A Wiki of Ice and Fire - User contributions [en]

Brave Companions

2013-07-04T20:35:37Z

SerMyLady: Modified template to match other sellsword companies (second sons, stormcrows, windblown)

{{Sellsword Company
| name = Brave Companions
| image = [[File:Banner Brave Companions.png|200px|center]]
| image_caption =
| banner = A black goat with bloody horns, symbolizing the Black Goat of Qohor.
| motto =
| current_commander = None
| size =
| founded =
| founder =
| disbanded = {{Date|299}}
}}

The '''Brave Companions''', also known as the '''Bloody Mummers''', are a [[sellsword]] company of considerably ill repute. It comprises criminals and outcasts from many nations.

During the [[War of the Five Kings]], the band is led by [[Vargo Hoat]], a tall, gaunt, lisping man from [[Qohor]]. The band is often called the "Bloody Mummers" by the [[Westeros]]i for its members' brutality and outlandish appearance, though they find this name insulting. They are also called the '''Footmen''' for Vargo's practice of cutting off the hands and feet of prisoners.

Some of the company's notable members include [[Qyburn]], a disgraced [[maesters|maester]], Septon [[Utt]], a child-killing [[Faith of the Seven#Clergy|priest]] of the Seven, [[Shagwell]], a psychotic jester, and Fat [[Zollo]], a [[Dothraki]]. Their standard is a black goat with bloody horns, symbolizing the [[Black Goat of Qohor]].<ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 30|Chapter 30]], Arya</ref>

==History==
Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] brought the Brave Companions to [[Westeros]] during the [[War of the Five Kings]] to forage and terrify the lands of his enemies. They went to [[Harrenhal]] and were joined by [[Rorge]], [[Biter]] and [[Jaqen H'ghar]] on the way. Vargo's men quarreled with Ser [[Amory Lorch]]'s men, causing both to be reprimanded by Tywin. After Tywin left Harrenhal, Jaqen, Rorge, and Biter helped [[Arya Stark]] free the Northerner prisoners. With the Northmen free, the Companions helped slaughter the Lannister garrison and open the castle's gates to [[Roose Bolton]].

Vargo Hoat became Lord of Harrenhal for his service to the North, but he grew to suspect that his new Bolton allies would join the Lannisters. When several Companions captured [[Jaime Lannister]], Vargo had Jaime's swordhand chopped off to drive a wedge between Tywin and Roose.

When [[Jaime]] and his escort were leaving [[Harrenhal]] some Brave Companions gathered in [[Harrenhal]]’s yard to watch them go. Jaime trotted over to where they stood and said,
{{Quote| [[Zollo]]. How kind of you to see me off. [[Pyg]]. [[Timeon]]. Will you miss me? No last jest to share, [[Shagwell]]? To lighten my way down the raod? And [[Rorge]], did you come to kiss me goodbye?”}}
Rorge tells him bugger off, cripple, Jaime answers,
{{Quote|If you insist. Rest assured, though, I will be back. A Lannister always pays his debts.}}
The ploy to drive a wedge between Tywin and Roose did not work, and Roose soon abandoned Harrenhal. While attempting to rape the imprisoned [[Brienne of Tarth]] in Harrenhal, Vargo lost an ear and the wound infected.

With Lannister reprisal looming and Vargo slowly maddening from a fever, most of the Companions deserted. By the time [[Gregor Clegane]] arrived at Harrenhal and killed Vargo, the band had dissolved into smaller groups.

In the aftermath of the war, many Brave Companions became bandits and vagabonds. One particular group led by Rorge burned and slaughtered the entire town of [[Saltpans]]. Because Rorge wore the infamous helm of [[Sandor Clegane]], these deeds were attributed to the Hound. Another group led by Shagwell went into hiding. Both groups were killed off after a confrontation with Brienne.

==Known members==
[[File: Matt_Olson_Vargo_Hoat.jpg‎‎|[[Vargo Hoat]], commander of the Brave Companions- by Matt Olson ©|thumb|400px|right]]
* {[[Vargo Hoat]]} - "the Goat" is their Commander. He is from [[Qohor]].
* [[Urswyck]] - "the Faithful" is Vargo's second-in-command.
* {[[Utt]]} - a [[septon]] with a preference for little boys.
* [[Qyburn]] - a disgraced [[maester]] and primary healer of the group.
* {[[Shagwell]]} - "the Fool" is a psychotic jester.
* [[Zollo]] - "the Fat" is a [[Dothraki]]. He cut off [[Jaime Lannister]]'s sword hand.
* {[[Timeon]]} - is a [[Dorne|Dornishman]].
* {[[Pyg]]}
* {[[Iggo]]} - is a [[Dothraki]].
* [[Togg Joth]] - is from [[Ibben]].
* [[Three Toes]]
* {[[Rorge]]}
* {[[Biter]]}

==Current Status==
By the end of [[A Dance with Dragons]], the surviving members of the Brave Companions, [[Urswyck]], [[Zollo]], [[Togg Joth]] & [[Three Toes]], are on the run throughout Westeros.

When encountered by Brienne, [[Timeon]] claims [[Urswyck]] is leading a small band to Oldtown, though the status of the other three members is unknown.

[[Qyburn]] is currently serving at King's Landing under Queen [[Cersei Lannister]].
==Quotes==
{{Quote|“The Brave Companions did not fight in the [[Battle of the Blackwater]], yet they died there all the same.” {{Ref|ASOS|37}}}} - [[Roose Bolton]], to [[Jaime Lannister]]
==References and Notes==
{{references}}
{{EnWP|Organizations in A Song of Ice and Fire}}

[[Category:Sellsword companies]]
[[es:Compañía Audaz]]
[[fr:Braves Compaings]]
[[ru:Бравые Ребята]]
[[zh:勇士团]]

File:Battle of the Whispering Wood.png

2013-06-27T14:43:37Z

SerMyLady: uploaded a new version of "File:Battle of the Whispering Wood.png": [1] Cleaned up the arrows. [2] Cleaned up the edges.

{{copyright tags|type=gfdl|text=Made by [[User:Scafloc]], from [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:POL_Kalisz_Pomorski_COA.svg POL_Kalisz_Pomorski_COA.svg] }}
[[Category:Map Images - Conflicts]]

Knight of the Laughing Tree/Theories

2013-06-22T14:33:19Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Theory_Policy}}
Fans have speculated a lot about the possible identity of the [[Knight of the Laughing Tree]]. Below a summary of the major candidates including the arguments for each candidate.

==Facts from Meera's story==
*The [[mystery knight]] must have been someone who knew about [[Howland Reed]]'s experience with the squires and was motivated to avenge him.
*His height was below average, or else it would not be noted in the first place.
*The mismatched armor would point to the Knight not having access to regular armor, or having regular armor with tell-tale markings on it.
*The booming voice was most likely not the regular voice of the Knight.
*The [[weirwood]] image implies a connection to the [[old gods]] and [[the North]]. <ref name="Citadel2"> [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/FAQ/Entry/Who_was_the_Knight_of_the_Laughing_Tree/ "The Citadel: FAQ, entry 6.2.7- Who was the Knight of the Laughing Tree?" (2011)]</ref> <ref name="Forum1">Conversation topic: [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/60771-knight-of-the-laughing-tree/ Knight of the Laughing Tree] on [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/ Westeros Forum] </ref> <ref name="Forum4"/>
*He was competent enough at the joust to defeat three [[knight]]s who had made it through the first day of the tourney, but as none of them were particularly well-known, he need not have been unusually skilled.
*[[Meera Reed]] was surprised that [[Bran]] had never heard the story before, which suggests that the Knight may have been either a [[House Stark|Stark]], or someone close to the family.<ref name="Forum2"/> <ref name="Forum4"/>

==Possible candidates==
* '''Lyanna Stark'''. Eddard compares his tomboyish daughter [[Arya Stark|Arya]] to [[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]] in both appearance and personality, adding that Lyanna probably would have carried a sword if [[Rickard Stark|their father]] had allowed it. {{Ref|aGoT|22}} Lyanna is consistently noted to have been an extremely skilled rider. {{Ref|aSoS|17}} {{Ref|aDwD|32}} {{Ref|aDwD|41}} She also seems to have had an interest in swordfighting. {{Ref|aDwD|34}} <ref name="Beyond the Wall"> [http://books.google.gr/books?id=tYUsrknjhbEC&pg=PT52&lpg=PT52&dq=Knight+of+the+laughing+tree+uncertain&source=bl&ots=3Oel8P1-Mf&sig=MaELA01H_FROetLJ7v4jNnc_tHk&hl=el&sa=X&ei=8WYJUOKpCOip4gSiv_XZCg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Knight%20of%20the%20laughing%20tree%20uncertain&f=false Beyond the Wall, Chapter: "History on a Personal Scale"] Commenting on the uncertainties of the text in the novels: "Even what appear to be straightforward elements of backstory turn out to be more complex, more shrouded in doubt, than they first appear. ... We have also seen through the heart tree that Lyanna Stark was a skilled swordswoman, capable of besting her younger brother-the future First Ranger of the Night's Watch and a very capable soldier- in mock combat. This fuels speculation that Lyanna was the mysterious Knight of the Laughing Tree... and gives another reason for why she and Rhaegar may have met and developed a connection." </ref> Horsemanship skills are necessary for jousting and "riding at rings" is standard training for squires, preparing them for actual jousting. Lyanna using the same exercise in her horse-riding training would not be impossible. [[Benjen Stark|Benjen]] could provide armor for her, as he offered to do for Reed. As an underage girl, she could be shorter than the average man. Provided she had the necessary skill and some luck, Lyanna could defeat threee knights of uncertain ability. (The best jousters don't seem to have competed prior to the final day of the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]]) In jousting, "the speed of the horse provides the force of the attack", not the physical strength of the rider. The theory would also explain how she met [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], the man charged with finding the Knight. And the same man who crowned Lyanna as his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]. They had no known previous interactions. <ref name="Citadel2"> [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/FAQ/Entry/Who_was_the_Knight_of_the_Laughing_Tree/ "The Citadel: FAQ, entry 6.2.7- Who was the Knight of the Laughing Tree?" (2011)]</ref> <ref name="Forum1">Conversation topic: [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/60771-knight-of-the-laughing-tree/Knight of the Laughing Tree] on [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/ Westeros Forum] </ref> <ref name="Forum2">Conversation topic: [http://asoiaf.yuku.com/topic/2164/Who-Was-the-Knight-of-the-Laughing-Tree?page=2#.UBBOcipXvH4 Who was the Knight of the Laughing Tree?] on [http://asoiaf.yuku.com/directory#.UBBP7CpXvH4 asoiaf.yuku.com]</ref>
**Negative points of this theory would be doubts concerning the skill and youth of Lyanna. The existence of swordfighting skills, doesn't confirm the existence of jousting skills. In her fight with the squires, there would be other factors on her side. There is no mention the squires were armed. There was likely an element of surprise at work, when they found themselves under attack. If they recognized their assailant as a noble girl, they may have consciously avoided hurting her. Afraid of risking the wrath of her House. None of these factors would be present on the jousting field. Even if she had actual training, this would be the first real test for her skills. As a novice in the sport, her victory would be far from guaranteed. Lyanna would have logically tried to sound like a man. But the helm would not be enough to produce a powerful, stentorian voice. <ref name="Forum2"/>

* '''[[Howland Reed]]''' himself. According to Meera, Reed "was small like all crannogmen". She even calls [[crannogmen]] "small people", in comparison to the "big people" around them. Therefore he would be shorter than average. He had the strongest reasons to defend his honor, so the best motive. He was no knight, but his tale notes the man was "brave and smart and strong". "Bolder than most" crannogmen. His hesitation to fight may have been only a temporary obstacle. The text seems to pay attention to his prayer to the old gods, said while focusing at the direction of the [[Isle of Faces]]. Earlier the tale has him knowing "the magic of the crannogs" and spending an entire winter with the [[Green Men]]. His prayer may have been answered with supernatural assistance. Bran himself, the listener of the story, strongly suspects that "the little crannogman" and the Knight were the same person. That the crannogman could have been turned into a knight, "even if it was only for a day". Or that the Knight could be a Green Man, with "dark green skin and leaves instead of hair". Someone send by the old gods. Meera does not confirm or deny any of Bran's theories. Simply narrating "the old gods gave strength to his arm". {{Ref|aSoS|24}} <ref name="Citadel2"> [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/FAQ/Entry/Who_was_the_Knight_of_the_Laughing_Tree/ "The Citadel: FAQ, entry 6.2.7- Who was the Knight of the Laughing Tree?" (2011)]</ref> <ref name="Forum1">Conversation topic: [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/60771-knight-of-the-laughing-tree/ Knight of the Laughing Tree] on [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/ Westeros Forum] </ref> <ref name="Forum2"/>
**Negative points for this theory would be that Howland goes from the victim of the story to its hero in minimal time. He would suddenly display skills that Meera claimed the crannogmen do not have. The theory relies on Reed having beginner's luck, justice, or the supernatural on his side. If the Green Men, the [[children of the forest]], or the old gods intervened on this relatively minor occassion, one would expect them to also intervene in major events. While their lack of intervention is what makes the people of [[Westeros]] doubt their continued existence. The story might also undermine the loyalty of Reed to [[House Stark]]. He avenged himself, therefore he would not be bonded to the Starks by a debt of gratitude. <ref name="Forum2"/>

* '''Benjen Stark'''. As a son of House Stark, he certainly would have been a trained fighter. Noble boys seem to start training in the martial arts at an early age, and the Starks seem to take their training seriously. He was even younger than Lyanna and probably shorter. He was the one who suggested the idea of seeking vengeance to Reed in the first place, and claimed that he could find a horse and some armor for the crannogman. He could have used this horse and armor himself. He also would not be the first underage participant in a jousting match. Bran recalls that Barristan the Bold served as the mystery knight in a tourney when only ten-years-old. {{Ref|aSoS|24}} <ref name="Citadel2"/> <ref name="Forum2"/>
**Negative points for this theory would the voice of [[Benjen Stark|Benjen]] and his incomplete training. The [[w:voice break|voice break]] from the vocal pitch of a boy to the deeper pitch of a man typically takes place in mid-to-late adolescence. The voice of a younger Benjen would still sound like a child, far from being powerful or stentorian. <ref name="Forum2"/> [[Barristan Selmy]] himself recalls his first jousting match with details. He was still ten and was inexperienced even as a squire. He borrowed a warhorse and found his "ill-fitting" armor in the armory of Lord [[House Dondarrion|Dondarrion]]. He had trouble keeping his lance straight, and was easily defeated in the first tilt by [[Duncan Targaryen]]. {{Ref|aDwD|59}}

* '''Eddard Stark'''. [[Jojen Reed]] insists that Bran must have heard the tale of the Knight "a hundred times". He later specifically asks "You never heard this tale from your father?" Later still, Jojen keeps insisting: "Are you certain you never heard this tale before, Bran? Your lord father never told it to you?" {{Ref|aSoS|24}} The implication would be that [[Eddard Stark|Eddard]] knew this story well, even though he never passed it to his children. Raising the question if this was Eddard's own tale. While Brandon was the best swordsman and lancer in the family, Eddard would also have received combat training. He was not an impressive physical specimen, as [[Catelyn Tully]] describes him as shorter than Brandon. He was still in his late teens and might not have reached his full physical height and frame. This theory would also explain Reed's personal loyalty to Eddard. He would go on to serve as one of Ned's closest companions during [[Robert's Rebellion]], even serving as one of the few men who followed Lord Stark to the [[Tower of Joy]]. {{Ref|aSoS|45}} <ref name="Citadel3"> [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1142/ "The Citadel: So Spake Marttin: About Benjen Stark" (2000)]: "Brandon was the best of the Starks with sword in hand, and the best jouster as well. But Benjen has other skills that serve him well as a ranger... and Ned was likely the best battle commander."</ref> <ref name="Forum2"/> <ref name="Forum3">Conversation topic: [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/22707-some-questions-about-knight-of-the-laughing-tree/page__st__140 Some Questions About Knight of the Laughing Tree] on [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/ Westeros Forum] </ref> <ref>Boys tend to complete their [[w:Adolescence|puberty]] developments by ages 16-18. Increases in height past this age are uncommon, but not impossible. Teenage and early adult males may continue to gain natural muscle growth even after puberty. Further adding to their weight and frame.</ref>
**The main problem with the theory would be that there is no indication of Eddard being notably short. It would be possible for him to have a late growth spurt following the Tourney, gaining the last few inches of his height. But no character seems to describe or hint at such a change. <ref name="Forum2"/> <ref name="Forum3"/> Also the image of a ''laughing'' weirwood seems at odds with Ned's somber personality. <ref name="Citadel2"/>

* '''Brandon Stark'''. While known to be taller than Eddard, it has not been confirmed that Brandon was particularly tall either. There have been consistent descriptions that members of Houses [[House Baratheon|Baratheon]], [[House Clegane|Clegane]], and [[House Umber|Umber]] tend to be tall, even towering above their contemporaries. But there is no such description for the Starks. Starks seem to tend on the short side. A grown [[Robb Stark]] was shorter than [[Catelyn Tully|his mother]]. [[Brandon Stark|Brandon]] (and Eddard) could then be taller than [[Petyr Baelish]] and still be shorter than the average knight. Brandon is the only Stark with confirmed jousting skills. He was one of the last men standing in the final day of the Tourney, only defeated by Rhaegar Targaryen. The same man who would go on to win against all other challengers. {{Ref|aSoS|45}} {{Ref|aGoT|58}}<ref name="Forum2"/>
**Negative points of this theory would be the unconfirmed height of Brandon and his seeming lack of motivation. Catelyn seemed notably disappointed that Eddard was not as tall as his brother. Which could mean that Brandon was a relatively tall man. She never complains about Brandon being too short for her taste. On the other hand, mystery knights tend to be people otherwise banned from a Tourney. Underage entrants, wanted men, and people acting without permission from their current employer or head of house. Brandon was already formally competing in the Tourney, and even Eddard could probably get permission to compete from their father. {{Ref|aSoS|45}} {{Ref|aGoT|58}}<ref name="Forum2"/><ref name="Forum4"/>

* '''Ashara Dayne'''. The tale Meera narrates seems to pay attention to the movements of [[Ashara Dayne|Ashara]], and that she did have interaction with the Starks. The theory goes that as a [[Dorne|Dornishwoman]], Ashara could have received formal training in sword and lance. Giving her an advantage over Lyanna. Competing in the Tourney could then be her unusual way to court Eddard Stark. Wearing a weirwood sigil as a tribute to him. Her "laughing eyes" would explain the choice of a laughing sigil. {{Ref|aSoS|24}} <ref name="Forum4">Conversation topic: [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/3280-howland-reed-knight-of-the-laughing-tree/page__st__40 Howland Reed=Knight of the Laughing Tree?] on [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/ Westeros Forum] </ref>
**Negative points of this theory is that there is no confirmation that all Dornishwomen receive military training. The [[Sand Snakes]] did receive such training, but they might be atypical for their culture. Ashara could have been raised to act "lady-like". Also the motivation of the storyteller, Meera, would be in question. Other theories read the story as establishing the loyalty of [[House Reed]] to [[House Stark]]. If instead the tale establishes a link between the Reeds and [[House Dayne]], Meera would have little reason to narrate the tale to Bran. <ref name="Forum4"/>

==References and Notes==
{{references}}
[[Category:Theories]]

Themes in A Song of Ice and Fire

2013-06-22T14:32:34Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

[[File:Face in the Pool-Knight Fighting Dragon.jpg|thumb|Although involving dragons and sorcery, the ''Ice and Fire'' series de-emphasizes magic compared to many other epic fantasy works (emblem of [[w:J. Allen St. John|J. Allen St. John]]'s 1905 fantasy work ''The Face in the Pool'').]]

''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' is an ongoing series of [[w:epic fantasy|epic fantasy]] novels by American novelist and screenwriter [[George R. R. Martin]]. The first installment of the originally planned trilogy was published in 1996. The series now consists of five published volumes; a further two are planned. The series is told in the [[w:Third-person narrative|third-person]] through the eyes of a number of [[w:point of view (literature)|point of view]] characters. A television adaptation entitled ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' began airing in 2011.

The story of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' takes place in a [[w:fictional world]], primarily on a continent called [[Westeros]] but also on a large landmass to the east, known as [[Essos]]. The three main story lines become increasingly interwoven: the chronicling of a dynastic civil war for control of Westeros among several competing families; the rising threat of the [[Others]], who dwell beyond an immense [[wall]] of ice that forms Westeros' northern border; and the ambition of [[Daenerys Targaryen]], the exiled daughter of a king who was murdered 15 years earlier in another civil war, to return to Westeros and claim her rightful throne.

The series and its [[Game of Thrones|TV adaptation]] receive the most critical response to its themes of magic and realism, politics and society, moral ambiguity of the characters, violence and death, sexuality, feminism, religion, and food.

==Magic and realism==

Wrestling over the amount of [[magic]] to include in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', Martin initially considered writing an alternative historical novel without any magic before opting for one of the most magical alternatives.<ref name=gamepro /> However, he believes in judicious use of magic in the epic fantasy genre,<ref name=nytimes_twisted /> where magic is kept subtle and the readers' sense of it growing.<ref name=amazon_storm /> He also believes that literary effective magic needs to represent strange and dangerous forces beyond human's comprehension,<ref name=nymag_butterfly /> not advanced alien technologies or formulaic spells. Magic needs to be magical by definition, not by its frequent display of power.<ref name=amazon_storm /> He therefore avoided overt fantasy elements in the story.<ref name=amazon_storm /> The amount of magic gradually increases from the start, but the series is to end with less overt magic than many other fantasies have.<ref name=scifi_magical_tale />

Since all fiction is essentially untrue, Martin believes it needs to reflect reality at least in its core. He agrees with [[w:William Faulkner|William Faulkner]]'s statement in his Nobel Prize speech that "the human heart in conflict with itself" is the only thing worth writing about, regardless of the genre.<ref name=wsj_spill /> He thus tried to give the story a little more [[w:historical fiction|historical fiction]] feel than a fantastic feel like previous authors' books, with less emphasis on magic and sorcery and more emphasis on swordplay and battles and political intrigue.<ref name=grrm_iv_januarymagazine /> ''The Atlantic'' noted that the series attempts to mash together fantasy and realism as two seemingly contradictory genres of literature,<ref name=atlantic_reality /> and Martin's books are generally praised for their realism.<ref name=nytimes_rise_fantasy /> ''The Atlantic'' saw the realist heart of the ''Ice and Fire'' books in that "magic lingers only on the periphery of the world in which the characters dwell, and is something more terrifying than wondrous. [...] It's a fantasy story that defies expectations by ultimately being less about a world we'd like to escape, at times becoming uncomfortably familiar to the one we live in."<ref name=atlantic_reality />

The unresolved larger narrative arc of ''Ice and Fire'' encourages speculation about future story events.<ref name=newyorker /> According to Martin, much of the key to ''Ice and Fire''{{'s}} story future lies sixteen years in the fictional past of which each volume reveals more.<ref name=grrm_iv_januarymagazine /> Events planned from the beginning are foreshadowed, although Martin heeds story developments to not be predictable.<ref name=io9_gods /> The viewpoint characters, who serve as [[w:unreliable narrator|unreliable narratorss]],<ref name=atlantic_sex_fantasy /> may clarify or provide different perspectives on past events.<ref name=atlantic_true_blood /> What the readers believe to be true may therefore not necessarily be true.<ref name=grrm_iv_januarymagazine />

===World===

Martin realized fantasy in ''Ice and Fire'' in the shown imaginary places in avoidance of overt fantasy elements.<ref name=amazon_storm /> He set the ''Ice and Fire'' story in an alternate world of Earth or a "secondary world", which Tolkien pioneered with Middle Earth.<ref name=grmm_iv_ew /> The story takes place primarily on a continent called [[Westeros]], but also on a large landmass to the east, known as [[Essos]]. The style varies to fit each character and their setting; Daenerys's exotic realm may appear more colorful and fanciful than Westeros, which is more based on the familiar medieval history of Europe.<ref name=scifi_magical_tale /> Martin was intentionally vague with the size of the ''Ice and Fire'' world, omitting a scale on the maps to discourage prediction of travel lengths based on measured distances.<ref name=grrm_iv_consumerhelpweb /> The continent of Westeros may be considered of the size of South America though.<ref name=newyorker /> Complete world maps are deliberately not made available so that readers may better identify with people of the real Middle Ages who were unillumined about distant places.<ref name=grmm_iv_polish /> As each new book has added one or two maps, readers may be able to piece together a world map by the end of the series.<ref name=grmm_iv_polish />

[[File:Milecastle 39 on Hadrian's Wall.jpg|thumb|The Wall in the ''Ice and Fire'' series was inspired by [[w:Hadrian's Wall|Hadrian's Wall]] in the North of England.]]

