video Archives - History of Westeros

George RR Martin in Conversation: HOW Interviews GRRM!

On August 18, 2022, we interviewed George RR Martin in person, at his office in Santa Fe. You can watch this episode on YouTube here, or listen to it in podcast form here.

We are also including a transcription below, under the cut, for those who prefer to read their interviews, but we hope you check out the video to see a few looks at George’s office. At the end of this episode, we mention Ice & Fire Con, Westeros: An American Musical, and Queens: The Musical, so there are a few links for your convenience.

History of Westeros with George RR Martin

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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

Bloodraven by Eliyadoodles — Brynden Rivers by Eliyadoodles

Bloodraven & Shiera Seastar by hubsher — Brynden Rivers by Eliyadoodles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMigsZx30uQ

Blackfyre Rebellions: Part 8 – Bloodraven 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMigsZx30uQ)

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

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2LsZUmDuds

House Manderly: Part 2 – Winter is Coming… To White Harbor (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2LsZUmDuds)

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.

https://youtu.be/o9KR3c_ZXko

Why We Love: The Age of Heroes (GoT Spinoff Chat!) (https://youtu.be/o9KR3c_ZXko)

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 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

https://youtu.be/OAWzfLEzDuI

House Manderly: Part 1 – Blood of the Merling (https://youtu.be/OAWzfLEzDuI)

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

https://youtu.be/GjTvk-D5AyA

Why We Love: The Animals of ASOIAF (https://youtu.be/GjTvk-D5AyA)

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

Bloodraven Images

https://youtu.be/1eGA7K3hWZ0

Blackfyre Rebellions: Part 7 – Bloodraven (https://youtu.be/1eGA7K3hWZ0)

Crusader Kings 2: A Game of Thrones Streams

Aziz and Ashaya have been doing the occasional stream of Crusader Kings 2: A Game of Thrones (mod found here, game found here).

Here is the full playlist of streams thus far.

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. Check out Aziz vs. ADWD Epilogue next!

You can also listen to our Valar Rereadis episode, recorded 3 years later!

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb90uV9eNvI

Aziz vs. AGoT Prologue (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb90uV9eNvI)

The Crypts of Winterfell

Explore the dark and ancient past of House Stark and Winterfell. We discuss the crypts, statues, history, dreams, and Bael the Bard. Plus skinchangers, direwolves, dragons, the fires of the earth and so much more. So let’s descend into the crypts of Winterfell. Spooky~~~

Find the History of Westeros Facebook Group here. You can also join our Discord 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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7amecNz4Kek

The Crypts of Winterfell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7amecNz4Kek)