, Robert Baratheon, Eddard Stark and others had a decision on their hands. Barristan the Bold, one of the greatest knights in the realm, lay badly wounded after suffering 3 or more wounds during the fighting. Roose Bolton counseled his throat be cut (this is also the very first time Roose’s name ever appears in ASOIAF). However, Robert would do no such thing. As he did with so many others, he flipped a foe into a friend.

Robert, still young and uncorrupted by the throne, was not yet a man willing to murder. He believed that the only place for killing an enemy was on a battlefield, save perhaps an arranged duel or the like. Robert said (according to Ned):

“I will not kill a man for loyalty, nor for fighting well”

It was not necessary for anyone on the side of mercy to argue, since Robert was already set on allowing Barristan Selmy to live. But had he been on the fence, or intent on an execution, any student of Westerosi history could’ve made a great point that may have swayed Robert on a personal level. A particularly glorious deed of Ser Barristan’s looms large here… One very relevant to House Baratheon.

Barristan the Bold is famous for many reasons, but aside from Duskendale, the slaying of Maelys Blackfyre is surely at the top of the list. Why would this matter to Robert? Because Maelys the Monstrous himself slew Robert’s own grandfather, Hand of the King and Lord of Storm’s End, Ormund Baratheon, during the War of the Ninepenny Kings. Robert had not even been born by this point, but surely he heard how his Lord grandfather died. Robert is no student of history, but in a land where blood debts are common currency, this would surely argue strongly for a pardon.

In fact, perhaps this did factor in Robert’s decision to name Ser Barristan the Lord Commander after the war.

TV Discussion: Game of Thrones S04E04 (spoiler free)

S04E04

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuRT6FNGAP0

Another week, another episode of History of Westeros! Actually, another two episodes of History of Westeros, as we have a separate spoiler filled episode this week due to how much we had to talk about! View part 2 here.

Ashaya, Aziz and Sean discuss the exciting events of S04E04 of Game of Thrones.  As always, we illuminate the backstory and explain the subtleties, keeping you prepared for the next episode and beyond!

Sean is an Unsullied TV viewer whose unspoiled perceptions are quite the contrast to HoW’s thorough Game of Thrones education, and this makes the review unique. Sean is an insightful reviewer who first joined us in our Red Wedding discussion episode, and has been our previous three Season 4 episodes: episode 1, episode 2, and episode 3.

I will answer injustice with justice.

 

That was me knocking your ass to the dirt with your own hand.

 

Goodbye Brienne.

Every scene (and there were a lot) of S04E04 is discussed, what we liked and didn’t like, noting interesting but non-spoiler comparisons to the books. As usual there is special attention paid to hidden detail and backstory.

Be sure to check out our forum, which is newly launched, and introduce yourself there, as well as discuss podcast and TV show episodes. Please rate and review us on iTunes as well if you have the chance!

If I have to take one more leisurely stroll through these gardens, I’ll fling myself from the cliffs.

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The Winds of Winter: The Battle of Fire (mega-spoilers)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWs4kHbVnCk

A huge battle is about to occur in The Winds of Winter where several POV characters have converged. We break down the relevant spoiler chapters while detailing each of the participants’ motivations and expectations for the conflict. Theories, predictions and plenty of action from the battle itself!
I came for blood, not gold.

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Barristan I and II
Transcript of Victarion I
Tyrion I
Tyrion II
YouTube: Video of Victarion I (last 9 minutes)

History: The Kingsguard (spoiler free)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7RYYWJzX_w

Learn more about famous Kingsguard members like Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, Barristan the Bold, and Ser Arthur Dayne. There are no spoilers past A Storm of Swords.
Some had been heroes, some weaklings, knaves, or cravens. Most were only men.

There are some technical difficulties in this episode that are edited out of the audio version. Please listen to that for a better experience, or go ahead and laugh at the video when one of us forgets to unmute our mic!

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Plots: House Martell (spoilers)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vntRZ19icJc

Aziz and Steve are joined by Ken from the “Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things” blog/podcast. House Martell remembers.
Once I crown Myrcella and free the Sand Snakes, all Dorne will rally to my banners.

Vengeance. Justice. Fire and blood.

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Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things

 

History/Plots: Slaver’s Bay (spoilers)

A video only episode. A detailed background of the Ghiscari Empire and Slaver’s Bay followed by an analysis of the current situation for Daenerys Targaryen. We discuss the Harpy, the Perfumed Seneschal, Hizdahr zo Loraq and how Tyrion fits into this. 
Inside Meereen the slavers would soon be reclining in their fringed tokars to feast on lamb and olives, unborn puppies, honeyed dormice and other such delicacies, whilst outside her children went hungry.

Bricks and blood built Astapor, and bricks and blood her people.

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History: Golden Company & War of the Ninepenny Kings (spoiler free)

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