The [[Timeline_of_major_events|history]] of the world stretches back some twelve thousand years. The ''Ice and Fire'' story can be considered to be set in a post-magic world where people do not believe in dragons and the Others anymore.<ref name=time_grrm_ivp4 /> The characters understand only the natural aspects of their world, but the magical elements like the [[Others]] are not within their understanding.<ref name=nytimes_rise_fantasy /> Coming from an impoverished family background of former wealth, Martin always felt attracted to stories of fallen civilizations and lost empires; Tolkien's Middle Earth was also in decline with the abandoned Mines of Moria and the elves' leaving. The lost [[Valyrian Freehold|empire of Valyria]] in ''Ice and Fire'' was once a high civilization similar to [[w:Rome|Rome]] before the Dark Ages. These elements may give the story a poignant sadness.<ref name=time_grrm_ivp4 /> The [[Wall]], which Martin believes to be unique in fantasy,<ref name=grrm_iv_sffworld /> was inspired by Martin's visit to [[w:Hadrian's Wall|Hadrian's Wall]] in the North of England close to the border with Scotland. Looking out over the hills, Martin wondered what a Roman [[w:centurion|centurion]] from the Mediterranean would feel, not knowing what threats might come from the north. The size, length and magical powers of the wall were adjusted for genre demands.<ref name=grrm_iv_sfsite2 />

One of the most conspicuous aspects of the world of Westeros is the long and random nature of the seasons.<ref name=grmm_iv_weirdtm /> Fans have developed lengthy scientific theories for the seasons, but Martin insists there is a supernatural fantasy explanation instead of a scientific one.<ref name=grmm_iv_weirdtm /> Martin rather enjoyed the symbolism of the seasons, with summer as a time of growth and plenty and joy and winter is a dark time where you have to struggle for survival.<ref name=grrm_iv_januarymagazine />

The world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is primarily populated by humans, although [[giants]], the so-called "Others" and the [[children of the forest]] appear as other sentient species in the extreme North of Westeros, beyond the Wall. In addition to ordinary [[Beastiary|animals]] such as dogs, cats, and horses, some species of animals inhabiting Martin's world are similar to real-world [[w:Pleistocene|Pleistocene]] [[w:megafauna|megafauna]] such as [[aurochs]], [[direwolf|direwolves]], and [[mammoth]]s. Of these megafauna, only aurochs are commonly encountered throughout Westeros, as a domesticated herd animal. Direwolves and mammoths are only found in the Lands Beyond the Wall in the extreme north. The direwolves adopted by the [[House Stark|Stark]] children exhibit signs of being far more intelligent than common dogs or wolves. Each wolf pup grows to reflect the temperament of the child they bond with, a trait reputed in folklore to be common among direwolves raised from puppies by humans. [[Dragon]]s and [[kraken]] appear as legendary animals.

===Dragons===
:{{Main|Dragons}}

The dragons in the story are scaled, fire-spewing, reptilian creatures with animal-level intelligence. Though some accompanying artwork for ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' portrays them with four legs and a detached set of wings, George R.R. Martin insists that this is incorrect.<ref name=ustream_eastercon12 /> He applied as much rationalism as possible during their design so that the dragons can actually hold their weight in the air. Therefore, his dragons are more serpentine and slender than what other artists imagine, and they have four (not six) extremities, of which two are the front wings.<ref name=ustream_eastercon12 /> Also, Martin first considered having the Targaryens use a pyrotechnic smoke-and-mirrors approach to feign dragon powers, but decided to go with "real" dragons instead.<ref name=ustream_eastercon12 /> Martin never wanted to do talking dragons because he wanted them to differ from humans.<ref name=amazon_storm /> Martin sees the dragons as the nuclear deterrent, making Daenerys as the sole owner the most powerful person in the world. Comparing the situation to modern-day states with nuclear arsenals, Martin tries to explore whether weaponry power not only bestows the power to destroy, but also to reform, improve, or build.<ref name=nymag_butterfly />

==Politics and society==
[[File:Richard Burchett - Sanctuary (1867) contrasted.jpg|thumb|The ''Ice and Fire'' series was partly inspired by the [[w:Wars of the Roses|Wars of the Roses]] (pictured), a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England.]]

The ''[[w:Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]'' found the story focus "more on [[w:Machiavellian|Machiavellian]] political intrigue than Tolkien-esque sword and sorcery".<ref name=nydailynews_sample_chapter /> Since Martin drew on historical sources to build the ''Ice and Fire'' world, ''[[w:The Guardian|The Guardian]]'' saw a startling resemblance between Westeros and England in the period of the [[w:Wars of the Roses|Wars of the Roses]], where "One throne unifies the land but great houses fight over who will sit upon it. With no true king the land is beset with corrupt, money-grubbing lords whose only interest is their own prestige. Two loose alliances of power pit a poor but honourable North against a rich and cunning South. And the small folk must suffer through it all, regardless of which side wins."<ref name=guardian_reality /> Like in the Middle Ages, the characters define their alliances by their home towns or kinship, not by modern-day concepts like countries or nationalism. The king was seen as an avatar of god so that the legitimacy of kingship was very important.<ref name=grrm_iv_sfsite2 /> Martin wanted to show the possible consequences of the leaders' decisions, as general goodness does not automatically make competent leaders and vice versa.<ref name=time_grrm_ivp2 />

''The Atlantic'' regarded ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' as "more a story of politics than one of heroism, a story about humanity wrestling with its baser obsessions than fulfilling its glorious potential" where the emergent power struggle stems from the feudal system's repression and not from the fight between good and evil (see section [[#Moral ambiguity]]).<ref name=atlantic_reality /> ''The Guardian'' saw Martin's strength in "his compendious understanding of the human stories driving the grand political narrative. There does not seem to be a single living soul in the land of Westeros that Martin does not have insight into, from the highest king to the lowest petty thief. [...] It is a world of high stakes, where the winners prosper and the losers are mercilessly ground under heel. Against this tapestry every one of Martin's characters is forced to chose between their love for those close to them and the greater interests of honour, duty and the realm. More often than not, those who make the noble choice pay with their lives."<ref name=guardian_reality />

The novels are to reflect the frictions of the [[Feudalism|medieval class structures]], where people were brought up to know the duties and privileges of their class.<ref name=time_grrm_ivp2 /> Martin also explores in how far birth and social class, or values and memories make up people's identity.<ref name=io9_gods /> Among the characters losing their names and very identities are [[Arya Stark]] and [[Theon Greyjoy]]; Arya goes through several different identities before joining the Faceless Men with the ultimate goal to become no-one so as to be able to freely assume other identities. On the other hand, [[Quentyn Martell]] and his companions deliberately mask their identity by assuming false names, although it never really affects who they are in private.<ref name=io9_gods />

==Moral ambiguity==

A common theme in the fantasy genre is the battle between [[w:good and evil|good and evil]],<ref name=time_grrm_ivp2 /> although Martin deliberately defied the conventions and assumptions of neo-Tolkienian Fantasy.<ref name=grrm_iv_infinityplus /> Whereas ''The Lord of The Rings'' had succeeded with externalizing villainousness through ugly black clothes, Martin felt that Tolkien's imitators oversimplified the struggle between good and evil into stereotypical clichés.<ref name=grrm_iv_infinityplus /><ref name=time_grrm_ivp2 /> William Faulkner's 1950 Nobel Prize speech rather serves as a paradigm for Martin's writing; Faulkner said that only the human heart in conflict with itself was worth writing about.<ref name=time_grrm_ivp2 /> Just like people's capacity for good and for evil in real life, Martin explores the questions of redemption and character change in the ''Ice and Fire'' series.<ref name=guardian_tt /> ''The New Yorker'' summarized that "Characters who initially seem likable commit reprehensible acts, and apparent villains become sympathetic over time",<ref name=newyorker /> and ''The Atlantic'' said that even the TV adaptation "does not present the viewer with a easily identifiable hero, but with an ensemble of characters with sometimes sympathetic, often imperfect motives".<ref name=atlantic_brutal />

{{Quote box | quote="What [marks Martin] as a major force for evolution in fantasy, is his refusal to embrace a vision of the world as a [[w:Manichaean|Manichaean]] struggle between [[w:Good and Evil|Good and Evil]]. [...] Martin's wars are multifaceted and ambiguous, as are the men and women who wage them and the gods who watch them and chortle, and somehow that makes them mean more." | source =—Lev Grossman of ''[[w:Time (magazine)|Time]]'' in 2005<ref name=time_american_tolkien /> | width =250px | align =right}}

Attracted to gray characters instead of orcs and angels, Martin regards the hero as the villain on the other side.<ref name=usatoday_released /> The [[Wall]]'s [Night's Watch]], whom Martin described as "criminal scum [who] are also heroes and they wear black", was a deliberate twist on fantasy stereotypes.<ref name=grrm_iv_sfsite2 /> As any universally adored or hated fictional characters are too one-dimensional to present real life, Martin writes his characters with well-mixed natures so that readers will invest in and identify with them.<ref name=scifi_magical_tale /> The actions and politics in the novels leave it to the reader to decide about who is good and evil.<ref name=gamepro /> Characters are explored from many sides through the multiple viewpoint structure so that, unlike in a lot of other fantasy, also the supposed villains can provide their viewpoint.<ref name=cnn/> This is necessary since in the real-world throughout history, all human beings justify their deeds as the right thing and the opponent's as the villain.<ref name=grrm_iv_locusmag /> It may not always be easy to determine who represents the good and evil side in real life,<ref name=grrm_iv_infinityplus /> as some of the darkest villains in history had some good things about them, the greatest heroes had weaknesses and flaws.<ref name=scifi_magical_tale /> However, according to Martin, [[Tyrion Lannister]] is the most morally neutral main character in the book, which, along with his cynicism, is what makes him is favorite character.<ref name=scifi_magical_tale />

==Violence and death==

''The New York Times'' praised Martin as "unapologetically coldblooded", saying the book series was no children's literature with "a boy being thrown off a balcony, a woman having her face bitten off, a man having his nose cut off, a girl having her ear sliced off, multiple rapes, multiple massacres, multiple snarfings of people by animals [and] multiple beheadings".<ref name=nytimes_rise_fantasy /> ''[[w:Entertainment Weekly|Entertainment Weekly]]'' saw Martin's ruthlessness about killing beloved characters as a hallmark of the series, leading "fans to throw their books across the room — only to go pick them up again".<ref name=ew_fantasy_king /> ''The Washington Post'' said that the characters' vulnerability and possibly impending death "lends a welcome sense of uncertainty to the proceedings and helps keep the level of suspense consistently high throughout".<ref name=washingtonpost_worth_wait />

Although fantasy comes from an imaginative realm, Martin sees an honest necessity to reflect the real world where people die sometimes ugly deaths, even beloved people.<ref name=scifi_magical_tale /> The deaths of supernumerary extras or orcs have no major effect on readers, whereas a friend's death has much more emotional impact.<ref name=io9_gods /> Martin kills off main character because he finds it really irritating to know early in the story who as the hero will come through unscathed. Martin dislikes this lack of realism, comparing the situation to a soldier scared the night before a battle. Martin wants his readers to feel that fear that no one is safe as they turn the page.<ref name=ew_by_george /> Martin, who credits Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'' with inspiring him to stun readers with character deaths,<ref name=ew_fantasy_king /> prefers a hero's sacrifice to say something profound about human nature,<ref name=grmm_iv_ew /> and points readers not wanting to get upset or disturbed to the plenty of books for comfort reading.<ref name=grmm_iv_ew />

{{Quote box | quote="There is an inherent dishonesty to the sort of fantasy that too many people have done, where there's a giant war that rips the world apart, but no one that we know is ever really seriously inconvenienced by this. [...] The heroes just breeze through [devastated villages], killing people at every hand, surviving those dire situations. There's a falsehood to that that troubles me." | source =—George R. R. Martin in an interview with ''[[w:Science Fiction Weekly|Science Fiction Weekly]]'' in 2000<ref name=scifi_magical_tale /> | width =250px | align =right}}

When picking characters to die in battle scenes, Martin chooses secondary or tertiary characters from the character lists without giving much thought, as he sees these characters as hardly developed and in some cases just as names.<ref name=indigo_iv1 /> However, the death and time of death of many major characters have been planned from the beginning, although these scenes may not always be easy to write.<ref name=indigo_iv1 /> A wedding sequence called the "Red Wedding", which occurs about two thirds through ''A Storm of Swords'' and leaves several major characters dead, was the hardest scene Martin had ever written. He repeatedly skipped writing the chapter and eventually wrote it last for ''A Storm of Swords''.<ref name=nydailynews_capture /> Readership response ranged from praise to capitulation, but Martin said the chapter "was painful to write, it should be painful to read, it should be a scene that rips your heart out, and fills you with terror and grief."<ref name=ew_by_george />

War is central to a lot of fantasy, going back to Tolkien and beyond, but in most modern fantasy, it is very much the good guys fighting the bad guys. The wars in the novels are much more morally complex than a fight between good and evil.<ref name=scifi_fowl /> The novels are to reflect that wars have substantial death rates.<ref name=grrm_iv_sfsite2 /> The novels' attitude toward war is shaped by Martin's experiences with the controversies of the Vietnam War.<ref name=scifi_fowl /> Being against the Vietnam War, the books reflect some of Martin's views on war and violence and their costs. However, he hates to think that the voice of the author comes through like in the Barefoot Septon's anti-war speech in ''A Feast for Crows'', as he wants to remain an invisible puppeteer.<ref name=io9_gods />

Among the plot twists are the death of apparently crucial characters and the reappearances of believed-to-be dead characters.<ref name=csmonitor_adwdreview /> However, ''The Atlantic'' said that Martin's penchant for unpredictability may make the reader grow increasingly skeptical of apparent deaths, alluding to Jon Snow's fate in ''A Dance with Dragons''.<ref name=atlantic_sex_fantasy />Martin believes that bringing back a dead character necessitates a transformative experience of the character. The body may be moving, but some aspect of the spirit is changed or lost. Martin never liked [[w:Gandalf the Grey]]'s return as [[w:Gandalf the White]] in ''The Lord of the Rings'', believing it to have been an even stronger story if Tolkien had left him dead. One of the characters who has come back repeatedly from death is [[Beric Dondarrion]], The Lightning Lord, and what has happened with him echoes with some of the other revived characters. Bits of his humanity and his past lives are lost every time he comes back from death, his flesh is falling away from him, but he remembers the mission he was sent to do before death.<ref name=maximumfun />

==Sexuality==

The fantasy genre rarely focuses on sex and sexuality as much as the ''Ice and Fire'' books do,<ref name=scifi_magical_tale /> often treating sexuality in a juvenile way or neglecting it completely in Martin's eyes.<ref name=deepmagic41 /> Even Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'' abstracts away from featuring women, sex or romantic love.<ref name=scifi_magical_tale /> Considering sexuality an important driving force in human life that should not be excluded from the narrative,<ref name=guardian_tt /> Martin equipped many of the ''Ice and Fire'' characters with a sex drive to make the books truer.<ref name=deepmagic41 /> Martin was also fascinated by medieval contrasts where knights venerated their ladies with poems and wore their favors in tournaments while their armies mindlessly raped women in wartime.<ref name=scifi_magical_tale />

The inexistent concept of adolescence in the Middle Ages served as a model for Daenerys's sexual activity at the age of 13 in the books. Many high-born women were married at or below that age because the onset of sexual maturity turned children into full adults.<ref name=time_grrm_ivp1 /><ref name=grmm_iv_ew /> With the Targaryens, the novels also allude to the incestuous practices in the [[w:Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemaic dynasty]] of [[w:Ancient Egypt|Ancient Egypt]] and the European monarchies to keep their bloodlines pure. However, Martin also saw a sociopathic element in the incestuous relationship of the twins Cersei and Jaime Lannister, whose strong bonding inhibits their pairing with others whom they regard as inferior.<ref name=nytimes_oedipus />

Martin aims to let the readers experience the novels' sex scenes, "whether it's a great transcendent, exciting, mind blowing sex, or whether it's disturbing, twisted, dark sex, or disappointing perfunctory sex".<ref name=guardian_tt /> However, he blamed the American puritanical attitudes towards sex for some readers' offense with the novels' sex scenes.<ref name=huffington_fansflock /> Martin believes only a strong double standard can explain the lack of objections to an axe going through someone's head, while a penis going into a vagina causes aversion.<ref name=deepmagic41 /> Accusing the novels of gratuitous sex is inseparable to accusing them of gratuitous violence, feasting or heraldry, as neither advance the plot. Providing sensory detail for an immersive experience is more important than plot advancement for Martin.<ref name=atlantic_sex_fantasy />

Because of child pornography laws, the television adaptation was forced to either extenuate the sex scenes for the younger characters or age up all characters. HBO valued the sex scenes so much to opt for the latter,<ref name=grmm_iv_ew /> adding some sex scenes to the TV series while leaving out others from the books.<ref name=atlantic_sex_fantasy /> The premiere of ''Game of Thrones'' was followed by many debates about the depiction of sex, rape, and female agency in the franchise.<ref name=atlantic_sex_fantasy /> ''USA Today''{{'}}s assessment that HBO added "so many buxom, naked prostitutes that TV's Westeros makes Vegas look like a convent" earned Martin's reply that there were many brothels in the Middle Ages.<ref name=usatoday_released /> Amber Taylor of ''The Atlantic'' saw the depiction of sex as one of the show's most distinctive aspects, "cheesy only insofar as sex is fundamentally absurd". Despite HBO's freedom to titillate viewers with sex and nudity, none of the show's sex scenes felt superfluous for her; some of Daenerys's TV scenes "make her vulnerability more real than any political exposition". Taylor also lauded HBO's "admirable choice [...] that its nonconsensual sex scenes are deeply unarousing, in marked contrast with shows on other networks that use a historical setting as window dressing for prurient depictions of rape".<ref name=atlantic_brutal /> Some critics also analyzed sexuality in the light of women's powers (see section [[#Feminism]]).

==Feminism==

Martin provides a variety of female characters to explore some of the ramifications of the novels being set in a patriarchal society.<ref name=io9_gods /> Writing all characters as human beings with the same basic needs, dreams and influences,<ref name=indigo_iv2 /> his female characters are to cover the same wide spectrum of human traits like the males.<ref name=io9_gods /> Martin can identify with all point-of-view characters in the writing process despite significant differences to him, be it gender or age.<ref name=indigo_iv2 /> He sees himself neither as misogynistic or a paragon of feminism, although he acknowledged that some values inoculated with in childhood can never be fully abandoned, even those consciously rejected.<ref name=grmm_iv_ew /> He appreciates the discussions whether the series is feminist or anti-feminist,<ref name=grmm_iv_ew /> and is very gratified of the many female readers and how much they like at least some of the female characters.<ref name=io9_gods /> He does not presume to make feminist statements in either way though.<ref name=io9_gods />

''The Atlantic'' noted that Daenerys and Queen Cersei share the parallels of being forced into marriage, having strong strengths of will, and being utterly ruthless toward their enemies.<ref name=atlantic_women /> As bloodline and succession are the quickest and surest way to assert strength in Westeros, Cersei takes advantage of motherhood by procreating with her brother Jaime, thereby leaving her hated husband Robert without a true heir in revenge.<ref name=atlantic_women /> Martin said that Cersei's walk of public [[w:penitence|penitence]] in ''A Dance with Dragons'' may be read as misogynistic or feminist. [[w:Jane Shore|Jane Shore]], mistress of [[w:King Edward IV|King Edward IV]], was punished similarly after Edward's death. Cersei is defined by her pride, and this punishment was directed at women to break their pride, but was never inflicted on men.<ref name=grmm_iv_ewshock />

Critics addressed the series' portrayal of women after the ''Game of Thrones'' began airing in 2011. Ginia Bellafante wrote in a ''The New York Times'' piece that the series was "boy fiction patronizingly turned out to reach the population's other half" and considered it a "true perversion" that "all of this illicitness [in the TV series] has been tossed in as a little something for the ladies, out of a justifiable fear, perhaps, that no woman alive would watch otherwise". Although there may be women who read books like the ''Ice and Fire'' series, Bellafante said to never have "met a single woman who has stood up in indignation at her book club and refused to read the latest from [[w:Lorrie Moore|Lorrie Moore]] unless everyone agreed to ''[[w:The Hobbit|The Hobbit]]'' first".<ref name=nytimes_feuding_kingdoms /> The article received so many responses that the ''New York Times'' had to close down the comments section.<ref name=smh_conversation />

Ilana Teitelbaum of ''[[w:The Huffington Post|The Huffington Post]]'' responded in an article called "Dear ''New York Times'': ''A Game of Thrones'' Is Not Just for Boys",<ref name=huffington_notboys /> claiming that Bellafante's piece was not only rife with inaccuracies, but also patronizing to female readers. Teitelbaum defended the many sex scenes in the TV series because the books as a source sprawl with them. She encouraged discussion of the ''Ice and Fire'' books and the fantasy genre from a feminist perspective, but rejected Bellafante's point that only men are interested in fantasy, considering Bellafante's characterization of fantasy as "[[w:Fratire|boy fiction]]" as a promotion of gender stereotyping offensive to the genre as well as to women.<ref name=huffington_notboys /> Scott Meslow of ''[[w:The Atlantic|The Atlantic]]'' noted the need to differentiate between depicting misogyny and endorsing misogyny, as the series is set in a world in which sex is the primary means by which women can assert their power. Although the TV series may sometimes toe the line between Skinimax-style exploitation and genuine plot advancement, the sexual scenes also invite the viewers to sympathize with the series' women.<ref name=atlantic_sense_sex />

==Religion==
:{{Main|Religion}}
[[File:Fridolin Leiber - Holy Trinity.jpg|thumb|The series' Faith of the Seven was inspired by the Christian doctrine of the [[w:Trinity|Trinity]] ([[w:Father, Son, and Holy Spirit|Father]], pictured).]]

Unlike Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', the novels address religion in some detail,<ref name=grmm_iv_ew /> and portray several competing religions.<ref name=io9_gods /> Martin included religion in the novels to make them more realistic. After all, religion was very important to people living in the Middle Ages.<ref name=youtube_hboreligions /> Considering himself a lapsed Catholic with [[w:atheist|atheist]] or [[w:agnostic|agnostic]] streaks, Martin is fascinated by religion and spirituality.<ref name=grmm_iv_ew /> Since entirely made-up religions are more difficult to make plausible, George R. R. Martin based the series' major religions on real religious systems, which he tweaked or expanded with imaginative elements, without doing one-to-one transformations.<ref name=google_authors /> The fictional history of Westeros shows how each religion evolved.<ref name=youtube_hboreligions /> Each of the religions reflects its culture's temperament.<ref name=time_problem_power /> However, Martin regards any (real or fictional) religion's claim to truth with suspicion<ref name=io9_gods /> and has never been satisfied by standard answers to questions like how a benevolent God allows for a world full of rape, torture and pain.<ref name=grmm_iv_ew />

No religion is presented as the true faith, although there are eerie displays of power on many sides, nor do any have a monopoly on virtue.<ref name=time_problem_power /> Martin tries to slowly reveal in how far the many different kinds of magic in the ''Ice and Fire'' world may be manifestations of the same mysterious supernatural forces,<ref name=nymag_butterfly /> and readers can puzzle out the relation between the religions and the various magics.<ref name=io9_gods /> Readers remain free to wonder about the validity, teachings and supernatural power of the competing religions in ''Ice and Fire''.<ref name=io9_gods /> Martin said the series' gods are unlikely to appear [[w:deus-ex-machina|deus-ex-machina]] in Westeros.<ref name=io9_gods />

===The Old Gods===
:{{Main|Old Gods}}

The old gods are nameless deities worshipped by the Northern population of Westeros. Martin loosely based this belief system on "[[w:animism|animism]] and traditional [[w:Pagan|Pagan]] beliefs of [[w:Wicca|Wicca]] and various other [[w:Celtic mythology|Celtic systems]] and [[w:Norse religion|Norse systems]]", which he blended with fantasy elements (Weirwood trees) of his own imagining.<ref name=google_authors />

===The Faith of the Seven===
:{{Main|Faith of the Seven}}

The Faith of the Seven, often called simply "The Faith", is based on the medieval Catholic church and the Christian doctrine of the [[w:Trinity|Trinity]].<ref name=maximumfun /> The Seven describe the seven aspects of one god,<ref name=google_authors /> consisting of the Father, Mother, Maiden, Crone, Smith, Warrior, and a Stranger instead of Christianity's Father, Son and Holy Ghost.<ref name=maximumfun /> According to Martin, the Mother, Maiden and Crone were inspired by [[w:Pagan|Pagan]] views of womanhood, while the Father, Smith, Warrior as masculine elements were added later.<ref name=google_authors /> The Stranger, who is neither male nor female, represents mystery and [[w:death|death]].<ref name=youtube_hboreligions />

The Faith's hierarchy is also drawn from Catholicism,<ref name=google_authors /> being headed by the [[High Septon]], who in turn is elected by a clerical high council known as the [[Most Devout]]. The priests of the Seven are called septon (male) or septa (female). The Seven's also has equivalents of monks of various orders, of which the [[Silent Sisters]] are the most prominent, taking a vow of silence and caring for the bodies of the dead.<ref name=youtube_hboreligions /> Many aspects of the religion are based on the number seven,<ref name=youtube_hboreligions /> and ''The Seven Pointed Star'' is their symbol<ref name=youtube_hboreligions /> and among the Faith's most important holy texts.

The Faith of the Seven is the basis for the social concepts of "[[knight]]s" in the [[Seven Kingdoms]] culture, although actual religious warriors, the Faith Militant, are not the same as knights and had been disbanded for several centuries before the [[War of the Five Kings]]. Thus, few warriors in the North may attain the title of knight and the style "Ser" as most Northerners worship the old gods. The Faith of the Seven is the predominant religion for most of Westeros' population, though it has some followers in the Iron Islands and the North.

===The Drowned God===
:{{Main|Drowned God}}

The worship of the Drowned God is a local religion of the [[Ironborn]] and reflects that the [[Iron Islands]] are a rough place to live. The Ironborn are a seafaring island civilization, and their worship of the Drowned God reflects this. Water and drowning play prominent roles in the religion. Priests annointed in a ritual that Martin compared to [[w:baptism|baptism]], people are drowned in sea water (their holy water) and then brought back to life.<ref name=youtube_hboreligions /> The belief system of the Drowned God actually encourages martial prowess, and essentially preaches that the Ironborn's traditional activities - piracy, sea raiding for treasure and female captives, causing wanton death and destruction - are all positive and praiseworthy. Capital punishment often takes the form of drowning in seawater as a sacrifice to the Drowned God.

===R'hllor - The Lord of Light===
:{{Main|R'hllor}}

R'hllor, also known as the Red God and the Lord of Light, is a religion practiced primarily in [[Essos]], and his priests have only had a small presence in the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. This religion has a strong focus on prophecy and on ecstatic visions that one receives through communion with the flames. The antithesis of R'hllor is the "Great Other", a god of ice and death. According to Martin, this faith is roughly based upon the fire worship of [[w:Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrianism]]. This religion's dualistic aspects of a good and an evil god are also inspired by Zoroastrianism, along with the [[w:Catharism|Catharites]] of Medieval Europe who were annihilated during the [[w:Albigensian Crusade|Albigensian Crusade]].<ref name=google_authors /> In ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', ancient prophecies in the books of Asshai suggest that the ageless struggle between the two deities will only come to an end when the messianic figure [[Azor Ahai]] returns to the world, wielding Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and raise dragons of stone.

===Other religions===

''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'' explores the different religions of Westeros and Essos more than any other novel in the series.<ref name=time_problem_power /> Arya's Bravos chapters in ''A Dance with Dragons'' refer to 17 different obscure religions, which Martin is "probably never going to reveal in much detail".<ref name=google_authors /> An Essos location named the Isle of the Gods also makes subtle nods to other fantasy authors and mythoses Martin admires, for example homages to [[w:Roger Zelazny|Roger Zelazny]] and [[w:H. P. Lovecraft|H. P. Lovecraft]].<ref name=google_authors />

The god of death is an element of several religions in [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], even being the center of the Cult of The [[Faceless Men]] in Essos.<ref name=google_authors /> Martin thought that "worship of death is an interesting basis for religion because after all, death is the one universal. It doesn't seem to matter what gods you pray to. We all die in the real world and in fantasy worlds. So if there was one culture you did not die, I suspect that God would become very popular. They will promise us eternal life, but whatever."<ref name=google_authors /> He said the belief that "the world we live in was created by the evil god [is] kind of persuasive" when "you look at the world, particularly the Medieval world".<ref name=google_authors />

==Food==

Food is such a central element in the ''Ice and Fire'' series that some critics have accused Martin of "gratuitous feasting".<ref name=wsj_food /> By fans' count, the first four novels name more than 160 dishes,<ref name=atlantic_food /> ranging from peasant meals to royal feasts featuring camel, crocodile, singing squid, seagulls, lacquered ducks and spiny grubs.<ref name=wsj_food /> Adam Bruski of ''The Huffington Post'' said the vivid descriptions of food do not just lend color and flavor to the fictional world but almost appear as a supporting character. Some dishes have a foreshadowing nature or are particularly appropriate to the mood and temperament of their diners. Much of the realism of Martin's cultures comes through their unique foods and tastes.<ref name=huffington_cooking /> The meals signal everything from a character's disposition to plot developments, but also forebode the last profitable harvest before the coming winter.<ref name=atlantic_food /> Inedible-sounding food was eaten at the Red Wedding in ''A Storm of Swords'', preparing readers for the nauseating circumstances to come.<ref name=atlantic_food />

Fans seeking to immerse themselves deeper in their favorite fictional worlds have started cooking dishes from the books. The culinary fan blog "Inn at the Crossroads" received over a million hits. Martin, who is "very good at eating [but] not too much of a cook",<ref name=wsj_food /> received repeated requests to write a cookbook over the years. Two rival cookbooks based on the series are announced,<ref name=wsj_food /> with ''A Feast of Ice and Fire'' being released in May 2012.<ref name=amazon_food1 />

==References==
{{References|2|refs=
<ref name=grmm_iv_ew>{{cite web |last=Hibberd |first=James |url=http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/07/12/george-martin-talks-a-dance-with-dragons/ |title=EW interview: George R.R. Martin talks ''A Dance With Dragons'' |publisher=ew.com |date=July 12, 2011 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=grmm_iv_ewshock>{{cite web |last=Hibberd |first=James |url=http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/07/21/dance-with-dragons-shocking-twist-g/ |title=George R.R. Martin on ''Dance With Dragons'' shocking twist (Spoilers) |publisher=ew.com |date=July 21, 2011 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=grmm_iv_weirdtm>{{cite web |last=Schweitzer |first=Darrell |url=http://weirdtalesmagazine.com/2007/05/24/george-rr-martin-on-magic-vs-science/ |title=George R.R. Martin on magic vs. science |publisher=[[w:Weird Tales|weirdtalesmagazine.com]] |date=May 24, 2007 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=nytimes_oedipus>{{cite web |last=Itzkoff |first=Dave |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/arts/television/incest-as-plot-point-on-3-hbo-series-just-by-chance.html?_r=1 |title=A Family Affair as Old as Oedipus |publisher=nytimes.com |date=December 11, 2011 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=time_american_tolkien>{{cite web | last=Grossman | first=Lev | url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1129596,00.html | work=time.com | title=Books: The American Tolkien |date=November 13, 2005 |accessdate=2010-04-23 }}</ref>
<ref name=newyorker>{{cite web |last=Miller |first=Laura |url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/04/11/110411fa_fact_miller |title=Just Write It! A fantasy author and his impatient fans. |publisher=newyorker.com |date=April 11, 2011 |accessdate=2010-04-23}}</ref>
<ref name=ew_fantasy_king>{{cite web |last=Hibberd |first=James |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20470532_20511966,00.html |title=The Fantasy King |publisher=ew.com |date=July 22, 2011 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=time_grrm_ivp1>{{cite web |last=Poniewozik |first=James |url=http://entertainment.time.com/2011/04/15/george-r-r-martin-on-game-of-thrones-from-book-to-tv |title=George R. R. Martin Interview, Part 1: ''Game of Thrones'', from Book to TV |publisher=time.com |date=April 15, 2011 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=time_grrm_ivp2>{{cite web |last=Poniewozik |first=James |url=http://entertainment.time.com/2011/04/18/grrm-interview-part-2-fantasy-and-history/ |title=GRRM Interview Part 2: Fantasy and History |publisher=time.com |date=April 18, 2011 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=time_problem_power>{{cite web |last=Poniewozik |first=James |url=http://entertainment.time.com/2011/07/12/the-problems-of-power-george-r-r-martins-a-dance-with-dragons/ |title=The Problems of Power: George R.R. Martin's ''A Dance With Dragons'' |publisher=time.com |date=July 12, 2011 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=guardian_reality>{{cite web |last=Walter |first=Damien G |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jul/26/george-r-r-martin-fantasy-reality |title=George RR Martin's fantasy is not far from reality |publisher=guardian.co.uk |date=July 26, 2011 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=cnn>{{cite web |last=Baum |first=Michele Dula |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/books/04/11/george.rr.martin/index.html |title=''A Song of Ice and Fire'' – Author George R.R. Martin's fantastic kingdoms |publisher=cnn.com |date=April 11, 2001 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=grrm_iv_januarymagazine>{{cite web |last=Richards |first=Linda |url=http://januarymagazine.com/profiles/grrmartin.html |title=January interview: George R.R. Martin |publisher=[[w:January Magazine|w:januarymagazine.com|januarymagazine.com]] |month=January |year=2001 |accessdate=2012-01-21}} (Interview [http://georgerrmartin.com/links.html#interviews approved by GRRM].)</ref>
<ref name=grrm_iv_infinityplus>{{cite web |last=Gevers |first=Nick |url=http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/nonfiction/intgrrm.htm |title=Sunsets of High Renown – An Interview with George R. R. Martin |publisher=infinityplus.co.uk |month=December |year=2000 |accessdate=2012-01-21}} (Interview [http://georgerrmartin.com/links.html#interviews approved by GRRM].)</ref>
<ref name=grrm_iv_locusmag>{{cite web |url=http://www.locusmag.com/2005/Issues/11Martin.html |title=George R.R. Martin: The Gray Lords |publisher=[[w:locusmag.com|locusmag.com]] |month=November |year=2005 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=grrm_iv_sfsite2>{{cite web |last=MacLaurin |first=Wayne |url=http://www.sfsite.com/01a/gm95.htm |title=A Conversation With George R.R. Martin |publisher=[[w:The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction|sfsite.com]] |month=November |year=2000 |accessdate=2012-01-21}} (Interview [http://georgerrmartin.com/links.html#interviews approved by GRRM].)</ref>
<ref name=ew_by_george>{{cite web |last=Kirschling |first=Gregory |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20161804,00.html |title=By George! |publisher=ew.com |date=November 27, 2007 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=nytimes_rise_fantasy>{{cite web |last=Orr |first=David |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/books/review/george-r-r-martin-and-the-rise-of-fantasy.htm |title=Dragons Ascendant: George R. R. Martin and the Rise of Fantasy |publisher=[[w:nytimes.com|nytimes.com]] |date=August 12, 2011 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=nydailynews_sample_chapter>{{cite web |last=Sacks |first=Ethan |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/pageviews/2011/12/george-rr-martin-surprises-song-of-ice-and-fire-fans-with-free-chapter-of-next-boo |title=George R.R. Martin surprises ''Song of Ice and Fire'' fans with free chapter of next book |publisher=nydailynews.com |date=December 30, 2011 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=nytimes_feuding_kingdoms>{{cite web |last=Bellafante |first=Ginia |url=http://tv.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/arts/television/game-of-thrones-begins-sunday-on-hbo-review.html |title=A Fantasy World of Strange Feuding Kingdoms |publisher=[[w:nytimes.com|nytimes.com]] |date=April 14, 2011 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=deepmagic41>{{cite journal |title=Interview: George Martin |pages=19–21 |journal=Deep Magic |volume=41 |year=2005 }}</ref>
<ref name=scifi_magical_tale>{{cite journal |last=Robinson |first=Tasha |url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue190/interview.html |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20020223190420/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue190/interview.html |archivedate=2001-06-27 |title=Interview: George R.R. Martin continues to sing a magical tale of ice and fire |journal=[[w:Science Fiction Weekly|Science Fiction Weekly]] |publisher=[[w:scifi.com|scifi.com]] |issue=190 |volume=6, No. 50 |date=December 11, 2000 |accessdate=2012-02-02}}</ref>
<ref name=wsj_food>{{cite web |last=Alter |first=Alexandra |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203935604577064981671021446.html |title=These Literary Tastes Include Eel Pie, Grilled Snake |publisher=[[w:wsj.com|wsj.com]] |date=December 8, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-02}}</ref>
<ref name=guardian_tt>{{cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.tt/entertainment/2011/06/10/martin-talks-about-new-series-game-thrones |title=The battle between good and evil reigns - Martin talks about new series ''Game of Thrones'' |publisher=guardian.co.tt |date=June 11, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-02}}</ref>
<ref name=atlantic_sex_fantasy>{{cite web |last=Brown |first=Rachael |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/07/george-r-r-martin-on-sex-fantasy-and-a-dance-with-dragons/241738/ |title=George R.R. Martin on Sex, Fantasy, and ''A Dance With Dragons'' |publisher=theatlantic.com |date=July 11, 2011 accessdate=2012-02-02}}</ref>
<ref name=atlantic_brutal>{{cite web |last=Taylor |first=Amber |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/04/game-of-thrones-a-brutal-fantasy-with-mass-appeal/237316/ |title=''Game of Thrones'': A Brutal Fantasy With Mass Appeal |publisher=theatlantic.com |date=April 14, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-02}}</ref>
<ref name=atlantic_food>{{cite web |last=Rosenberg |first=Alyssa |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/06/food-in-fiction-how-cooking-brings-you-closer-to-the-characters/240777/ |title=Food in Fiction: How Cooking Brings You Closer to the Characters |publisher=theatlantic.com |date=June 21, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-02}}</ref>
<ref name=atlantic_reality>{{cite web |last=Serwer |first=Adam |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/04/game-of-thrones-when-fantasy-looks-like-reality/237196/ |title=''Game of Thrones'': When Fantasy Looks Like Reality |publisher=theatlantic.com |date=April 12, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-02}}</ref>
<ref name=atlantic_sense_sex>{{cite web |last=Meslow |first=Scott |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/04/game-of-thrones-making-sense-of-all-the-sex/237759/ |title=''Game of Thrones'': Making Sense of All the Sex |publisher=theatlantic.com |date=April 25, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-02}}</ref>
<ref name=atlantic_women>{{cite web |last=Meslow |first=Scott |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/06/game-of-thrones-finale-the-powerful-women-of-westeros/240686/ |title=''Game of Thrones'' Finale: The Powerful Women of Westeros |publisher=theatlantic.com |date=June 20, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-02}}</ref>
<ref name=nydailynews_capture>{{cite web |last=Sacks |first=Ethan |url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-07-10/entertainment/29775485_1_tyrion-releases-book-first-book |title=''A Dance With Dragons'' captures fans' imaginations: Fantasy author George R.R. Martin releases book |publisher=nydailynews.com |date=July 10, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-02}}</ref>
<ref name=csmonitor_adwdreview>{{cite web |last=Wasson |first=Megan |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/Book-Reviews/2011/0712/A-Dance-with-Dragons-by-George-R.R.-Martin |title=''A Dance with Dragons'', by George R.R. Martin |publisher=[[w:csmonitor.com|csmonitor.com]] |date=July 12, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-02}}</ref>
<ref name=washingtonpost_worth_wait>{{cite web |last=Sheehan |first=Bill |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/book-review-george-rr-martins-a-dance-with-dragons/2011/06/20/gIQAuJ1z9H_story.html |title=''A Dance with Dragons'' worth the long long wait |publisher=washingtonpost.com |date=July 12, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-02}}</ref>
<ref name=nytimes_twisted>{{cite web |last=Itzkoff |first=Dave |url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/01/his-beautiful-dark-twisted-fantasy-george-r-r-martin-talks-game-of-thrones/ |title=His Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: George R. R. Martin Talks ''Game of Thrones'' |publisher=nytimes.com |date=April 1, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-03}}</ref>
<ref name=scifi_fowl>{{cite journal |last=Robinson |first=Tasha |url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/advance/31_interview.html |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20051126224128/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/advance/31_interview.html |archivedate=2005-11-26 |title=George R.R. Martin dines on fowl words as the ''Song of Ice and Fire'' series continues with ''A Feast for Crows'' |journal=[[w:Science Fiction Weekly|Science Fiction Weekly]] |publisher=[[w:scifi.com|scifi.com]] |issue=446 |volume=11, No. 45 |date=November 7, 2005 |accessdate=2012-02-13}}</ref>
<ref name=io9_gods>{{cite web |last=Anders |first=Charlie Jane |url=http://io9.com/5822939/george-rr-martin-explains-why-well-never-meet-any-gods-in-a-song-of-ice-and-fire |title=George R.R. Martin explains why we'll never meet any gods in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' |publisher=io9.com |date=July 21, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-13}}</ref>
<ref name=maximumfun>{{cite web |last=Smith |first=Julia |url=http://www.maximumfun.org/sound-young-america/george-r-r-martin-author-song-ice-and-fire-series-interview-sound-young-america |title=George R. R. Martin, Author of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' Series: Interview on The Sound of Young America |publisher=maximumfun.org |date=September 19, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-13}} (Interview [http://georgerrmartin.com/links.html#interviews approved by GRRM].)</ref>
<ref name=amazon_food1>{{cite web |url=http://www.amazon.com/Feast-Ice-Fire-Official-Companion/dp/0345534492 |title=''A Feast of Ice and Fire'': The Official Companion Cookbook |publisher=amazon.com |accessdate=2012-02-14}}</ref>
<ref name=gamepro>{{cite web |author=Lodey |url=http://www.gamepro.com/entertainment/books_comics/books/features/30598.shtml |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20031008091617/http://www.gamepro.com/entertainment/books_comics/books/features/30598.shtml |archivedate=2003-10-08 |title=An Interview with George R. R. Martin |publisher=[[w:GamePro|gamepro.com]] |year=2003 |accessdate=2012-02-15}}</ref>
<ref name=nymag_butterfly>{{cite web |last=Pasick |first=Adam |url=http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/10/george_rr_martin_on_his_favori.html |title=George R.R. Martin on His Favorite ''Game of Thrones'' Actors, and the Butterfly Effect of TV Adaptations |publisher=[[w:nymag.com|nymag.com]] |date=October 20, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-15}}</ref>
<ref name=usatoday_released>{{cite web |last=Donahue |first=Deirdre |url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2011-07-11-dance-with-dragons_n.htm |title=Fifth book in ''Game of Thrones'' series released |publisher=usatoday.com |date=July 11, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-15}}</ref>
<ref name=amazon_storm>{{cite web |last=Kaveney |first=Roz |url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/49161/026-1281322-7450821 |title=A Storm Coming – An interview with George R R Martin |publisher=amazon.co.uk |year=2000 |accessdate=2012-02-15}}</ref>
<ref name=indigo_iv1>{{cite web |last=Harte |first=Bryant |url=http://blog.indigo.ca/fiction/item/512-an-interview-with-george-r-r-martin-part-one.html |title=An Interview with George R. R. Martin, Part I |publisher=[[w:Indigo Books and Music|indigo.ca]] |date=July 12, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-15}}</ref>
<ref name=indigo_iv2>{{cite web |last=Harte |first=Bryant |url=http://blog.indigo.ca/fiction/item/514-an-interview-with-george-r-r-martin-part-two.html |title=An Interview With George R. R. Martin, Part II |publisher=[[w:Indigo Books and Music|indigo.ca]] |date=July 13, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-15}}</ref>
<ref name=wsj_spill>{{cite web |last=Farley |first=Christopher John |url=http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/07/08/game-of-thrones-author-george-r-r-martin-spills-the-secrets-of-a-dance-with-dragons/ |title=''Game of Thrones'' Author George R.R. Martin Spills the Secrets of ''A Dance with Dragons'' |publisher=wsj.com |date=July 8, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-15}}</ref>
<ref name=smh_conversation>{{cite web |last=Birmingham |first=John |url=http://www.smh.com.au/technology/blogs/the-geek/a-conversation-with-game-of-thrones-author-george-rr-martin-20110801-1i6wj.html |title=A conversation with ''Game of Thrones'' author George RR Martin |publisher=[[w:smh.com.au|smh.com.au]] |date=August 1, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-15}}</ref>
<ref name=huffington_notboys>{{cite web |last=Teitelbaum |first=Ilana |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ilana-teitelbaum/game-of-thrones-hbo_b_850014.html |title=Dear ''New York Times'': ''A Game of Thrones'' Is Not Just for Boys |publisher=huffingtonpost.com |date=April 16, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-16}}</ref>
<ref name=huffington_cooking>{{cite web |last=Bruski |first=Adam |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-bruski/food-george-rr-martin_b_953070.html |title=Cooking With ''Ice and Fire'' |publisher=huffingtonpost.com |date=September 8, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-16}}</ref>
<ref name=huffington_fansflock>{{cite web |last=Italie |first=Hillel |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/15/george-rr-martin_n_899672.html? |title=Fans Flock To George R.R. Martin's NY Barnes & Noble Appearance |publisher=huffingtonpost.com |date=July 15, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-16}}</ref>
<ref name=time_grrm_ivp4>{{cite web |last=Poniewozik |first=James |url=http://entertainment.time.com/2011/04/20/grrm-interview-part-4-personal-history/ |title=GRRM Interview Part 4: Personal History |publisher=time.com |date=April 20, 2011 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}</ref>
<ref name=grrm_iv_consumerhelpweb>{{cite web |last=Redman |first=Bridgette |url=http://book.consumerhelpweb.com/authors/marting/interview.htm |title=George R.R. Martin Talks ''Ice and Fire'' |publisher=book.consumerhelpweb.com |month=May |year=2006 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}(see http://www.consumerhelpweb.com/aboutus/aboutus.htm )</ref>
<ref name=grmm_iv_polish>{{cite web |last=Zadravec |first=Goran |url=http://mezmera.posluh.hr/bazaar/interview_george_r_r_martin.asp |title=An Interview With George R. R. Martin |publisher=mezmera.posluh.hr |month=December |year=2003 |accessdate=2012-01-21}} (Interview [http://georgerrmartin.com/links.html#interviews approved by GRRM].)</ref>
<ref name=grrm_iv_sffworld>{{cite web |author=Patrick |url=http://sffworld.com/interview/186p0.html |title=George R.R. Martin |publisher=sffworld.com |date=May 17, 2006 |accessdate=2012-01-21}}(see http://sffworld.com/interviewslast.html )</ref>
<ref name=google_authors>{{cite web |people=Martin, George R.R. |date=July 28, 2011 |title=Authors@Google presents George R. R. Martin in conversation with Dan Anthony |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTTW8M_etk0 |publisher=[[w:AtGoogleTalks|AtGoogleTalks]] |accessdate=2011-03-21}}</ref>
<ref name=ustream_eastercon12>{{cite video |people=Martin, George R.R |url=http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/21681757 |title=George R.R. Martin Interview |time=49:30 |publisher=[[Eastercon]] |date=April 8, 2012 |accessdate=2012-04-12}}</ref>
<ref name=atlantic_true_blood>{{cite web |last=Rosenberg |first=Alyssa |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/08/fantasy-on-tv-how-game-of-thrones-succeeds-where-true-blood-fails/244365/ |title=Fantasy on TV: How ''Game of Thrones'' Succeeds Where ''True Blood'' Fails |publisher=theatlantic.com |date=August 31, 2011 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/66h6jO9zS |archivedate=April 5, 2012 |deadurl=no |accessdate=2012-02-02}}</ref>
<ref name=youtube_hboreligions>{{cite video |people=Martin, George R.R |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIe0Q3PgcOw |title=Game Of Thrones Season 2: Religions Of Westeros |publisher=youtube.com |date=April 16, 2012 |accessdate=2012-04-17}}</ref>
}}
{{EnWP|Themes in A Song of Ice and Fire|small=yes}}

True Tongue

2013-06-22T14:31:56Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

The '''True Tongue''' is the language of the [[children of the forest]], in which they sing the songs of the earth. The name the children call themselves in the true tongue is those who ''sing the song of the earth''. No human man can speak the True Tongue, but [[Raven|ravens]] can.{{ref|aDwD|13}}
{{ref|aDwD|34}}
==References and Notes==
{{references}}
{{Languages}}
[[Category:Languages]]

Magic

2013-06-22T14:30:59Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

'''Magic''' is real and widely believed in the world of ''Song of Ice and Fire''. Yet it is also rare enough for many to doubt its existence or at least its effectiveness, particularly in [[Westeros]] and most of all in the [[Citadel]].

==Background==
Magic is a little understood force in the world. It has been so long since magic was truly potent that most understanding of it only lives on in superstition and rituals of questionable validity.

In [[Westeros]] and most of the lands west of [[Valyria]], magic is held to be a mythical force only. The [[Maesters]] of the Citadel may apply for a [[Valyrian steel|Valyrian Steel]] link for the study of magic, but they believe it to have faded away following the [[Doom of Valyria]], since there has been no record of its use in Westeros since that time. However, recently the magical Valyrian [[Glass candle]] in the citadel has ignited anew and it seems that the potency of magic in Westeros has increased, and miracles and abilities that were long thought lost now appear to be returning, although this is commonly neither known nor accepted.

Blood, life, and death seem to be keys that can help unlock the secrets of magic. [[Warlocks]] from [[Qarth]] bathe [[Samwell Tarly|Sam Tarly]] in [[aurochs]]’ blood to make him brave. [[Mirri Maz Duur]] sacrifices the horse, and so much more, in her attempt to restore Khal [[Drogo]]. Dany burns the [[maegi]] on Drogo's funeral pyre and wakes [[dragons]].

Additionally, [[Alchemists' Guild|pyromancers]] claim that recently spells required in the creation of [[Wildfire]] have begun to work better and more efficiently than they have in many years, and dragon sightings are becoming more and more common in [[Essos]] {{Ref|affc|prologue}} However, even before that in the lands east of Valyria magic has remained a potent force. In [[Qarth]], the enigmatic [[warlocks]] of the [[House of the Undying]], said to posses great powers and in the lands by the [[Jade Sea]] and [[Asshai]] by the Shadow, where all manner of sorcerers, necromancers, spellsingers, aeromancers, and more are said to gather and practice their arts.

Some of the abilities exhibited by those who practice magic are:
* '''Elemental control''': The priests of [[R'hllor]] seem able to control the element of fire in order to engulf their weapons in flames, or to use the fire alone as a means to attack enemies.{{Ref|aSoS|76}}. Also in [[Qarth]] Daenerys saw a firemage creating a ladder of flames that stood up to forty feet high. It is possible that other wizards and sorcerers know ways of using other elements.

* '''Divination''': Some people exhibit the ability to see the future either through looking in the fire in the case of the followers and priests of the Lord of Light or through dreams.In the second case this is called [[Greensight]] if following the way of the [[old gods]] or [[dragon dreams]] if it is done by a [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]].

* '''Skinchanging''': The ability to enter the mind of an animal and control its actions.It is a rare ability with only one man in a thousand being born a [[skinchanger]]. Having the blood of the first Men usually makes it more likely for someone to be a skinchanger.

* '''Raising the dead''': Some priests of [[R'hllor]] have been capable of performing the extraordinary feat of raising a man from the dead. However the reborn person may have difficulty remembering parts of his past life such as [[Beric Dondarrion]] or they exhibit a change in personality like [[Catelyn Tully]]. What red priests generally fail to do is to heal a man brought back to life by whatever injuries he may have suffered and as a result their bodies are battered by their wounds.

* '''Necromancy''': Some are rumored to dabble in necromancy the ability to raise the dead but as mindless automaton's bound to serve a specific purpose.
[[Qyburn]] is rumored to have dabbled in this art. {{Ref|aCoK|64}}

==Westeros==
:{{See also|Skinchanger{{!}}Skinchanging|Greensight}}

Other than the [[children of the forest]], who said to be strong in magic, native magic in Westeros is much rarer. In days past, the [[greenseer]]s of the children possessed incredible powers over nature; [[Skinchanger|Skinchanging]], slipping into the minds of beasts, and [[Greensight]], the power to foretell the future. Though the children of the forest and their greenseers have long passed from [[Westeros]], there are still descendants of the [[First Men]] who possess those powers and while those powers are not something you can will to occur, it seems that those who hold the [[old gods]] are more susceptible to becoming one.

The very knowledge of the the existence of skinchangers is exceedingly rare in Westeros, except perhaps among the northern [[wildlings]] that live beyond [[the Wall]].

Members of the [[Alchemists' Guild]] know some sort of magical ritual involving the making of [[Wildfire]], and possibly smiths who re-work [[Valyrian steel]] know something of the arcane as well.

==Valyria==
:{{See also|Valyrian Freehold}}

All [[Valyrian Freehold|Valyrian]] magic was rooted in blood and fire. It is said that they could set [[Glass candle|dragonglass candles]] to burning with strange, unpleasantly-bright light. With the obsidian candles, they could see across vast distances, look into a man's mind, and speak with one another though they were half the world apart.{{Ref|aFfC|45}} It is often said that the old wizards of Valyria did not cut and chisel stone, but worked it with fire and magic as one might work clay.{{Ref|aSoS|54}} The people of Valyria were very strong in magic, and they would use their powerful wizards and their [[dragons]] in conjunction with their armies to conquer most of the eastern continent. Dragons were controlled by whips, magic horns and sorcery.

==East==
:{{See also|Maegi|Warlocks|Shadowbinder}}

In Qarth, the enigmatic [[warlocks]] of the [[House of the Undying]] practice curious rituals. Whilst [[Shadowbinder|shadowbinders]], spellsingers and aeromancers from [[Asshai]] are capable of great and terrible feats.{{Ref|aGoT|23}}

Bloodmages from the [[Shadow Lands]] beyond Asshai are said to use the darkest of all magics, and possibly the most powerful{{Ref|aFfC|36}}. They have dark spells to save a man from death, though some say death is cleaner.{{Ref|aGoT|64}}

There are firemages who can conjure ladders from the air that are made of fire and can stand forty feet high. The mage can climb up the ladder, each rung disappearing behind him, leaving nothing but silvery smoke. When he reaches the top, the ladder and he are both gone. {{ref|acok|40|page 426}}

==See also==
* [[Dreams and prophecies]]

==Quotes about Magic==
{{Quote|''"The [[dragonlords]] of the old Freehold were strong in sorcery, and lesser men defied them at their peril"''. {{Ref|AFFC|22}}}} - The [[Kindly Man]], to [[Arya]]

{{Quote|''"Sorcery is a sword without a hilt. There is no safe way to grasp it".''}} - [[Dalla]] to [[Jon Snow]]

{{Quote|''"Take a lesson Bran. The man who trusts in spells is dueling with a glass sword. As the [[children of the forest|children]] did".'' {{Ref|aGoT|66}}}} – Maester [[Luwin]], to [[Bran]]

==References and Notes==
{{References|2}}

[[Category:Culture]][[zh:魔法]]

Coals

2013-06-22T14:30:16Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Character
| Character_name = Coals
| image =
| image_caption =
| Alias =
| Title =
| Allegiance = [[Three-eyed crow|Last Greenseer]]
| Race = [[Children of the forest]]
| Culture =
| Spouse =
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth =
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Dance with Dragons]]
| coat-of-arms =
}}
'''Coals''' is one of the [[children of the forest]] in service to [[Three-eyed crow|Last Greenseer]]. He/she does not speak the [[Common Tongue]]. His/her true name is too long for the human tongue according to [[Leaf]], so [[Meera Reed]] and [[Bran]] make up the name Coals.

==Appearance==
Coals is one of the [[children of the forest]] with nut-brown skin that is dappled like a deer's with paler spots, and large ears and large eyes slitted like a cat's eyes. Coals has three fingers and a thumb with sharp black claw instead of nails.

==Recent Events==
===A Dance with Dragons===
Coals serves the Last Greenseer.

[[Category:Children of the Forest]]
[[Category: Characters from Beyond the Wall]]
[[es:Tizón]]

Snowylocks

2013-06-22T14:29:15Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Character
| Character_name = Snowlocks
| image =
| image_caption =
| Alias =
| Title =
| Allegiance = [[Three-eyed crow|Last Greenseer]]
| Race = [[Children of the forest]]
| Culture =
| Spouse =
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth =
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Dance with Dragons]]
| coat-of-arms =
}}
'''Snowylocks''' is one of the [[children of the forest]] in service to [[Three-eyed crow|Last Greenseer]].
She does not speak the [[Common Tongue]]. Her true name is too long for the human tongue according to [[Leaf]].
==Appearance==
She is white-haired, which is the reason why [[Meera Reed]] names her Snowylocks.

==Recent Events==
===A Dance with Dragons===
When beckoned by [[Leaf]] she brought forth a [[weirwood]] bowl carved with a dozen faces, like the ones the heart trees wear. Inside the bowl is a white [[weirwood seed paste]], thick and heavy, with dark red veins running through it. Snowylocks handed the bowl to [[Leaf]] to give to [[Bran Stark|Bran]] to eat.<ref>[[A Dance with Dragons]], [[Bran III (A Dance with Dragons)|Bran III]]</ref>

==Notes and References==
{{references}}

[[Category:Children of the Forest]]
[[Category: Characters from Beyond the Wall]]
[[es:Pelo de Nieve]]

Scales

2013-06-22T14:28:35Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Character
| Character_name = Scales
| image =
| image_caption =
| Alias =
| Title =
| Allegiance = [[Three-eyed crow|Last Greenseer]]
| Race = [[Children of the forest]]
| Culture =
| Spouse =
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth =
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Dance with Dragons]]
| coat-of-arms =
}}
'''Scales''' is one of the [[children of the forest]] in service to [[Three-eyed crow|Last Greenseer]]. He/she does not speak the [[Common Tongue]]. His/her true name is too long for the human tongue according to [[Leaf]], so [[Meera Reed]] and [[Bran]] make up the name Scales.

==Appearance==
Scales is one of the [[children of the forest]] with nut-brown skin that is dappled like a deer's with paler spots, and large ears and large eyes slitted like a cat's eyes. Coals has three fingers and a thumb with sharp black claw instead of nails.

==Recent Events==
===A Dance with Dragons===
Scales serves the [[Three-eyed crow|Last Greenseer]].
[[Category:Children of the Forest]]
[[Category: Characters from Beyond the Wall]]
[[es:Escamas]]

Ash

2013-06-22T14:28:03Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Character
| Character_name = Ash
| image =
| image_caption =
| Alias =
| Title =
| Allegiance = [[Three-eyed crow|Last Greenseer]]
| Race = [[Children of the forest]]
| Culture =
| Spouse =
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth =
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Dance with Dragons]]
| coat-of-arms =
}}
'''Ash''' is one of the [[children of the forest]] in service to [[Three-eyed crow|Last Greenseer]]. He/she does not speak the [[Common Tongue]]. His/her true name is too long for the human tongue according to [[Leaf]], so [[Meera Reed]] and [[Bran]] make up the name Ash.

==Appearance==
Ash is one of the [[children of the forest]] with nut-brown skin that is dappled like a deer's with paler spots, and large ears and large eyes slitted like a cat's eyes. Coals has three fingers and a thumb with sharp black claw instead of nails.

==Recent Events==
===A Dance with Dragons===
Ash, along with the other remaining children of the forest, serves the [[Last Greenseer]] in his [[cave of the three-eyed crow|cave]] [[beyond the Wall]].
[[Category:Children of the Forest]]
[[Category: Characters from Beyond the Wall]]
[[es:Ceniza]]

Portal:History

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{{Incomplete}}

* This page provides a way of sorting out the events, past and present, of the series according to the world's chronology. A timeline of events and important background information.
* [[Timeline of major events]] - Ages
* [[Years after Aegon's Landing]] - Events listing since Aegon landing
* [[History of the Seven Kindoms]]

* Ages
: [[Dawn Age]]
: [[Age of Heroes]]
: [[Age of Dragons]]
: ???

* Major Events:
: [[The Long Night]]
: [[Pact|The Pact]]
: [[Doom of Valyria]]

[[:fr:History of the Seven Crowns]]
Military history
{| border=1
| {{Date|0}}||[[War of the First Men and the Children of the Forest|War of the First Men and the children of the forest]]
|-
| {{Date|0}}||[[Battle for the Dawn]]
|-
| {{Date|0}}||[[Rhoynar Invasion]]
|-
| {{Date|0}}||[[War of Conquest]], Aegon the conqueror Campaign in Westeros.
|-
| {{Date|37}}||[[Faith Militant uprising]]
|-
| {{Date|128}}-{{Date|129}}||[[Dance of the Dragons]], War of succession for the Iron Throne.
|-
| {{Date|195}}-{{Date|196}}||[[Blackfyre Rebellion]], civil war.
|-
| {{Date|212}}||[[Second Blackfyre Rebellion]]
|-
| {{Date|250}} Approx||[[War of the Ninepenny Kings]]
|-
| {{Date|282}}-{{Date|283}}||[[Robert's Rebellion]]
|-
| {{Date|289}}||[[Greyjoy Rebellion]]
|-
| {{Date|298}}-{{Date|300}}||[[War of the Five Kings]] [[Conflict Beyond the Wall]]
|}

Essos
* [[Battle of Qohor]]

* [[Sack of Astapor‎]]
* [[Battle of Yunkai]]

* [[:Category:Battles]]
{{Campaignbox_War_of_the_Five_Kings}}

Empires of old:
* [[Ghiscari Empire]]
* [[Valyrian Freehold]]

Recent events
* [[Red Wedding]]

[[Category:Portal]]
[[Category:History]]

Languages

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Throughout ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'', numerous cultural and regional dialects are discussed. These dialects form the world's spoken tongue, and help define it's people.

== portrayal==
Unlike Tolkien, who created entire languages, including grammar, syntax, and tenses. Martin has created only a few words from each language, his languages are not conveyed in any great detail. Instead, the tongue in which they are speaking is noted but rendered in English, with added characteristics and flavour portrayed through out the text.

{{Quote|"I don't have a whole imaginary language in my desk here, the way Tolkien did." 
Tolkien was a philologist, and an Oxford don, and could spend decades laboriously inventing Elvish in all its detail. I, alas, am only a hardworking SF and fantasy novel, and I don't have his gift for languages. That is to say, I have not actually created a Valyrian language. The best I could do was try to sketch in each of the chief tongues of my imaginary world in broad strokes, and give them each their characteristic sounds and spellings.<ref>[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1250/ SSM]</ref>
|[[George R. R. Martin]]}}

However for the release of '''HBO'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s ''[[Game of Thrones]]'', a actual spoken [[Dothraki language]] has been developed. This language takes cues from [[George R. R. Martin]]'s few bits of published words, and expands greatly upon it. A website, [http://www.dothraki.org/ dothraki.org], has been created to help teach and spread the constructed tongue. Film critic and indie director Lee Demarbre has called the language the ''"new Klingon"''.

==Languages of Westeros==
Although there are many spoken languages on [[Westeros]], only two are native to it: the [[Old Tongue]], the language of the [[First Men]] that dominated westeros thousands of years and the [[Andal]] language, today known as the [[Common Tongue]], which was introduced during the andal invasion/migration and superseded the old tongue since. Another major migration to westeros was the made by the [[Rhoynar]], however they have assimilated and their own language has disappeared since.

Today, the Old Tongue is still remembered by the folks in the far north, while most people within the [[Seven Kingdoms]], know no other language than the [[Common Tongue]]. Although there are minor variations to it from place to place, [[Dornishmen]] can communicate with [[Northmen]] without difficulty. Foreign tongues are taught in the [[Citadel]]; otherwise, otherwise, they are brought from other lands by immigrants, merchants, sellswords, and the like.

==Languages across the narrow sea==
many languages exist on the continent across the narrow sea. The most important is [[High Valyrian]], the language of the old [[Valyrian Freehold]], spoken now in bastardized version across its remnants.

* [[Dothraki language]], is the language of the [[Dothraki]], the indigenous inhabitants of the Dothraki Sea in the series A Song of Ice and Fire written by George R. R. Martin.
* [[High Valyrian]], was the language the [[Valyrian Freehold|Valyria empire]], before the Doom came and it fell apart.
* [[Bastard Valyrian|Low Valyrian]], Bastard Valyrian, as it is also called, is the language of the nine [[Free Cities]] and the [[Slaver's Bay#The Cities of Slaver's Bay|Slaver Cities]], Each of the cities has it's own dialect, and each dialect likely has it's own separate derived vocabulary.


* Ghiscari - is largely extinct tongue, spoken five thousand years ago by the [[Ghiscari]] people of ancient Ghis, destroyed by the [[Valyrian Freehold]]. Ghiscari was supplemented by a bastardised vestion of High Valyrian, though it is still spoken by some and engraved Ghiscari glyphs can be found on various objects of old.
* [[Language of Asshai]], The people of Asshai, are well versed in witchcraft and wizardry, and have a language of their own, used in their spells (as did the Valyrians).
* Lhazareen - is described as singsong <ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], p557</ref>
* [[Summer Tongue]], [[Summer Islands]] have their own language.
* The [[Trade Tongue]] - The trade tongue is often spoken, a coarse argot that has developed using words from a dozen languages (many of them insults) and hand gestures <ref>[[A Dance with Dragons]] p.508</ref>
* Other Languages

==Non-Human Communication==
* The [[children of the forest]], said to sing in the [[True Tongue]].
* The [[Others]]' Language, described as sounding like cracking of ice on a winter lake. In the [[Game of Thrones]] TV show, It was named "[[Skroth]]".
* Necromancy.
* [[Beastiary|Animals]]

==External links==
* Dothraki wiki, on [http://wiki.dothraki.org/dothraki/Other_languages languages]

==References==
{{References|2}}

{{Template:Languages}}
[[Category:Languages|!]]
[[fr:Langues (conception générale)]][[ru:Языки]]

Religion

2013-06-22T14:24:08Z

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__NOTOC__The setting of [[A Song of Ice and Fire]] is one where there are many faiths, and many faithful. Belief in high powers and supernatural threats runs deep through the culture of the known world and influence most aspects of life. In The [[Seven Kingdoms]] nearly all children are raised praising either the new gods or the old and fear of the Others coming to claim them if they misbehave. Across the narrow sea children are often given to be raised to priesthood of one of the many deities worshipped there. Little is known about the actual deities and their powers, so far only [[R'hllor]] has been shown to possess real power and influence the world directly.

== Westeros ==
Westeros has relatively few significant religions. They include:
* The '''[[old gods]]''', tied to the earth, are the gods of the forest, mountains and streams. They are nameless deities worshiped by [[the North]]ern population of [[Westeros]], symbolized by [[weirwood]] trees. They are the oldest religion in Westeros, worshipped by the magical [[children of the forest]] before humans even came to the content and later was adopted by the [[First Men]].

* The '''[[Faith of the Seven]]''', the dominant religion in the [[Seven Kingdoms]], is built around symbology of the number seven, the seven facets of the one god. Its many institutions and priesthood structure closely mirrors the way Christianity operated in the Middle Ages.

* The '''[[Drowned God]] and the [[Storm God]]''' are the gods of the [[ironborn]]. The Drowned God is a harsh deity and his religion is a harsh one, favouring reaving and plundering in its name. Children are initiated into the faith by being drowned in sea water and resuscitated.

* '''[[R'hllor]]''', the Lord of Light, is a foreign faith from Essos and is little known in Westeros, though it has gained support in recent times. It holds a very black-and-white view of the world, with R'hllor being the one true god and the rest being demons that must be destroyed. Worship of fire is a key component.

* '''[[Mother Rhoyne]]''' is worshiped by the remnants of the [[Rhoynar]] practicing along the river [[Greenblood]] in [[Dorne]].

* The '''[[Lady of the Waves]]''' and the '''[[Lord of the Skies]]''' were worshiped on the [[Three Sisters]] prior to the Seven.

== Across the narrow sea ==
On the other side of the narrow sea, it seems there are as many gods as there are peoples. In [[Braavos]], one can find temples and shrines to almost every god one can imagine. At least a dozen separate gods have been mentioned in the novel. Among them are the:

* [[R'hllor]] and [[Great Other]], The biggest religion.
* [[Weeping Woman (god)|Weeping Woman]] a favorite of old women.
* the [[Lion of Night (god)|Lion of Night]] preferred by rich men.
* the [[Hooded Wayfarer (god)|Hooded Wayfarer]] a patron of the poor.
* [[Bakkalon]] the Pale Child (favored of soliders)
* [[Many-Faced God]] of [[Braavos]], believed to be the true face of all the gods.
* The [[Great Stallion]], a deity worshipped by the [[Dothraki]].
* [[Great Shepherd]], Great Shepherd is the deity of the Lhazareen.

== Influences and Theology ==
:{{See also|Themes in A Song of Ice and Fire}}

Unlike [[w:J._R._R._Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s ''[[w:The Lord of the Rings|The Lord of the Rings]]'', the novels address religion in some detail, and portray several competing religions. More than any other novel in the series, ''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'' explores the different religions of Westeros and Essos. Each of the religions reflects its culture's temperament. Martin based the series' faiths on real religions, tweaking or expanding them a little. However, no religion is presented as the true faith, although there are eerie displays of power on many sides, nor do any have a monopoly on virtue.

Known Influences:
* The [[old gods]] seem like a sort of peaceful [[w:Animism|animistic]] religion.
* The [[Faith of the Seven|Seven]], bears some distinct similarities to the [[w:Catholic church|Catholic church]], in structure and organization. The seven is an analog of the [[w:Trinity|Trinity]], that has seven gods in one rather than three (the Father, Warrior, Smith, Maid, Mother, Crone, and Stranger ), and complete with [[w:Monasticism|monastic]] orders, dormant military orders([[Faith Militant]]), and a Pope/College of Cardinals ([[High Septon]]/[[Most Devout]]).
* [[R'hllor]], is similar in many ways to [[w:Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrianism]], with a strong [[w:dualism|dualism]] between the [[Lord of Light]] and the [[Great Other|Nameless Other]] of Darkness, apocalyptic theology, and religious practice that is strongly intertwined with the use and symbiology of fire.

* Virtually every other religion are examples of [[w:polytheism|polytheism]], where people in the attempt to understand nature gave forces of nature human shapes.
* [[Storm God]] and the [[Drowned God]] could be related to Norse mythology, encouraging the lifestyle of raiding and reaving just as the religion of the Vikings did.
* [[Mother Rhoyne]] religion is polytheistic worshipping the [[Rhoyne]] and many lesser river-dwelling deities such as the [[Old Man of the River]], a turtle-god. It's may also be inspired by the real-life Roma, to a degree<ref>[http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/04/the-many-gods-a-dark-faiths-of-a-song-of-ice-and-fire Many Gods & Dark Faiths] article by [[User:Ran|Ran]] and [[User:Linda|Linda]]</ref> 

Martin tries to slowly reveal in how far the many different kinds of [[magic]] in the ''Ice and Fire'' world may be manifestations of the same mysterious supernatural forces.Leaving the readerd free to wonder about the validity, teachings and supernatural power of the competing religions, allowing for a sense of wonder, for things that escape the net of explanation in terms of the physical sciences. Martin regards any religion's claim to truth with suspicion, as he does the claims of real religions. The series' gods, he said, are unlikely to appear [[w:deus-ex-machina|deus-ex-machina]] in Westeros.<ref name=io9_gods />

==Prophecy==
* See [[:Category:Prophecy|list of Prophecies]].

{{Religions}}

==Notes and References==
{{References|1|refs=
<ref name=io9_gods>{{cite web |last=Anders |first=Charlie Jane |url=http://io9.com/5822939/george-rr-martin-explains-why-well-never-meet-any-gods-in-a-song-of-ice-and-fire |title=George R.R. Martin explains why we'll never meet any gods in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' |publisher=io9.com |date=July 21, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-13}}</ref>
}}

[[Category: Religions| ]]
[[Category:Westeros]]
[[fr:Religions_des_Sept_Couronnes]][[es:Religión]][[zh:宗教]]

Three-eyed crow

2013-06-22T14:23:02Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = Lord Brynden
| image = [[File:Three-eyed-crow.jpg|250px]]
| image_caption = Last Greenseer by Karen Petrasko
| Alias = Three-Eyed Crow The Last Greenseer Lord Brynden
| Title =
| Allegiance = unknown
| Race =
| Culture =
| Spouse =
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth =
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] [[A Clash of Kings]] [[A Storm of Swords]] [[A Feast for Crows]] [[A Dance with Dragons]]
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by =
| TV_series =
}}

The '''three-eyed crow''' appears to [[Bran Stark]] in dreams. He is known by the [[children of the forest]] as the '''Last Greenseer'''.{{ref|aDwD|13}} He once was a man of the [[Night's Watch]]. He is said to have [[A Thousand Eyes, and One|a thousand eyes and one]]. He has one red eye and white skin.{{ref|aDwD|13}} A number of his characteristics indicate [[Three-eyed crow/Theories|who he might be]].

==Appearance==
His body is so skeletal and his clothes so rotted that at first sight [[Bran]] takes him for another corpse - a dead man propped up so long that the roots have grown over him, under him, and through him.{{ref|aDwD|13}}

What skin he shows is white, save for a bloody blotch that creeps up his neck onto his cheek. His white hair is fine and thin as root hair and long enough to brush against the earthen floor.

He is enthroned in a nest of [[weirwood]] roots that weave under and through and around his body. Roots coil around his legs like wooden serpents. One burrows through his breeches into the desiccated flesh of his thigh, to emerge again from his shoulder.

A spray of dark red leaves sprout from his skull, and grey mushrooms spot his brow and cheeks. A little skin remains, stretched across his face, tight and hard as white leather, but even that is fraying, and here and there the brown and yellow bone beneath pokes through. The clothes he wears are rotten and faded, spotted with moss and eaten through with worms, but once they had been black.

The only thing that looks alive in his pale ruin of his face is his one red eye, burning like the last coal in a dead fire, surrounded by twisted roots and tatters of leathery white skin hanging off a yellowed skull. The first time [[Bran]] sees him, he feels it staring at him, shining like a pool of blood in [[Leaf]]’s torchlight. Where the other eye should have been, a thin white root grows from an empty socket, down his cheek, and into his neck.

When he speaks to [[Bran]] his words are accompanied by a faint rustling of wood and leaf, a slight twisting of his head. His voice is dry, his lips move slowly, as if they have forgotten how to form words.

==Recent Events==
[[File: Close_up_TEC_Marc_Simonetti.jpg‎|The [[three-eyed crow]] - by Marc Simonetti ©|thumb|200px|right]]
===A Game of Thrones===
The three-eyed crow appears to [[Bran Stark|Bran]] in his dreams and tells Bran it can teach him to fly. When Bran is in a coma after his fall, the crow guides him out, telling Bran that he is the winged wolf bound in chains.{{ref|aGoT|17}}

===A Dance with Dragons===
[[Bran Stark|Bran]], [[Hodor]], [[Meera Reed|Meera]] and [[Jojen Reed]] find the three-eyed crow in a [[cave of the three-eyed crow|cave]] north of the [[Wall]]. He teaches Bran about [[greenseer|greenseeing]] and [[skinchanger|skinchanging]]. He tells Bran that he was once a lord called Brynden.{{ref|aDwD|13}}

Later on, the crow decides it is time for the next step and [[Leaf]] gives Bran a bowl of [[weirwood paste]], made from seeds of weirwood, to eat in order to awaken his green seeing gifts. When Bran sees his father, [[Eddard Stark|Eddard]], through [[Winterfell]]'s heart tree, he tells Bran that he is haunted by his own ghosts, a brother that he loved, a brother that he hated, and a woman that he desired, but knows from experience that you cannot change the past.{{ref|aDwD|34}}

[[Melisandre]] may have seen a vision of the three-eyed-crow and [[Bran]] when she looks into the fire in her chambers at [[Castle Black]],
{{Quote|A face took shape within the hearth. [[Stannis]]? she thought, for just a moment . . . but no, these were not his features. '''A wooden face, corpse white'''. Was this [[Great Other|the enemy]]? A thousand red eyes floated in the rising flames. '''He sees me.''' Beside him, [[Bran|a boy with a wolf’s face]] threw back his head and howled. {{Ref|ADWD|31}}}}

==See Also==
* ''See [[Three-eyed crow/Theories]]''

==Quotes==
{{Quote|"The strongest trees are rooted in the dark places of the earth. Darkness will be your cloak, your shield, your mother’s milk. Darkness will make you strong." {{Ref|aDwD|34}}}} to [[Bran]]

==Quotes about the three-eyed-crow==
{{Quote|He sees me. {{Ref|ADWD|31}}}} - [[Melisandre]]

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}

[[Category:Terms]]
[[Category:Characters from the North]]
[[Category:Skinchangers]]

[[es:Cuervo de tres ojos]]
[[fr:Corneille à trois yeux]]
[[ru:Трехглазая ворона]]
[[zh:三眼乌鸦]]

Raven

2013-06-22T14:22:38Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

[[File:Raven.jpg|thumb|350px|right|© Fantasy Flight Games]]
[[File:Raven HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|A raven caries a message (TV Series)]]

'''Ravens''' are a species of large, black-feathered birds native to [[Westeros]]. Similar to [[w:common raven|common ravens]] of Earth, only stronger with better homing instinct. Ravens are used to [[w:homing pigeons|carry messages]] between castles and cities. While doves and pigeons can also be trained to carry messages, ravens are a stronger flyers, larger, bolder, far more clever, and better able to defend themselves against hawks.

The maester of each castle usually tends to its own flock of ravens. [[Maesters]] raise a breed of large of [[White Ravens|white ravens]] at the [[Citadel]] that are said to be more intelligent and are sent out to mark the change of seasons. Ravens sometimes imitate human speech like parrots. Ravens can speak the [[True Tongue]], the language of the [[children of the forest]], a tongue no human can.

The logistics of how ravens deliver messages is that most ravens are trained to fly to a specific castle. Some few can be taught to fly between two castles. Such birds are greatly prized. Once in a very great while, a raven can learn the names of three or four or even five castles, and fly to each upon command. Birds as clever as that come along only once in a hundred years<ref>[http://georgerrmartin.com/if-sample.html ''The Winds of Winter'', Theon's sample chapter], made available on GRRM's website as of Dec 28th, 2011</ref>

In the [[godswood]] at [[Raventree Hall]] in the [[Blackwood Vale]] there is a dead ancient [[weirwood]] of colossal size. Every evening at dusk hundreds of ravens come and roost on the tree all night, as they have for thousands of years. {{ref|aDwD|48}}

The [[children of the forest]] taught the [[First Men]] to use ravens to communicate over long distances. The [[greenseer]]s of the children could change their skins and speak through the birds.{{ref|aDwD|34}}

[[Jeor Mormont]], [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch]] has a [[Mormont's raven|pet raven]] that talk.

==References and Notes==
{{references}}
{{Template:Creatures}}
[[Category:Animals]][[zh:渡鸦]]

A Dance with Dragons-Chapter 34

2013-06-22T14:21:44Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Infobox Chapter ADwD
| pov = Bran
| place = [[Cave of the three-eyed crow]]
| pov count = 3
| previous = Tyrion VIII
| next = Jon VII
| bantam hc page = 448
}}

==Synopsis==
[[File:Marc Fishman thevision.jpg|A white haired woman with a bronze sickle - by Marc Fishman © |thumb|250px|left]]
[[Bran Stark|Bran]], [[Hodor]], [[Jojen Reed|Jojen]], and [[Meera Reed|Meera]] are still dwelling in the [[cave of the three-eyed crow|cave]] of the [[children of the Forest]] and exploring its chambers. Bran [[warg]]s into [[Summer]] and [[Hodor]]. They begin to name some of the "children" as their own names are unpronounceable by the human tongue. Bran names one of the females [[Leaf]], as she is always adorned with leaves. She is one of the few children who can speak the [[Common Tongue]]. Others are called [[Ash]], [[Scales]], [[Black Knife]], [[Snowylocks]], and [[Coals]].

[[Jojen Reed|Jojen]] is growing extremely sad and solemn, and still has fits of shaking. His sister [[Meera Reed|Meera]] does her best to keep up the spirits of both her brother and Bran.

The [[three-eyed crow]] teaches [[Bran Stark|Bran]] how to [[warg]] into ravens. He learns that all of the ravens around the three-eyed crow have children who have passed away and remain in the skins of these animals. He also learns to warg into [[weirwood]]s to look into the past. The three-eyed crow tells Bran that he was once a lord called Brynden.

The children feed Bran a bowl of [[weirwood paste]] to awaken his green seeing gifts. Bran sees his father, [[Eddard Stark|Eddard]], through [[Winterfell]]'s heart tree, and learns that he can view the past, present and future through the weirwoods. The last greenseer tells Bran that he is haunted by his own ghosts, a brother that he loved, a brother that he hated, and a woman that he desired,<ref>If the Three-Eyed Crow is indeed [[Brynden Rivers]], as implied, then the loved brother is probably [[Daeron II Targaryen|Daeron II]], the hated brother is probably [[Aegor Rivers|Aegor "Bittersteel" Rivers]] or perhaps [[Daemon Blackfyre]], and the woman must be [[Shiera Seastar]]</ref> but knows from experience that you cannot change the past. When he gets tired, he sends Bran away. Hodor carries Bran to his bed.

In his sleep, Bran sees the following visions through Winterfell's heart tree:
* His young father praying with a bowed head "…let them grow up close as brothers, with only love between them, and let my lady wife find it in her heart to forgive.";
* A girl and a younger boy play fighting with branches;<ref>Possibly Bran's uncle [[Benjen Stark]] and late aunt [[Lyanna Stark]]; Bran finds the girl to be alike to his sister [[Arya Stark|Arya]], who is said to remind people of a young Lyanna as per ''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 22|Chapter 22]]</ref>
* A pregnant woman coming out of the black pool praying for a son to avenge her;
* A slender girl on her toes kissing a [[knight]] as tall as Hodor;<ref>It is believed to be [[Dunk]] kissing a young woman, likely a young [[Old Nan]], at Winterfell, foreshadowing the next [[Dunk and Egg]] story, ''The She-Wolves of Winterfell''.</ref>
* A pale, dark-eyed youth cutting three branches from the weirwood and shaping them into arrows;
* Tall, hard, stern men with beards in fur and chain mail forcing a captive down on his knees. A white-haired woman killing the captive with a bronze sickle.

==Character List appearing/mentioned==
{{Columns|3|
*[[Bran Stark]]
* [[Jojen Reed]]
* [[Meera Reed]]
* [[Leaf]]
* [[Summer]]
* [[Hodor]]
* [[three-eyed crow| Three-eyed Crow (Lord Brynden)]]
* [[Snowylocks]]
* [[Eddard Stark]]
* [[Arya Stark]]
* [[Ash]]
* [[Scales]]
* [[Black Knife]]
* [[Coals]]
* [[Jon Stark]]
* [[Sansa Stark]]
* [[Rickon Stark]]
* [[Maester Luwin]]
* [[Robb Stark]]
}}

==References and Notes==
{{References}}

[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters|A Dance with Dragons 34]]
[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters--POV Bran Stark]]
[[Category:Chapters which take place Beyond the Wall]]

[[es:Danza de Dragones-Capítulo 34]]
[[fr:A Dance with Dragons, Chapitre 35, Bran]]

A Dance with Dragons-Chapter 13

2013-06-22T14:19:32Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Infobox Chapter ADwD
| pov = Bran
| place = [[Cave of the three-eyed crow]]
| pov count = 2
| previous = Reek I
| next = Tyrion IV
| bantam hc page = 169
}}

==Synopsis==
[[File:Marc Fishman Pale Lord.jpg|The [[three-eyed crow]] on his throne - by Marc Fishman © |thumb|350px|left]]
[[Coldhands]] has brought [[Bran Stark|Bran]], [[Hodor]], [[Jojen Reed|Jojen]], [[Meera Reed|Meera]] and [[Summer]] to a steep snow-covered hill. When his elk died, Coldhands butchered it for food, but all the steaks are gone now and they are all weak from hunger and cold, particularly Jojen.

They have to make their way up the hill into a cleft - about a thousand yards through thick wood. But the [[Others]] are close by - Coldhand and his ravens can sense them, and an unnatural cold has descended, even as they remain unseen. The ravens urge Bran on so they start up the hill. Meera has to support Jojen's weight.

Around eighty yards from the [[cave of the three-eyed crow|cave]] entrance, Summer stops at a steep stretch of unbroken snow. Bran, on Hodor's back, knows something is wrong. Coldhands continues to climb so Hodor follows him. He glimpses a fire in the cave entrance when suddenly Hodor trips and falls. A [[wight]] bursts from the snow, grasping his leg. Bran falls from his basket as Hodor and the wight struggle, and soon he is surrounded by dead men emerging from under the snow with pale flesh and black hands. Wights attack Coldhands as well, and Bran is grabbed as he tries to warn Jojen and Meera further down the slope. Summer tears off the arm and throat of the wight assaulting Bran and he begins to crawl the 50 yards to the cave.

Bran [[warg]]s into Hodor to help him fight off the wights. Meera reaches him as he waves her up the hill and grabs Jojen. Someone sets the wights on fire. Bran awakens in the cave before a [[Children of the Forest|child of the forest]]. She takes them down into the cave, but Coldhands can't follow them due to the ward on the cave against dead things. They go deeper, underneath roots and across a floor of bones, till they reach a skeletal body sitting on a throne made of roots - the [[three-eyed crow]], the last [[greenseer]].

==Character list==

{{columns|2|
'''Appearing:'''
*[[Bran Stark]]
*[[Summer]]
*[[Coldhands]]
*[[Meera Reed]]
*[[Hodor]]
*[[Jojen Reed]]
*[[Leaf]]
*[[three-eyed crow]]

'''Mentioned:'''
*[[Arya Stark]]
*[[Old Nan]]
*[[Gendel]]
*[[Eddard Stark]]
}}

==Places and terms mentioned==
{{columns|2|
*[[White Walkers]]
*[[Night's Watch]]
*[[Children of the Forest]]
*[[First Men]]
*[[Giants]]
*[[True Tongue]]
*[[Old Tongue]]
*[[Common Tongue]]
*[[Winterfell]]
}}

[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters|A Dance with Dragons 13]]
[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters--POV Bran Stark]]
[[Category:Chapters which take place Beyond the Wall]]

[[es:Danza de Dragones-Capítulo 13]]
[[fr:A Dance with Dragons, Chapitre 14, Bran]]

Battle for the Dawn

2013-06-22T14:18:46Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Battlebox
| image =
| caption =
| battle_name = Battle for the Dawn| conflict = [[The Long Night]]
| date = End of the [[Age of Heroes]]
| place =
| result = Defeat of the [[Others]]
| colour_scheme =
| combatant1 = [[children of the forest]] [[First Men]] [[Night's Watch]]
| combatant2 = the Others
| commander1 = [[Azor Ahai]]
| commander2 =
| strength1 = unknown
| strength2 = unknown
| casualties1 = heavy
| casualties2 = unknown
}}

The '''Battle for Dawn''' was first war against [[the Others]] during [[the Long Night]].

==History==
In the midst of this darkness a race of apparent demons, called the [[The Others|Others]] emerged from the uttermost north, wielding razor-thin swords of ice and raising the dead to fight the living. The [[children of the forest]] and their allies, the [[First Men]], fought valiantly against them, but were driven southwards by their advance.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 24|Chapter 24]], Bran</ref> The Others were eventually checked when it was discovered that weapons made of [[dragonglass]] could kill them. A great hero, who in the eastern tradition is known as [[Azor Ahai]], led the war against the Others wielding his sword of fire, [[Lightbringer]]. Eventually the Others were driven back into the [[Lands of Always Winter]].

Brandon Stark, known as [[Bran the Builder]], raised a great [[Wall]] of ice, gravel and magic, stretching one hundred leagues from the [[Gorge]] to the [[Shivering Sea]] to prevent the Others coming again. Brandon Stark was declared the First King in the North. The fortress of [[Winterfell]] (and possibly [[Storm's End]] in the south) was built at this time, and the [[Night's Watch]] founded to maintain a watch on the Wall. A later prophecy claimed that the Others would return and Azor Ahai, the [[Azor Ahai|Prince that was Promised]], would be reborn to lead the fight.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones (game)|A Game of Thrones RPG and Resource Book]], Guardians of Order</ref>

==References and Notes==
{{references|1}}

[[Category:Events]]
[[Category:Wars]]
[[fr:Bataille de l'Aube]][[zh:黎明之战]]

Pact

2013-06-22T14:16:26Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

[[File:The Pact.jpg|thumb|350px|The Pact between the [[First Men]] and the [[children of the forest]]]]
[[File:Isle of Faces.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Faces were carved on all the trees of the [[Gods Eye]] to cement the Pact agreement © Fantasy Flight Games]]
'''The Pact''' of the [[Isle of Faces]] is a treaty that ended the [[War of the First Men and the Children of the Forest|War]] of the [[First Men]] and the [[children of the forest]], an event that took place more than 10,000 years ago.

The Pact came to be after the First Men and the children of the forest fought each other to a standstill and the two races agreed to peaceful coexistence. It was entered into by the [[Greenseer]]s and wood dancers of the children of the forest and the chiefs and heroes of the [[First Men]] on a small island in middle of the large lake, known as [[Gods Eye]], in the [[Riverlands]]. The children retained the standing forests and the First Men were able to settle the open lands i.e. the coastland, high plains, bright meadows, mountains, and bogs, while agreeing not put any more [[weirwood]] to the axe.

Faces were carved on all the trees of the island to cement the agreement, so that the [[Old Gods|gods]] could bear witness to the Pact, giving its name the [[Isle of Faces]]. The sacred order of [[Green Men]] was established to maintain and look over the Isle of Faces.

The signing of the Pact marked the end of the [[Dawn Age]] and the beginning of the [[Age of Heroes]]. It marked four thousand years of friendship between men and the children,{{Ref|aGoT|66}} before the enigmatic Others invaded from the uttermost north, bringing death and destruction to both races, during an extended period of winter known as [[The Long Night]].

==References and Notes==
{{References}}

[[Category:Terms]]
[[es:Pacto]]

Coming of the Andals

2013-06-22T14:15:22Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Infobox Military Conflict
| style = width:350px;
| conflict_name = Andal Invasion
| part_of =
| image = [[File:Andal Invasion.jpg|350px]]
| image2 =
| caption =
| date =
| battles =
| location = [[Westeros]]
| result = Andals occupy all land south of [[the Neck]]. [[First Men]] hold on to [[The North]] Disappearance of the [[children of the forest]]

| combatant1 = [[Andals]]
| commander1 = Ser Artys Arryn
| strength1 =
| losses1 =

| combatant2 = [[First Men]] [[Crannogmen]] [[children of the forest]]
| commander2 = King [[Tristifer IV Mudd]] King [[Tristifer V Mudd]] [[Griffin King]] [[Mountain King]]s [[King of Winter|Kings of Winter]]
| strength2 =
| losses2 =
}}

The '''Andals invasion''' was a migration of the [[Andals]] from [[Essos]] to [[Westeros]]. This took place between 6 thousand and 4 thousands year before [[Aegon's Landing]]. The migration was often violent. The old Kingdoms of the [[First Men]] were destroyed and the [[children of the forest]] were pushed back to the north. Sometimes the take over was more peaceful with intermarriage between Andals and First Men as in the case of [[House Hightower]].

==Invasion==
The [[Andals]] were the first new invaders after the [[First Men]] had settled their peace with the [[children of the forest]] and lived in harmony with them for 4,000 years. They came from the [[Hills of Andalos]] over at [[Essos]]. They were tall and fair-haired warriors who carried steel weapons and the seven-pointed star of [[Faith of the Seven|their gods]] painted on their bodies.{{Ref|aGoT|40}}{{Ref|aGoT|66}} and eventually swept across westeros much as the First Men did thousands of years before.

The [[Fingers]] were the places where the Andals first landed, to wrest from the First Men the place that is known today as the [[Vale]]{{Ref|aSoS|68}}, in successive waves they spread. The wars between the First Men and the Andals lasted hundreds of years, but eventually the six southron realms fell to them. Only the Kings of Winter remained in the North.{{Ref|aGoT|66}} The Andals burned out all the weirwood groves, and slew the [[Children of the Forest|children]] when they found them.{{Ref|aGoT|66}} believing them abominations, and put the myriad [[First Men]] kingdoms of the South to the sword. They created great kingdoms of their own, but this process was somewhat slow, they expanded to the [[Iron Islands]] roughly two thousand years after their initial invasion.

Eventually, with Andal kings joining forces and extinguishing of [[House Mudd]] (the house of the [[King of the Rivers and the Hills|River and the Hills]] kingdom of the First Men), the Andals were able to invade the [[North]]. However every attack was thrown back by the [[crannogmen]] of [[the Neck]] or the strong fortifications of [[Moat Cailin]].{{Ref|aGoT|66}} Eventually the Andals relented and the North was allowed to remain in peace, although over succeeding millennia Andal blood entered the North through dynastic marriages.

==Consequences==
One of the major (if largely forgotten) consequences of the invasions is that the children abandoned Westeros and slowly disappeared over succeeding generations.
During and following the Andal invasions, six southron kingdoms of Westeros were forged: the [[Kingdom of Vale and Sky]], the [[Kingdom of the Rock]], the [[Kingdom of the Reach]], the [[Kingdom of the Iron Islands]], the [[Kingdom of the River]] and the [[Kingdom of the Stormlands]]. At this time [[Dorne]] was left as a confederation of bickering, feuding states.<ref><[[A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying book]], Campaign guide</ref>

The Andals introduced writing, before that time First Men only used runes for carving on stone, in fact everything written about the [[Age of Heroes]], the [[Dawn Age]], and the [[The Long Night|Long Night]] originates from stories written down by septons since. They also introduced the [[Faith of the Seven]] to Westeros, in their newly raised kingdoms, where it took root, largely extinguished worship of the [[old gods]] south of the Neck (a major exception being the Iron Islands, where the native worship of the [[Drowned God]] was actually adopted by the invading Andals). They also introduced weapons of iron, the use of horses in warfare and the concept of [[Knight|chivalry]].

[[House Greyiron]], which had ruled the Iron Islands for a thousand years, was also defeated during this time.

==See Also==
* [[Timeline of major events]]

==References and Notes==
{{References|2}}

[[Category:Terms]]
[[Category:Wars]]
[[Category:Vale of Arryn]]
[[es:Invasión Ándala]]
[[zh:安达尔人入侵]]

A Clash of Kings-Chapter 35

2013-06-22T14:14:02Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Infobox Chapter ACfK
| pov = [[Bran Stark|Bran]]
| place = [[Winterfell]]
| title = Bran V
| page = 380
| previous = [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 34|Jon IV]]
| current = [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 35|Bran V]]
| next = [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 36|Tyrion VIII]]
| arc previous = [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 28|Bran IV]]
| arc next = [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 46|Bran VI]]
}}
[[Bran Stark|Bran]] learns of his brother’s victory, and the death of Ser [[Ryman Frey]], and realizes that [[Jojen Reed]]’s prophesy has come true. Jojen now tells him of his [[Greenseer|green dream]] of the sea flowing over the walls of [[Winterfell]]. Bran tries to warn others, but mostly the dream is dismissed. Ser [[Rodrik Cassel]] finally returns with a prisoner, [[Reek]] who was involved in the forced marriage and then murder of Lady [[Donella Manderly|Hornwood]]. Jojen reveals to Bran that he had a green dream where Reek is skinning off Bran's face.
==Synopsis==
[[Bran Stark|Bran]] is found working the bellows for [[Mikken]] by [[Alebelly]] to tell him that there has been a bird from [[Robb Stark]]. Bran lets Alebelly carry him to Maester [[Luwin]]’s turret where [[Rickon Stark|Richon]] already waits. The Maester informs them that Robb shattered a [[House Lannister|Lannister]] army at the [[Battle of Oxcross]], killing its commander Ser [[Stafford Lannister]]. He has also captured several castles, and is currently at [[Ashemark]], the stronghold of [[House Marbrand]]. Rickon asks if Robb is coming home, but Bran knows that only Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] matters, as [[Walder Frey (Big)|Big Walder]] states, which disquiets him. Neither Big Walder nor [[Walder Frey (Little)|Little Walder]] seem upset about their uncle Ser [[Stevron Frey]]’s death, who, they note, was very old (50 or 60) and always tired. Little Walder asks if Ser [[Emmon Frey]] is now heir, and his cousin tells him the line of ascension: Ser [[Ryman Frey]], [[Edwyn Frey]], and [[Black Walder Frey]], [[Petyr Frey]], [[Aegon Frey]] and his sons. Little Walder states theat Ryman is too old, and then asks if they think he will be lord, and Big Walder responds he will be lord and does not care. The maester tells them that they should be ashamed.

Osha arrives to carry him; she is stronger than Alebelly. Bran asks if she knows the way north, and she tells him it is easy. He then asks if the [[children of the forest]], the [[Others]] and [[Giants]] are still there and she tells him she has seen giants and heard of the others. He then asks about the [[Three-eyed crow]], which she has never heard of. She sets him on the window seat of his bedchamber.

Shortly thereafter, [[Jojen Reed|Jojen]] enters the room unbidden with [[Meera Reed|Meera]] behind him. Bran asks Jojen if he has heard about the bird; he states it was not supper, it was a letter from Robb. Jojen explains that the [[Greenseer|green dreams]] are not easy to understand. When Bran asks Jojen to tell him his dream, Jojen reveals that he dreamed the sea was lapping all around Winterfell. Waves crashed against the gates and towers, and the water came flowing over the walls and filled the castle. Drowned men were floating in the yard. He now recognizes these men and declares that they are Alebelly, Septon [[Chayle]] and [[Mikken]]. Bran, confused and dismayed, replies that the sea is hundreds of leagues away, and Winterfell’s walls are so high the water couldn’t get in even if it did come. Jojen only repeats his claim, adding that he saw the dead, bloated and drowned.

Bran wants to warn the men, but Jojen tells him it will not save them, as they will not believe him. He then asks Bran to tell of his wolf dream, and Bran replies that there are different kinds. There are the wolf dreams, which aren’t as bad as the others, in which he runs, hunts and kills squirrels. He has other dreams where the crow comes and tells him to fly. Sometimes the tree is also calling his name in those dreams, which frightens him, but not as much as when he falls. He explains that he never used to fall while climbing, and that he used to feed the crows in the Burned Tower. Yet, he did fall eventually, and now when he sleeps he falls all the time.
Jojen tells Bran that he will be called a [[Skinchanger|Warg]] if others hear of his wolf dreams, and some will hate him in fear, as the power is strong in him. Bran is concerned since in Old [[Nan]]’s stories wargs were always evil, and tells Jojen that he wants to be a knight. Jojen replies that he is a winged wolf but will never fly unless he opens the eye in his forehead, and he must search for it with his heart. When Bran states that Maester Luwin claims dreams are just that, Jojen responds they are the past, the future, and truth. With that they leave him, and Bran tries unsuccessfully to open his third eye.

On the following days, Bran tries to warn his household, but no one seems to believe him. Mikken thinks it funny, and states he always wanted to see the sea. Septon Chayle states the gods will take him when they do, and he does not think he will drown since he grew up on the banks of the [[White Knife]]. Alebelly takes heed, and refuses to bathe or go near a well until finally other guardsmen give him a bath because he stinks so badly.

Ser [[Rodrik Cassel]] returns with a man that [[Hayhead]] tells Bran is named [[Reek]]. He served the now dead [[Ramsay Snow]] (the Bastard of Bolton). The bastard and Reek murdered Lady [[Donella Manderly|Hornwood]]. Rodrik’s men shot Snow as he attempted to ride away. He had forced Lady Hornwood to marry him and then to sign a will naming him heir. Ser Rodrik is concerned that [[Roose Bolton]] may not agree that doing this under duress would make the marriage and the will invalid. Ser Rodrik wants to keep Reek alive for judgement when Robb returns. Meanwhile, [[House Manderly]] and [[House Bolton]] are fighting in the [[Hornwood]] forest, and Ser Rodrik does not have the strength to stop them.

Ser Rodrik then brings up Bran commanding Alebelly not to bathe. Bran tells him about the green dream. Maester Luwin tells Rodrik that he has explained to Bran the uncertainty of prophesies, but then notes that raiders in longships have been plundering and raping along the [[Stony Shore]], and [[Leobald Tallhart]] sent his nephew [[Benfred Tallhart]] to deal with it. After he gets more information about the green dream, Ser Rodrik promises not to take Alebelly with him if he rides against the raiders. Bran takes some hope in this.

When Bran meets with the Reeds later that night, Meera agrees that it should be possible to change prophesies. Meera gets angry with her brother when he disagrees, claiming that what he sees always comes true. Then Meera states that Alebelly and Bran should both fight to avoid their fates. Bran asks if he drowns also and Jojen reveals another dream of his, in which Bran and Rickon lay dead at Reek's feet, and he was skinning off their faces with a long red blade. Meera states that she could go down to the dungeons and kill Reek now, but Jojen tells her she will not succeed; first the jailers would stop her, and they will never believe. Even if Bran went to [[Greywater Watch]], he could not avoid his fate; the green dreams do not lie.

==References and Notes==
{{References|2}}
*Summary and analyses of the chapter [http://slynt.blogspot.com/2011/12/re-read-bran-v-is-sea-coming.html in the course of a 10th reread].
*[http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/05/a-read-of-ice-and-fire-a-clash-of-kings-part-17 Review and summary] by Leigh Butler.

[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters|A Clash of Kings: Chapter 35]]
[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters--POV Bran Stark]]
[[Category:Chapters which take place in Winterfell]]

[[fr:A Clash of Kings, Chapitre 36, Bran]][[zh:列王的纷争-章节 35]]

A Clash of Kings-Chapter 31

2013-06-22T14:13:34Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Infobox Chapter ACfK
| pov = [[Catelyn Tully|Catelyn]]
| place = Outside the walls of [[Storm's End]]
| title = Catelyn III
| page = 344
| previous = [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 30|Arya VII]]
| current = [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 31|Catelyn III]]
| next = [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 32|Sansa III]]
| arc previous = [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 22|Catelyn II]]
| arc next = [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 33|Catelyn IV]]
}}

[[Catelyn Tully|Catelyn]] meets with [[Stannis Baratheon]] and [[Renly Baratheon]] in hopes of bringing the brothers to reason. She fails and learns that Stannis has sent a letter claiming that neither [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffery]] nor [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]] are [[Robert Baratheon]]’s sons. Even though there is no proof, she remembers that [[Lysa Tully|Lysa]] claimed that [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]] killed her husband. Catelyn asks Renly’s leave but is not given it—he wants her to see him victorious in the morning.

==Synopsis==
[[Hallis Mollen]] announces to [[Catelyn Tully|Catelyn]] that they are the first to arrive at an area where the trees have been cut down by [[Stannis Baratheon]]’s foragers to build siege equipment. Ser [[Wendel Manderly]] tells Catelyn that this is not their fight and Catelyn replies that she was sent here by [[Robb Stark]] and for the good of the realm it must be done, but forging a peace between the brothers will not be easy; she would prefer to be with her dying father [[Hoster Tully]] in [[Riverrun]] or back in [[Winterfell]]. In the distance she can see [[Storm's End]] and Stannis’ army looking small and insignificant under its walls.

Catelyn thinks about the history of Storm’s End and of the love between the first Storm King, [[Durran]], and [[Elenei]], the daughter of the sea god and the goddess of the wind. After the wedding, Elenei yielded her maidenhood and immortality. Her parents unleashed storm and wind to destroy Durran’s hold, killing all but Durran and his wife, who had protected him within her arms. It was the seventh castle he built that managed to withstand the storms. It is said that this castle was built with the help of the [[children of the forest]] or a child that became known as [[Bran the Builder|Brandon the Builder]].

Stannis is the first to arrive with a [[Melisandre|Red Priestess]] as his standard bearer; Catelyn knows that [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]] will be last. Stannis expresses his surprise to find her here, and gives his condolences for her husband [[Eddard Stark]], though he notes Stark was no friend of his. Stannis is not grateful for Eddard’s part in breaking the siege, saying it was on [[Robert Baratheon]]’s command. He holds it against Eddard that he took the position of [[Hand of the King]], which he did not even want. Stannis tells her that regardless of his feelings for her husband, Catelyn will have justice for his murder; she responds that Renly promised the same, but she would prefer her daughters back. Stannis promises that her daughters will be found when he takes King's Landing. Catelyn thinks his tone implies dead or alive, and tells him that King’s Landing is closer to [[Dragonstone]], but he is at Storm’s End. He replies that he needs the power of the southron lords to take King’s Landing, and so he must take them from his brother, who owes him loyalty and obedience as his elder and rightful king. Stannis then asks if Robb has thrown his lot in with Renly, and is told he is King of the North by the will of the lords and people, and only holds his hand out in friendship. Stannis replies that kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies.

At this point, Renly’s party arrives with [[Brienne of Tarth]] bearing the banner. Renly asks about Stannis' sigil and the priestess replies it is the fiery heart of the [[R'hllor|Lord of Light]]. Renly says it is just as well since, if they had the same banner, the battle would be confused. Catelyn expresses hope that there will be no battle, and Stannis states that the [[Iron Throne]] is his by rights, and those who deny this are his foes. Catelyn tells them that this is folly with the [[Jaime Lannister|Kingslayer]]’s host reforming at the [[Golden Tooth]], another [[House Lannister|Lannister]] host gathering at [[Casterly Rock]], and [[Tywin Lannister]] at [[Harrenhal]] with 20,000 men, and the Lannisters holding [[King's Landing]]. Renly immediately demands that Stannis bend his knee to him, and Stannis absolutely refuses, stating he is eldest and denouncing Renly as a usurper. Renly responds that the [[House Targaryen|Targaryens]] called Robert a usurper and he bore up under the shame. Catelyn tries to convince them to be reasonable, only to be rebuked by Stannis, who asserts that he is the rightful king; Stannis also adds that he considers her son no less a traitor than Renly, and promises to deal with Robb in due time. Catelyn asks how he is the rightful king, given that Robert had two sons, at which Renly laughs, stating that she has not seen Stannis’ letter. Stannis tells Catelyn that [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]] and his siblings are not of Robert’s seed, but bastards born of incest between Cersei and her brother.

Catelyn asks why Stannis kept this knowledge to himself, and is told that he approached [[Jon Arryn]] since he figured that Robert would be more willing to listen to Jon, whom he loved, as opposed to Stannis, from whom such accusations would have seemed self serving. Renly points out that Jon is dead, and Stannis states that his death was not by happenstance, that [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]] poisoned him. Catelyn, immediately putting the pieces together, adds that her sister [[Lysa Tully|Lysa]] accused the queen of killing her husband. Renly tells Stannis that he may have the greater right, but Renly has the bigger army.

Renly reaches under his cloak, and Stannis immediately goes for his sword, but Renly only brings out a peach, offering it to Stannis. Stannis retorts he did not come there to eat fruit, and Renly replies a man should never refuse a peach because life is short and as the [[House Stark|Starks]] say, “Winter is Coming.” Stannis thinks this is a threat but Renly states it was not, and he tells Stannis he never liked him, but he is of his blood, and if it is Storm’s End he wants, he will give it to him. Stannis refuses, saying it is his. Renly states he refuses a peach, a castle and did not come to his wedding. Stannis sneers that the wedding was a farce, considering Renly married a woman he was scheming to make one of Robert’s whores a year before. Renly corrects this, saying he was going to make [[Margaery Tyrell]] his queen, but Robert was killed by a boar, and so he got Margaery. He reveals he plans to have a son with her within a year, and then asks Stannis how many sons he has, telling him that if he had [[Selyse Florent|a wife that looked like Stannis's]], he would send [[Patchface|his fool]] to service her as well. Infuriated, Stannis draws his blade which shines strangely, roaring that he will not tolerate Renly mocking him to his face, but Brienne moves between them. Stannis tells Renly that he will not kill Renly with [[Lightbringer]], and will give him till dawn to pledge to him, for the sake of their [[Cassana Estermont|late mother]]. In return, Stannis will grant him Storm’s End, a seat on the council, and name him his heir until he has a son; otherwise he will destroy Renly. Renly laughs, pointing out that he has the strength in banners: [[House Rowan]], [[House Tarly]], [[House Caron]], [[House Tarth]], [[House Penrose]], [[House Fossoway]], [[House Cuy]], [[House Mullendore]], [[House Estermont]], [[House Selmy]], [[House Hightower]], [[House Oakheart]], [[House Crane]], [[House Caswell]], [[House Blackbar]], [[House Morrigen]], [[House Beesbury]], [[House Shermer]], [[House Dunn]], [[House Footly]] and Stannis' wife’s [[House Florent]]. What is present is only the vanguard, with 100,000 foot still to arrive. After exchanging taunts, Stannis gallops away, the Red Priestess staying long enough to say before also leaving:

{{Quote|Look to your own sins, Lord Renly.}}

Catelyn tells Renly that his brother is the lawful heir if Joffrey is Jaime’s son. Renly replies this is true only while he lives, and asks if Catelyn would agree that it is a fool’s law since he would be a better king than either Robert or Stannis. He will be a great king:
{{Quote|strong yet generous, clever, just, diligent, loyal to my friends and terrible to my enemies, yet capable of forgiveness, patient-}}

Catelyn adds
{{Quote|-humble?}}

Renly laughs and states

{{Quote|You must allow a king some flaws, my lady.}}

Catelyn feels very tired; she has failed, and her son will have to face the Lannisters alone while the Baratheon brothers destroy each other. She thinks how much Renly is like his brother Robert, but Robert had Eddard to temper him. Eddard would have prevailed on Robert to bring the whole force to besiege Stannis, the besieger, instead of forging ahead with only the horses and no fodder. Now he must come to battle soon or starve. Catelyn accompanies Renly back to his pavilion, sending Hal Mollen to tend to the horses.

Once inside, Renly states his brother has not changed, and since he will not take his gifts, maybe he should fight. Lord [[Mathis Rowan]] points out that the castle is well provisioned and has a strong garrison under Ser [[Cortnay Penrose]]; they can let Stannis have a profitless siege. Renly, however, is concerned that men will say he fears Stannis. Lord [[Randyll Tarly]] thinks they cannot leave him unblooded since he may grow stronger than Renly, and the others seem to agree. Renly decides that they will fight. At this, Catelyn sees no point in not returning to Riverrun, so she asks to leave, but is told she cannot; she must watch so she can tell her son what happens to rebels.

Renly then gives command of the center to Lord Mathis Rowan, the left to [[Bryce Caron]], and the reserve to Lord [[Eldon Estermont]], while Renly takes the right. Lord Mathis Rowan asks who will have the van, and Ser [[Jon Fossoway]] first asks the honor, but Ser [[Guyard Morrigen|Guyard the Green]] states that it should be one of the seven. [[Randyll Tarly]] states he led [[Mace Tyrell]]’s van since before most of those present were born. After a clamor fills the pavilion, Renly gives the honor to Ser [[Loras Tyrell]]. Ser Loras accepts and asks for one of his knights to ride beside him, so that the stag and rose can go to battle side by side.
Renly gives Brienne this honor. She wants to fight by his side, but is told that there are four of the [[Rainbow Guard]] that will fight beside him. She accepts the duty, but requests that she arm him for battle. Renly accepts. Catelyn can hear someone snigger. Renly then asks them to leave him.

Before she leaves, Catelyn asks to visit a sept she saw in a village, and Renly tells Ser [[Robar Royce]] to provide an escort, but to return by dawn. Catelyn tells him he should also pray, not for victory but for wisdom. Renly tells Ser Loras to remain with him to help him pray. <ref>George R. R. Martin has confirmed that Renly and Loras have a relationship</ref>

Ser Robar Royce is a member of the Rainbow guard and Catelyn knows him slightly, that he is known for his skill in the tourney, the son of [[Yohn Royce]], bannerman to [[House Arryn]]. She asks him about this and he says his father owes fealty as does his heir, but he is a second son. He is tired of tourneys and looking for glory.

She arrives at her camp to find [[Shadd]] preparing the meal, Hal Mollen dicing with three of his men, and [[Lucas Blackwood]] sharpening his dagger. Lucas asks if they fight or flee, and she says they pray.

==References and Notes==
{{References|2}}
*Summary and analyses of the chapter [http://slynt.blogspot.com/2011/12/re-read-catelyn-iii-life-is-peachy.html in the course of a 10th reread].
*[http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/04/a-read-of-ice-and-fire-a-clash-of-kings-part-15 Review and summary] by Leigh Butler.

[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters|A Clash of Kings: Chapter 31]]
[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters--POV Catelyn Tully]]
[[Category:Chapters which take place in Storm's End]]

[[fr:A Clash of Kings, Chapitre 32, Catelyn]]

Artys I Arryn

2013-06-22T14:13:05Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Infobox character
| name = [[file:House_Arryn.PNG|50px|left]] Artys Arryn [[file:House_Arryn.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[File:Artys Arryn.jpg|350px]]
| image_caption =
| Alias = the Winged Knight
| Title = [[Knight|Ser]] and [[King of Mountain and Vale]]
| Allegiance = [[House Arryn]]
| Race = [[Andals]]
| Culture =
| Spouse =
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth = a time before the [[Andal Invasion]]
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Feast for Crows]]
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by =
| TV_series =
}}
Ser '''Artys Arryn''', also known as '''the Winged Knight''', is a legendary [[Andal]] leader who crossed the sea from the [[hills of Andalos]] on the [[Essos|eastern continent]]. He became the first [[King of Mountain and Vale]] and founded [[House Arryn]].{{ref|aFfC|41}}

==History==
According to legend Ser Artys was an Andal leader who set out from Essos to conquer [[Westeros]] and spread the [[Faith of the Seven]]. He commanded the forces that drove the [[First Men|the First Men]] and [[Children of the Forest| the children of the forest]] out of the [[Vale of Arryn]]. He flew to the top of [[Giant's Lance]] on the back of a giant falcon to slay the [[Griffin King|the Griffin King]]. There are hundreds of tales recording his adventures.{{ref|aFfC|41}} He is said to have been the first [[King of Mountain and Vale]].

==Recent Events==
;A Feast for Crows
Lord [[Robert Arryn]]'s favourite stories are those of the Winged Knight. He demanded three stories of Ser Artys from [[Sansa Stark|Alayne]] before he agreed to prepare for his departure from the [[Eyrie]].{{ref|aFfC|41}}

==References and Notes==
{{references}}

[[Category:Nobles|Arryn, Artys]]
[[Category:Characters from the Vale|Arryn, Artys]]
[[Category:House Arryn]]
[[Category:Legendary Heroes|Arryn, Artys]]

[[fr:Artys Arryn]]
[[zh:阿提斯·艾林]]

A Game of Thrones-Chapter 66

2013-06-22T14:12:08Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Infobox Chapter AGoT
| pov = [[Bran Stark|Bran]]
| place = [[Winterfell]]
| title = Bran VII
| page = 610
| previous = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 65|Arya V]]
| current = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 66|Bran VII]]
| next = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 67|Sansa VI]]
| arc previous = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 53|Bran VII]]
| arc next =
}} __NOTOC__

[[Bran Stark]] and [[Rickon Stark]] have the same dream about seeing [[Eddard Stark|their father]] in the crypts. [[Maester]] [[Luwin]] takes Bran down to the crypts to show him his father is not there. They find Rickon already there. They go back to the Maester’s turret where Luwin tells them about the coming of the [[First Men]], the treaty with the [[children of the forest]] and the coming of the [[Andal]] men. A raven arrives with news of Lord Eddard’s death.

==Synopsis==
[[Bran Stark|Bran]] is watching Ser [[Rodrik Cassel]] train the new young recruits in the yard of [[Winterfell]]. [[Maester]] [[Luwin]] is taking measurements of the comet through his lens tube. Bran tells Luwin that they do not fight very well, and is told that [[Eddard Stark|Lord Eddard]] took the cream of the guard with him to [[King's Landing]] and then [[Robb Stark|Robb]] took the rest along with all the likely men for leagues around; men are needed to walk the walls of [[Winterfell]]. Bran stares resentfully at the boys below thinking how he had knocked Prince [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]] down many times. Then Bran advances the idea of fighting from the back of [[Hodor]], but Luwin dismisses the idea as impractical. Bran talks about the blind knight [[Symeon Star-Eyes]], but Luwin insists that this is only a story and that he must put his dreams aside.

The mention of dreams reminds Bran of his dream of the [[three-eyed crow]], a dream that was very sad. He tells Luwin how the crow brought him down to the crypts and father was there; Father was sad, because of [[Jon Snow|Jon]]. When he woke up, he wanted to go down to the crypts to see if Father was there, but [[Hodor]] will not carry him down into the crypts. Luwin tells Bran that Eddard will be down there someday, but that will not be for many years. Bran insists the dream was real and that his father was there. In order to dispel the boy’s delusion, Maester Luwin calls for [[Osha]], who tells them that she has lived [[beyond the Wall]], a hole in the ground will not scare her. Because of Osha’s good behavior, the chains of her shackles have been removed, but the shackles remain to show she is not totally trusted. She carries him with sure steps in her arms, but Bran does not mind.

The vault seems very dark and gloomy. Summer and Osha seem uncomfortable. When Bran states that the men represented by the granite statues were the [[King in the North|Kings of Winter]], Osha tells him that winter has no king; if he had seen it he would know. They proceed down the long corridor, past the statues, but Summer refuses to leave the steps. Bran tells the accomplishments of the different lords and kings: [[Jon Stark]], [[Rickard Stark (King)|Rickard Stark]], [[Theon Stark]], [[Brandon Stark (Shipwright)|Brandon the Shipwright]], [[Brandon Stark (Burner)|Brandon the Burner]], [[Rodrik Stark]], [[Torrhen Stark]], and [[Cregan Stark]]. When they get to the end with the statues of [[Brandon Stark]], [[Lyanna Stark]] and Lord [[Rickard Stark]], Luwin sticks his arm into the future tomb of Eddard, and [[Shaggydog]] springs out and savages Maester Luwin's arm.

Bran calls for Summer, who slams into Shaggydog, knocking the wolf off Luwin. Osha goes to assist Luwin. As the wolves fight, Rickon appears at the mouth of Eddard’s tomb, telling Luwin to leave his father be. When Bran tells Rickon father is not there, Rickon states that he saw him last night, and that he is coming home. Luwin, now looking unsure, tells Rickon that Shaggydog was supposed to be chained. Rickon replies that he does not like to be chained, and Luwin states that he is now the third man that Shaggydog has savaged and it will only be a matter of time before he kills someone. Bran calmly states they will wait in Maester Luwin's tower, which Luwin states is quite impossible. Osha replies that Bran is the lord. Rickon agrees to come if Shaggy comes too. Maester Luwin reluctantly follows.

They enter Maester Luwin's cluttered turret, where Osha proceeds to bandage the maester's wound, following his instructions. Luwin tries to explain to the boys about the logic of them both dreaming the same dream. He tries to say that Rickon is too young to understand, to which Rickon states that he is four. Then he tells Bran that he is old enough to know that dreams are just dreams. Osha adds in that some dreams are just dreams and some are not; the [[children of the forest]] could teach him something about dreams.

Bran starts to go into the stories that [[Nan]] told about the children of the forest: they knew the songs of the trees, fly like birds, swim like fish, talk to animals, and make beautiful music. The Maester says that a man who trusts in spells duels with a glass sword. Luwin takes out several arrowheads made of [[dragonglass]], or [[obsidian]], which the children of the forest forged. He tells them that the children used shirts of woven leaves and greaves of bark in place of armor and carried blades of obsidian; Osha comments that they still do. Bran and Rickon each take some arrowheads.

'The children lived during the [[Dawn Age]], before the coming of men in the land now called the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. They lived in the depths of the woods, in caves and crannogs and secret tree towns. Their wise men were called [[greenseer]]s and carved the faces in the [[weirwood]]s to watch over the forest. No one knows how long they reigned or where they came from.' Twelve thousand years ago, the [[First Men]] crossed the [[Stepstones|broken arm]] of [[Dorne]] before it was broken. The First Men were mounted, tall of stature and wielded bronze weapons.

The First Men chopped down the weirwood trees to build holdfasts, and the children of the forest, enraged, started a war. The [[greensight|greenseers]] supposedly used dark magic to make the sea rise and break the landmass that is now the broken arm of [[Dorne]]. Finally, a truce was called and the leaders of both races met on the island in the [[God's Eye]] now known as the [[Isle of Faces]]. After the [[Pact]] was forged, the greenmen formed to keep watch over the Isle of Faces. The First Men eventually adopted the [[Old Gods|gods of the wood]] worshiped by the children. The signing of the Pact ended the Dawn Age and began the [[Age of Heroes]]. The Pact started 4000 years of friendship between the children and the First Men. While the kingdoms of the First Men endured, so did the Pact, all through the Age of Heroes, [[the Long Night]], and the birth of the Seven Kingdoms.

Eventually the [[Andal]] invaders came with steel, fire, and the seven-pointed star of the [[Faith of the Seven|new gods]]. The war lasted for hundreds of years, and the Andals burned most of the weirwoods remaining in the south, slaughtering the children where they found them. The children fled north. During the story, Osha adds that there are still children north of the [[Wall]], and also giants, and other old races; Maester Luwin is not happy with Osha filling the two boys with folly.

Luwin’s tale is cut off when the two [[direwolf|direwolves]] start howling. Now Bran is sure that he knew it. The direwolves quiet and a bloodied raven appears. Even Maester Luwin is not sure he wants to know what is in the message. Bran, hugging Rickon hard, asks about the message and Osha tells him he knows, while putting a hand gently on his head. Maester Luwin reads the message and tears up as he tells them that they will need to find a stone carver that knew their father’s likeness well.

==Character List==
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|- valign="top"
| style="width:33;" |
'''Appearing:'''
*[[Bran Stark]]
*[[Rodrik Cassel]]
*[[Summer (direwolf)|Summer]]
*[[Luwin]]
*[[Osha]]
*[[Shaggydog]]
*[[Rickon Stark]]
| style="width:33;" |
'''Mentioned:'''
*[[Eddard Stark]]
*[[Robb Stark]]
*[[Tommen Baratheon]]
*[[Hodor]]
*[[Nan|Old Nan]]
*[[Symeon Star-Eyes]]
*[[Florian|Florian the Fool]]
| style="width:33;" |
'''Mentioned:'''
*[[Jon Snow]]
*[[Rickard Stark]]
*[[Edwyle Stark]]
*[[Cersei Lannister]]
*[[Dancer (horse)|Dancer]]
*[[Jon Stark]]
*[[Rickard Stark (King)|King Rickard Stark]]
| style="width:33;" |
'''Mentioned:'''
*[[Theon Stark]]
*[[Brandon Stark (Shipwright)|Brandon the Shipwright]]
*[[Brandon Stark (Burner)|Brandon the Burner]]
*[[Rodrik Stark]]
*[[Torrhen Stark]]
*[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]]
*[[Cregan Stark]]
| style="width:33;" |
'''Mentioned:'''
*[[Aemon Targaryen|Aemon the Dragonknight]]
*[[Aerys II Targaryen|Mad King Aerys]]
*[[Lyanna Stark]]
*[[Brandon Stark]]
*[[Robert Baratheon]]
*[[Rhaegar Targaryen]]
|}

==External links==
*[http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/11/a-read-of-ice-and-fire-a-game-of-thrones-part-32 Summary and analyses of the chapter] by Leigh Butler.
*[http://blogoficeandfire.blogspot.com/2009/08/arya-bran.html Humorous review of the chapter]
*[http://towerofthehand.com/books/101/067/index.html Summary of the chapter] on Tower of the Hand.

==References and Notes==
{{References|2}}
[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters|A Game of Thrones: Chapter 66]]
[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters--POV Bran Stark]]
[[Category:Chapters which take place in Winterfell]]

[[fr:A Game of Thrones, Chapitre 67, Bran]][[ru:Игра престолов, Бран VII]]

A Game of Thrones-Chapter 53

2013-06-22T14:10:52Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Infobox Chapter AGoT
| pov = [[Bran Stark|Bran]]
| place = [[Winterfell]]
| title = Bran VI
| page = 475
| previous = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 52|Jon VII]]
| current = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 53|Bran VI]]
| next = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 54|Daenerys VI]]
| arc previous = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 37|Bran V]]
| arc next = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 66|Bran VII]]
}} __NOTOC__

[[Bran Stark|Bran]] watches the [[House Karstark|Karstarks]] and then goes to the [[Godswood]] to pray for [[Robb Stark|Robb]] and his family. [[Osha]], who also prays to the [[old gods]], disturbs his thought. She offers to go but Bran asks her to stay and tell him about hearing the gods. Then she tells him of the [[Others]] in the north, and that Robb should be marching north not south. Bran tells her he will tell his brother, but only has an opportunity to tell Maester [[Luwin]]. Then Robb marches his army south.

==Synopsis==
[[Bran Stark|Bran]] is watching the last of Lord [[Eddard Stark|Eddard]]’s bannermen arrive at [[Winterfell]] from a guard turret through [[Maester]] [[Luwin]]’s fareye. When his brother [[Robb Stark|Robb]] heard news that their father whad been taken captive in [[King's Landing]], he called the Stark bannermen to gather for war. The [[House Karstark|Karstarks]] are the last to arrive: Lord [[Rickard Karstark]] leads them with his sons [[Harrion Karstark|Harrion]], [[Eddard Karstark|Eddard]], and [[Torrhen Karstark|Torrhen]] riding beside him. The Karstarks are said to have Stark blood in them, going back hundreds of years, but they do not look like [[House Stark|Starks]] to Bran, but bigger and fiercer.

Bran has not been allowed to leave the castle since the [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 37|incident]] in the [[Wolfswood]]. [[Robb Stark|Robb]] insists that there are no men available to guard him and is not dissuaded by Bran’s argument that he can take [[Summer (direwolf)|Summer]]. The incident in the Wolfswood shames Bran as he is not able to protect himself; even [[Rickon Stark|Rickon]] would have been able to kick them. A year ago he would have visited the village anyway, climbing over the walls, but now he can only watch with Maester Luwin and [[Hodor]].

Maester Luwin has taught Bran all the banners and now he has faces associated with them. Bran asks how many knights there are and Luwin tells Bran that there are over 12,000 men, but only 300 knights because [[the North]] holds to the [[old gods]]; knights are anointed in a sept of [[The Faith of the Seven]]. Luwin tells him, "a man’s worth is not marked by a [[Knight|Ser]] before his name." Bran asks when they will leave and is told they must leave soon or the countryside will be eaten clean. Robb has a long way to go and the fighting has started. More men will join Robb as he travels south.

Bran tells Hodor that he does not want to watch anymore. Maester Luwin reminds Bran that is brother is busy greeting the Karstarks but Bran tells him that he wants to visit the [[Godswood]]. Hodor has been carrying Bran in a basket strapped to his back, an idea Luwin had gotten from the baskets used by the women to carry firewood. Being carried this way does not shame Bran the same as being carried like a baby, although there is the problem that Hodor sometimes forgets Bran is on his back when going through a doorway.

When Bran exits the castle there are Karstarks arriving. Some men mock him, but Bran has been warned of this by the master. His attitude is to let them mock; he does not want to stay in his bedroom where no one will mock him. Bran calls for Summer, and the Karstark horses reel as the [[direwolf]] goes by.

When Bran arrives at the Godswood, he pulls himself out of his seat on Hodor’s back using a branch of the [[Weirwood]]. Then he lets Hodor lower him down beside the water and Bran tells Hodor that he wants to be alone with Summer. Bran has been finding himself drawn more to the Heart Tree and now he takes comfort from its deep red eyes; the old gods are watching over him. He feels safe and it gives him time to think, which he has been doing a lot of recently.

Bran prays that Robb will not go away, for the safety of his family, and for [[Rickon Stark|Rickon]] to understand. Rickon has been wild and violent since he learned that Robb was leaving. The youngest Stark has disappeared once, and was finally found in the crypts with [[Shaggydog]]. When he was found, Rickon slashed at the men with a sword and Shaggydog, who was also wild, bit [[Gage]] on the arm and took a chunk out of [[Mikken]]’s thigh; it took Robb and [[Grey Wind]] to bring Shaggydog under control. Now [[Farlen]] has chained Shaggydog in the kennels and Rickon now cries even more.

Luwin and Bran have both asked Robb to stay but he refused, saying he has no choice. Bran believed this was only half a lie because Robb could have sent somebody else in charge of the force to guard [[the Neck]]. Robb’s response was that their father would not send others to die while he stayed behind the walls of Winterfell. Robb denies all who request being given supreme battle command. Many of the lords try to test Robb by making demands but he is able to handle them much as father did and bend them to his will, even when anger flares. When [[Jon Umber (Greatjon)|Greatjon Umber]] demanded the right to command, he drew his sword against Robb. [[Grey Wind]] immediately reacted by biting off two of his fingers. Since the incident, Greatjon has been Robb’s staunchest supporter. That night, Robb came to Bran’s bedchamber pale and shaken. Robb also told Bran that the most frightening bannerman is [[Roose Bolton]], who never says a word but only looks at him. When Bolton does this, all Robb can think of is the room in the [[Dreadfort]] where they hang the skins of their enemies. Bran states that this is only a story of [[Old Nan]]’s, but then asks for confirmation.

There are many horrible stories that come with travelers, and it is impossible to say which is real, although some are obviously untrue. Then the letter from Sansa arrived with the seal of House Stark. After Robb had read the letter he crushed it. Sansa had said nothing of Arya and Robb asked what is wrong with her. Bran replied that Sansa has lost her wolf, remembering the day four of the guardsmen returned with bones of [[Lady (direwolf)|Lady]]. They buried the bones in the cemetery with the faithful servants of Winterfell; she went south and only her bones returned, like Lord [[Rickard Stark]], [[Brandon Stark]], and two hundred men, and none returned. Now [[Eddard Stark|father]], [[Arya Stark|Arya]], [[Sansa Stark|Sansa]], [[Jory Cassel]], and [[Tomard|Fat Tom]] have gone south and not come back and later [[Catelyn Tully|mother]] and Ser [[Rodrik Cassel|Rodrik]] left and have not come back. Now Robb is going south and it frightens Bran. Bran prays that the gods look after Robb and his men going south, and that they defeat the [[House Lannister|Lannisters]] and bring father back.

Bran is surprised by words from [[Osha]], who is apparently able to move quietly in the shackles she has to wear. She tells him that she can hear the gods answering him. When Summer comes around the pool to sniff her, she flinches. Bran calls Summer back and asks Osha, whom he has not seen since she was taken captive, what she is doing here. The [[spearwife]] replies they are her gods too and the only gods beyond [[the Wall]]. Bran notes that she looks more womanly with her longer hair and her dress of brown spun. She tells Bran that [[Gage]] lets her out to do her prayers from time to time while she lets him do what he wants under her skirt when he feels the need; it is nothing to her, she likes the smell of flour on his hands and he is gentler than [[Stiv]].

She offers to leave but Bran asks her to stay and tell him what she means about hearing the gods. She tells him to open his ears, to which Bran replies that it is only the wind. Osha asks him who sends the winds, insisting that the old gods can see him and hear his words. Bran asks what they say and Osha replies that they are sad because they cannot help his brother in the South. The old gods have no power there because all the weirwoods were destroyed thousands of years ago; they cannot watch over his brother because they have no eyes.

Now Bran listens and it seems there is sadness in the wind, but then he only hears Hodor, who arrives naked. When Osha sees Hodor she declares that his size denotes [[Giants|giant]] blood in him. When Bran tells her that Maester Luwin taught him that there are no more giants, Osha tells him that the Maester should ride beyond the [[Wall]]. The giants sometimes breed with men [[beyond the Wall]], producing half-breeds, though it goes much worse on the women that have sex with a giant. She then asks Bran if he knows what she is talking about and he tells her does, as he has seen animals mating.

As Hodor returns to dress at Bran’s command, Bran admits that he is very big. Osha confirms there are giants beyond the Wall, and worse than giants: When men leave their fires they often do not come back, or sometimes when they do, but as [[Others#Wights|wights]] with blue eyes and cold black hands. Osha explains that she tried to tell Robb, Maester Luwin, and even [[Theon Greyjoy]] of this, but they would not listen. She asks Bran why else she would flee south in the company of Stiv and the rest of those fools. She goes on to declare that [[Mance Rayder]], once a sworn brother of the [[Night's Watch]], thinks he can fight the wights, but what does he know. Osha states that she, unlike Mance, is of the north, from a long line of the [[Free Folk]]. Osha laments again that she cannot get Robb to listen and Bran suggests that perhaps Robb will listen to him. Osha is dubious but gives Bran the message: “You tell him this, m’lord. You tell him he’s bound on marching the wrong way. It's north he should be taking his swords. North, not south.”

Bran does not get to tell his brother this, because Robb takes his meal in the solar with the great lords to make final plans for the march, while Bran has to act as the host to the Karstarks in the [[Winterfell#The Great Hall|Great Hall]]. When he arrives in the hall, Bran can feel the eyes on him, and then hears them murmuring about him being broken. He whispers under his breath that he wants to be a knight, which Maester Luwin overhears. He tells Bran that some call his order the “knights of the mind”, and that Bran could forge a maester’s chain at the [[Citadel]] in [[Oldtown]]. Bran states that he wants to learn magic and the [[Three-eyed crow|crow]] promised he would fly. The maester tells him that he can teach Bran many things but no one can teach him magic. Bran replies that the [[children of the forest]] could teach him. Then he remembers what he promised Osha, and tells the maester of the threat in the north. The maester promises to talk to Osha, but it is obvious even to Bran that what he has said has made little impression.

Two days later, Robb and his army march south. Robb tells Bran that now he must be a lord, the Stark in Winterfell. Bran — who has never felt so little, alone, or scared — does not know how to be a lord. He is told to listen to Maester Luwin and to take care of Rickon; Rickon has refused to come down, claiming that no one ever comes back. Robb states that mother will be home soon and he promises to bring father back. As Robb’s force leaves, Bran remembers Osha’s words: he is marching the wrong way. Then he hears the cheers from the village, and thinks they will never cheer for him. All that seems to be left in Winterfell are women, children, old men, and Hodor.

==External links==
*[http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/09/a-read-of-ice-and-fire-a-game-of-thrones-part-26 Summary and analyses of the chapter] by Leigh Butler.
*[http://towerofthehand.com/books/101/054/index.html Summary of the chapter] on Tower of the Hand.

==References and Notes==
{{References|2}}
[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters|A Game of Thrones: Chapter 53]]
[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters--POV Bran Stark]]
[[Category:Chapters which take place in Winterfell]]

[[es:Juego de Tronos-Capítulo 53]][[fr:A Game of Thrones, Chapitre 54, Bran]][[ru:Игра престолов, Бран VI]]

Age of Heroes

2013-06-22T14:10:19Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

The '''Age of Heroes''', an era during the history of [[Westeros]] which takes its name from the great men and women who lived in the years of peace that followed the forging of the [[Pact]], to which many noble houses trace their family histories and many stories, [[Songs]], and legends are told about. <ref>[[A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying]], Campaign guide</ref> It is an era that is shrouded in mystery, with more myth than fact known about it.

==Overview==
The Age of Heroes began with the signing of the [[Pact]] of the [[Isle of Faces]]. The [[Pact]] ended the [[War of the First Men and the children of the forest]],{{Ref|aGoT|66}} and lasted for nearly four thousand years.

During that time, a hundred kingdoms rose and fell. This was a rugged time where many ancient traditions and legacies forged by the [[First Men]] were established, with influence from the children. Many of these customs live on among the lords of the [[North]], who still bear the blood of the First Men in their veins. The laws of hospitality, the obligation of a judge to also be the executioner, and the renowned [[Wall]] are all accredited to these ancestors of the [[northmen]] even the barrows of the [[First Men]] can still be found throughout the [[North]]. This was the time when many legendary kings and heroes walked the earth, such as:
*[[Bran the Builder]] {{Ref|aGoT|27}} - who built the [[Wall]] and[[ Winterfell]]. He is accredited for other famous constructions, especially Storm's End.
*[[Lann the Clever]] {{Ref|aGoT|27}} - who supposedly swindled [[Casterly Rock]] out from under the Casterlys using nothing but his wits.
*[[Garth Greenhand]]{{ref|asos|6}}- who founded [[House Gardener]] of the [[Reach]], and from him sprung numerous other lines and families.
*[[Durran]]{{Ref|acok|31}} - first of the [[Storm King]]s, who raised [[Storm's End]] to check the wrath of the gods for wedding their daughter [[Elenei]]
*The [[Grey King]] {{Ref|aGoT|27}} of the [[Iron Islands]] - legends hold that he wed a mermaid and became king of the western isles and all the sea beyond.
*[[Symeon Star-Eyes]] - a legendary [[knight]] who was blind.

While much was achieved during this ancient era, it was at a cost - in the midst of the Age of Heroes fell the longest and blackest of winters - the [[the Long Night]] which heralded the arrival of the [[Others]].

During this time it was also recorded by the [[Night's Watch]] that the [[children of the forest]] gave the Night's Watch a hundred [[obsidian]] daggers every year. {{Ref|aFfC|5}}

==See Also==
* [[Timeline of major events]]
==Quotes==
{{Quote|The oldest histories we have were written after the [[Andals]] came to [[Westeros]]. The [[First Men]] only left us runes on rocks, so everything we know about the Age of Heroes and the [[Dawn Age]] and the [[Long Night]] comes from accounts set down by [[septon]]s thousands of years later. There are [[archmaester]]s at the [[Citadel]] who question all of it. Those old histories are full of kings who reigned for a hundred years, and [[knight]]s riding around a thousand years before there '''were''' knights.” {{Ref|AFFC|5}}}} - [[Samwell Tarly]], to Lord Commander [[Jon Snow]]

==References and Notes==
{{References|2}}

[[Category:History]]
[[Category:Terms]]
[[fr:Histoire_des_Sept_Couronnes#L.27.C3.82ge_des_H.C3.A9ros_.28de_-12_000_.C3.A0_-6_000.29]][[ru:Век_Героев]][[zh:消歧义]]

A Game of Thrones-Chapter 24

2013-06-22T14:08:10Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Infobox Chapter AGoT
| pov = [[Bran Stark|Bran]]
| place = [[Winterfell]]
| title = Bran IV
| page =
| previous = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 23|Daenerys III]]
| current = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 24|Bran IV]]
| next = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 25|Eddard V]]
| arc previous = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 17|Bran III]]
| arc next = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 37|Bran V]]
}} __NOTOC__

[[Bran Stark|Bran]] is roused from his depression when called to the Great Hall of [[Winterfell]] to receive [[Tyrion Lannister]]. Despite [[Robb Stark|Robb]]’s rudeness Tyrion provides plans for a saddle that will let Bran ride a horse once more.

==Synopsis==
[[Bran Stark|Bran]] is watching [[Rickon Stark|Rickon]] play with the [[direwolf|direwolves]] from his window. [[Shaggydog]]’s fur has darkened to black and his eyes are fiery-green; [[Summer]]’s fur has turned silver-and-smoke and his eyes are yellow-gold. Summer is smaller and warier than [[Grey Wind]]; Bran thinks he is the smartest. Bran realizes he is crying, wanting to be down there, and thinking that the [[three-eyed crow|crow]] lied about being able to fly.

[[Old Nan]] is trying to tell Bran a story about a crow, but Bran tells her that he hates her stories, and thinks she is a very ugly old woman. Next Old Nan offers to tell Bran a story about a boy who hated stories. He remembers [[Eddard Stark|his father]] telling him that she was called Old Nan when he was a child. She has outlived all her own family except the simple stableboy named [[Hodor]].

Bran remembers when his father told him he would ride a real horse when they went south, and laments that such a thing is impossible now. There has been no news from his father, [[Catelyn Stark|his mother]], or [[Jon Snow]]. Bran thinks about all the people that have left [[Winterfell]] who seem to have forgotten him. Even Robb has changed, he is so serious now and so busy as the lord of Winterfell that he has little time for Bran. Below in the yard Bran can see something has happened, but cannot tell what since the window is facing in the wrong direction.

When Nan starts to tell Bran a story about [[the Others]] coming in the darkness of winter for the first time, he listens intently. Thousands and thousands of years ago, a winter fell like no other, and there came [[The Long Night|a night that lasted a generation]]. They were cold things, dead things, that hated fire, iron, the touch of the sun, and every creature with warm blood. They overran holdfasts and cities and all the swords of men could not stop their advance. Women and children were not spared, and the Others ate the flesh of children. This was before the [[Andal]]s had come, and before the women of [[Rhoynar]], when the [[First Men]] lived in the lands they had taken from the [[children of the forest]]. The [[last hero]] of the First Men set out to find the children. He left with his sword, a dog, his horse and twelve companions to search out the children of the forest. All of the hero’s companions and even his dog died and he was left, in despair of ever finding the children, as the Others closed in.

But Old Nan’s story is interrupted by [[Maester]] [[Luwin]] telling Bran that his presence is needed in the Great Hall to greet [[Tyrion Lannister]] and some men of the [[Night's Watch]], down from [[the Wall]]. They have a message from his brother [[Jon Snow|Jon]]. Bran wants to hear the rest of the story, and complains, but Nan tells him that stories can wait. The 7-foot tall Hodor carries Bran down to the Great Hall with Maester Luwin following.

Robb is sitting in his father’s high seat in armor and with his unsheathed sword in his lap (even Bran knows what it means to meet a guest with an unsheathed sword). There is a hostile feeling to the room. Robb makes a point to only offer the Night’s Watch men his welcome. The meaning is not lost to Tyrion, who notes that he is not welcome, and calls Robb a boy. Robb seethes saying he is a lord. Tyrion responds if that is so he needs to show a lord’s courtesy.

Tyrion sees Bran, and notes that it is true that Bran lives, and says that the Starks are hard to kill. Robb now lifts Bran into the high seat. Tyrion asks how Bran fell. Bran is about to argue that he never falls, but the maester cuts in saying that Bran does not remember. Tyrion states that this is curious, and then asks if Bran likes to ride. Immediately, the maester insists that Bran has lost the use of his legs, and so cannot ride. Tyrion responds that with the right saddle and horse even a cripple can ride. When Bran insists that he is not a cripple, Tyrion retorts that if that is true then he is not a dwarf. Tyrion hands the maester a paper containing plans he has drawn up for a saddle for Bran. The maester states that it will work and he should have thought of it himself. Tyrion responds that it is similar to his saddle. Robb is suspicious of Tyrion’s motive, to which Tyrion replies that Jon had asked it of him, and he has a weak spot for bastards, cripples and dwarfs.

Rickon comes in from outside with the three direwolves, who immediately start growling and surround Tyrion. [[Theon Greyjoy|Theon]] comments that the wolves do not like Tyrion’s smell. Tyrion says that it is time he took his leave, but the wolves assault him before he can move more than a step. They are called off in time by the boys. Tyrion finds the hostility of the wolves to be interesting, and states nothing is harmed save his dignity. Even Robb is shaken and says he does not know why the wolves attacked. Before Tyrion can leave Maester Luwin confers with Robb, who then offers the hospitality of Winterfell to Tyrion. Tyrion declines the invitation as a false courtesy, declaring that he will stay in the inn he saw outside the wall.

Robb then tells the Night’s Watch men they have rooms prepared, and invites them for dinner. Bran is looking forward to feasting that night with the Night’s Watch. In his room, Bran expresses his excitement at being able to ride again to Summer. Bran dreams of climbing, and sees the shapes of twisted and grotesque gargoyles, and then he hears them whispering. The gargoyles pull themselves free and climb towards Bran. Bran starts to scream, shouting that he did not hear. He wakes to find Hodor above him. Hodor cleans and dresses him and carries him down to the Great Hall.

That evening, Robb and Bran host the Night’s Watch men for dinner. The black brothers bring the dire tidings of [[Benjen Stark]]. [[Yoren]] states that Benjen is probably dead. Robb vehemently insists that his uncle is not dead. One of the brothers assures them that Benjen knows the haunted forest better than anyone else, and will find his way back. Bran thinks of Old Nan’s stories and blurts out that uncle Benjen will be saved by the children of the forest. Maester Luwin tells him the children have been dead for thousands of years, but Yoren disagrees, saying that in the north, beyond the Wall, who’s to say what lives?

That night Robb carries Bran up to his bed himself. Robb sits by Bran for a long time, and tells Bran that they will find a horse for him. Bran asks if the others will be coming back. Robb says yes with much hope in his voice. Robb then tells Bran that he can meet his mother riding his new horse and later they can visit the Wall together.

==Character List==
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|- valign="top"
| style="width:33;" |
'''Appearing:'''
*[[Bran Stark]]
*[[Rickon Stark]]
*[[Grey Wind]]
*[[Summer (direwolf)|Summer]]
*[[Shaggydog]]
*[[Old Nan]]
*[[Hodor]]
*Maester [[Luwin]]
| style="width:33;" |
'''Appearing:'''
*[[Robb Stark]]
*[[Tyrion Lannister]]
*[[Hallis Mollen]]
*[[Jyck]]
*[[Morrec]]
*[[Theon Greyjoy]]
*[[Yoren]]
| style="width:33;" |
'''Mentioned:'''
*[[Rickard Stark]]
*[[Brandon Stark]]
*[[Eddard Stark]]
*[[Robert Baratheon]]
*[[Balon Greyjoy]]
*[[Jon Snow]]
*[[Jory Cassel]]
*[[Alliser Thorne]]
*[[Benjen Stark]]
| style="width:33;" |
'''Mentioned:'''
*[[Rodrik Cassel]]
*[[Vayon Poole]]
*[[Hullen]]
*[[Harwin]]
*[[Tomard|Fat Tom]]
*[[Bran the Builder]]
*[[Aerys II Targaryen]]
*[[Catelyn Stark]]
*[[Jeor Mormont]]
*[[Waymar Royce]]
|}

==Terms and places mentioned==
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|- valign="top"
| style="width:25;" |
'''Places:'''
*[[Winterfell]]
*The [[Seven Kingdoms]]
*[[Pyke]]
| style="width:25;" |
'''Places:'''
*[[King's Landing]]
*The [[Wall]]
*[[Rhoyne]]
| style="width:25;" |
'''Terms:'''
*[[Others]]
*[[Andals]]
*The [[First Men]]
| style="width:25;" |
'''Terms:'''
*[[Children of the Forest]]
*[[Night's Watch]]
|}

==External links==
* [http://blogoficeandfire.blogspot.com/2009/05/bran-eddard.html Humorous review of the chapter]
*[http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/06/a-read-of-ice-and-fire-a-game-of-thrones-part-13 Summary and analyses of the chapter] by Leigh Butler.
*[http://towerofthehand.com/books/101/025/index.html Summary of the chapter] on Tower of the Hand.

[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters|A Game of Thrones: Chapter 24]]
[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters--POV Bran Stark|A Game of Thrones: Chapter 24]]
[[Category:Chapters which take place in Winterfell]]
[[es:Juego de Tronos-Capítulo 24]]
[[fr:A Game of Thrones, Chapitre 25, Bran]]
[[ru:Игра престолов, Бран IV]]

Gods Eye

2013-06-22T14:07:00Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{|
{{Location map| File:The Riverlands
| label = '''Gods Eye'''
| label_size = 90
| lat = -40
| long = 45
| position = right
| marksize = 10
| width = 350
| float = right
| caption = [[The Riverlands]] and the location of the Gods Eye
| alt = The [[Riverlands]] and the location of the Gods Eye
}}
|}

The '''Gods Eye''' is a large lake in the [[Riverlands]] and marks its southern border. [[Harrenhal]] and its town, [[Harrentown]], sit astride its northern shore.{{Ref|aCoK|14}} At its center is a lone island, the [[Isle of Faces]], the island where the [[pact]] between the [[children of the forest]] and the [[First Men]] was created. The water of the Gods Eye is green and warm.{{Ref|aCoK|14}} Among its feeder streams is the [[Rippledown Rill]].{{Ref|aSoS|3}}

According to semi-canon sources, the Gods Eye feeds a river that in turn, feeds the [[Blackwater Rush]].<ref>[[A Game of Thrones (game)|A Game of Thrones RPG and Resource Book]], Guardians of Order</ref>

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}

{{Region Riverlands|state=uncollapsed}}

[[Category:Places in the Riverlands]]
[[es:Ojo de Dioses]][[fr:Œildieu]][[zh:神眼湖]]

Dorren Stark

2013-06-22T14:04:37Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Character
| Character_name = [[File:House_Stark.PNG|50px|left]] Dorren Stark [[File:House_Stark.PNG|50px|right]]
| image =
| image_caption =
| Alias =
| Title = [[King in the North]]
| Allegiance = [[House Stark]]
| Race =
| Culture =
| Spouse =
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth =
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Clash of Kings]]
| coat-of-arms =
}}

King '''Dorren Stark''' of the North was [[King in the North]] before the [[War of Conquest|Conquest]].

==History==
He is mentioned in an account of the [[Night's Watch]]. During his rule the Night's Watch fought [[Giants]] and traded with the [[children of the forest]].<ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 6|Chapter 6]], Jon</ref>

==References and Notes==
{{references}}

[[Category:Nobles|Stark, Dorren]]
[[Category:Characters from the North|Stark, Dorren]]
[[Category:Monarchs|Stark, Dorren]]
[[Category:House Stark]]

[[fr:Dorren Stark]]
[[zh:多伦·史塔克]][[zh:艾妲·陶哈]]
[[es:Dorren Stark]]

Cave of the three-eyed crow

2013-06-22T13:59:47Z

SerMyLady: /* The passage of skulls */ not a proper noun

[[File:Westeros - Byound the wall.jpg|400px|thumb|Lands Beyond the Wall and its major locations. The exact location of the cave of the three-eyed crow is unknown but it is definitely in the far north (click to zoom)|link=Special:FilePath/Westeros - Byound the wall.jpg]]

The '''cave of the [[three-eyed crow]]''', Lord Brynden, is located somewhere [[beyond the Wall]], in the far north. The precise location is as yet unknown, it may even be as far as north-east of the [[Thenn]].

The cave itself is actually a great cavern under a hill, deep within a system of caves. Lord Brynden is seated on a [[weirwood]] throne in the great cavern, by an abyss, attended to by the remaining [[children of the forest]].
==Under the hill==
Under the hill there is a cave system. The caves are timeless, vast silent. They are home to more than 3 score living singers and the bones of thousands dead, and extend far below the hollow hill.

[[Leaf]] later warns [[Bran]] and his companions that men should not go wandering in this place. There are passages that go even deeper, bottomless pits and sudden shafts, forgotten ways that lead to the very center of the earth. Leaf says that even the children have not explored them all, even though they have lived there for a thousand thousand man-years.
==The entrance==
The entrance is a cleft in a hillside, halfway up, between some weirwood trees. It is warded; dead men cannot enter. There is another way in, the back door is three leagues north, down a sinkhole.

After a perilous journey and a near fatal attack by [[wights]] [[Bran]], [[Jojen Reed]], [[Meera Reed]], [[Hodor]] and [[Summer (direwolf)|Summer]] gain entry through the cleft in the hillside.
==The way down==
From the hillside entrance the way is cramped and twisty, and so low that Hodor has to crouch. There are thick white roots growing from the tunnel wall. Leaf leads Bran and his companions, holding a torch to light the way.

After going down a little the cave divides and Bran and his companions take the right branch. They pass another branching, and another then come into an echoing cavern as large as the great hall of [[Winterfell]], with stone teeth hanging from its ceiling and more poking through the floor.
There are more side passages after that and more chambers.

On his way down Bran sees [[children of the forest|slitted eyes]] that glow bright reflecting Leaf’s torchlight. The [[weirwood]] roots are everywhere and Bran thinks to himself that there must be a whole grove of [[weirwood]]s growing up above.
==The passage of skulls==
As they journey they hear crunching beneath their feet and Bran realizes that it is bones causing the crunching - the floor of the passage is littered with bones of birds and beasts. There are other bones too, big ones that must come from [[giants]] and small ones that could be from the children of the forest.

On either side, in niches carved from stone, skulls look down on them.

Bran sees a bear skull and a wolf skull, half a dozen human skulls and near as many giants. All the rest are small, queerly formed – children of the forest. The weirwoods' roots have grown in and around and through the skulls, every one. A few [[raven]]s have perched atop them, watching Bran and his companions pass with bright black eyes.

The last part of the journey is the steepest. Hodor has to make the final descent on his arse, bumping and sliding down. Leaf waits for them, standing on one end of a natural bridge above a yawning chasm.

==The great cavern, by the abyss==
[[File: Three_eyed_crow_Marc_Simonetti.jpg‎|[[Bran Stark]] and the [[three-eyed crow]] - by Marc Simonetti ©|thumb|375px|right]]
The great cavern opens on an abyss is as black as pitch, black as tar, blacker than the feathers of a crow, its depths are cold and black. Light enters as a trespasser, unwanted and unwelcome. There are long stone teeth hanging down from the ceiling. Down below the darkness, a rushing river can be heard.

Leaf raises her torch and tells them to look behind … before them is a pale lord in ebon finery sitting dreaming in a tangled nest of roots. He is the [[Three-eyed crow|Last Greenseer]]. He sits on a woven weirwood throne of roots that embrace his limbs as a mother does a child. He sits in the great cavern, half corpse, half tree. He has only one red eye, Bran feels it staring at him, shining like a pool of blood in [[Leaf]]’s torchlight. He says:
{{Quote| “And now you come to me at last, Brandon Stark, though the hour is late”.{{Ref|aDwD|13}}}}
==The river==
The river is 600 feet below, down steep slopes and twisty passages; the last part requires climbing down on a rope. The river down below is swift and black, and it flows down and down to a sunless sea. The great cavern echoes to its sound.

Bran explores the caves by slipping inside Hodor’s skin. He finds chambers full of bones, shafts that plunge deep into the earth, a place where the skeletons of gigantic bats hang upside down from the ceiling.
==Across the slender bridge==
In Hodor’s skin Bran even crosses the slender stone bridge that arches over the abyss and discovers more passages and chambers on the far side. One is full of singers, enthroned like Lord Brynden, in nests of weirwood roots that weave under and through and around their dead bodies.

Most of them look dead to him but as he crosses in front of them their eyes open and follow the torch, and one of them opens and closes a wrinkled mouth as if he were trying to speak.{{Ref|aDwD|34}}
==Bran Stark’s weirwood throne==
Under the hill Bran sits on a weirwood throne of his own, the [[children of the forest]] make it for him, like the one the three-eyed crow sits on - white weirwood flecked with red, dead branches woven through living roots. The children place it in the great cavern by the abyss, next to Lord Brynden’s throne, where the black air echoes to the sounds of running water far below. The singers make his seat of soft grey moss; once he has been lowered into place they cover him in warm furs.
==Environment==
No sunlight ever reaches the caves beneath the hill. No [[moon]]light ever touches those stoney halls. Even the stars are strangers there. These things belong to the world above, where time runs in circles, day to night to day to night to day.

Under the hill there is food to eat. A hundred kinds of mushrooms grow down there. Blind white fish swim in the black river, but they taste just as good as fish with eyes once cooked.

They have cheese and milk from the goats that share the caves with the [[children of the forest|singers]], even some oats and barleycorn and dried fruit laid by during the long summer. Almost everyday they eat a blood stew, thickened with barley and onions and chunks of meat. Jojen thinks it might be squirrel meat, and Meera says its rat; Bran is not sure.

Bran, Meera, Jojen and Hodor sleep in a small chamber off the big cavern where the singers made beds for them to sleep.
==Outside==
The cave is warded. [[wights|Dead men]] cannot pass. Outside the hillside entrance to the cave the snows have buried most of the dead men, but they are still there, hidden, frozen, waiting.{{Ref|aDwD|34}} Summer digs his way through the snowdrifts at the entrance to the cave whenever he goes outside to join his pack to hunt.

==Quotes==
{{Quote|All the color is gone … The world was black soil and [[weirwood|white wood]]}} - [[Bran]]

{{Quote|Men should not go wandering in this place.{{Ref|aDwD|34}}}} - [[Leaf]]

==Chapters that take place at the cave of the three-eyed crow==
*[[A Dance with Dragons-Chapter 13|A Dance with Dragons: 13. Bran II]]
*[[A Dance with Dragons-Chapter 34|A Dance with Dragons: 34. Bran III]]

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}
{{Template:Region Beyond the Wall}}

[[Category:Places beyond the Wall]]
[[es:Cueva del cuervo de tres ojos]]
[[fr:Grottes des enfants de la forêt]]

Hodor

2013-06-22T13:53:05Z

SerMyLady: /* A Dance with Dragons */

{{Infobox character
| name = Walder
| image = [[File:Bran Stark and Hodor.jpg|250px]]
| image_caption = Hodor and [[Bran Stark]] by Amoka©
| Alias = Hodor
| Title =
| Allegiance = [[House Stark]]
| Race =
| Culture =
| Spouse =
| Place_of_Birth=
| Date_of_Birth =
| Place_of_Death=
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Feast for Crows]] (Mentioned) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (Appears)
| Played_by = Kristian Nairn
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}
'''Hodor''' is a stableboy serving at [[Winterfell]]. His real name is '''Walder'''.
‎[[File:MiguelRegodónHarkness Hodor&Bran.jpg|After [[Bran]]'s accident Hodor carries him in a basket ‎on his back - © 2012 Miguel Regodón Harkness |thumb|250px|right]]
==Appearance and personality==
Hodor is large and slow of wits, but is gentle and loyal to the Stark family. He is only capable of saying one word, Hodor.{{Ref|aGoT|53}} The [[Stark]] children believed this to be his name, until enlightened by [[Nan|Old Nan]], his great-grandmother, that his real name was in fact Walder.{{Ref|aGoT|24}}

Hodor is over seven feet tall, he has brown eyes{{Ref|aCoK|16}} and a brown beard.<ref>[[A Dance with Dragons]], [[Bran I (A Dance with Dragons)|Bran I]]</ref> It's been suggested by [[Osha]] that his large size is a result of [[giants]] blood.

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===
After [[Bran Stark]]'s fall, he needs a way to move about the castle. Maester [[Luwin]] designs a basket that can be strapped to Hodor's back and in which Bran can be placed. Hodor served as Bran's way of transportation since. However, Hodor, being a simpleton, sometimes forgets that Bran is in the basket, which causes Bran moments of pain.{{Ref|aGoT|53}}

===A Clash of Kings===
After [[Theon Greyjoy]] takes [[Winterfell]], Hodor hides in the crypts along with [[Osha]], [[Bran Stark|Bran]], [[Rickon Stark|Rickon]], [[Meera Reed]] and [[Jojen Reed]], faking their escape out of the castle. They eventually leave the crypts only to find the castle destroyed. After speaking to the dying Maester [[Luwin]], it is decided that Bran and Rickon should be split up. Hodor goes with Bran, [[Jojen Reed|Jojen]] and [[Meera Reed|Meera]] north to the [[Wall]].<ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 69|Chapter 69]], Bran</ref>

===A Storm of Swords===
Hodor flees with [[Bran Stark|Bran]], [[Meera Reed|Meera]], and [[Jojen Reed|Jojen]] north toward the [[Wall]]. They eventually reach the Wall at the [[Nightfort]] and meet [[Samwell Tarly]] of the [[Night's Watch]]. He leads them through a secret door at the bottom of a well that takes them through to the north side of the Wall. There they meet [[Coldhands]], an enigmatic figure of uncertain allegiance.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 56|Chapter 56]], Bran</ref>

===A Dance with Dragons===
They reach the [[cave of the three-eyed crow]], but are ambushed by [[wights]] just outside the cave’s entrance. Bran [[warg|wargs]] into Hodor to fight off the [[wights]], but blacks out and wakes up again inside the cave.

The cave is warded against [[Others|White Walkers]] and [[wights]], so [[Coldhands]] cannot accompany them inside. Inside the cave, the group meet the remaining [[children of the forest]] and the three-eyed crow.<ref>[[A Dance with Dragons]], [[Bran II (A Dance with Dragons)|Bran II]]</ref> While inside the cave, [[Bran]] continues to warg into Hodor to explore the deeper parts of the cave.

Hodor has become used to Bran's presence in his mind, though he still feels fear when it happens and retreats to a place where Bran cannot reach him. <ref>[[A Dance with Dragons]], [[Bran III (A Dance with Dragons)|Bran III]]</ref>

==References and Notes==
{{references|3}}

[[Category:Smallfolk]]
[[Category:Characters from the North]]
[[Category:House Stark]]
[[es:Hodor]]
[[fr:Hodor]][[ru:Ходор]]

Long Night

2013-06-22T13:52:36Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

[[File:The long night.jpg|thumb|350px|Long Night that lasted a generation]]
[[File:Long night wight.jpg|thumb|350px|Raising the dead to fight the living]]
[[File:Zombies.jpeg|thumb|350px|The [[Others]] eat human flesh|thumb|right]]

'''The Long Night''' is the name given to a period in history where a terrible darkness fell across [[Westeros]] and the east. It occurred approximately eight thousand years before the [[War of Conquest]], in the midst of a great winter that lasted for years. The Long Night lasted a generation and laid waste to much of the world through famine and terror.{{ref|aGoT|24}}

==War for the Dawn==
According to legends, in the midst of this darkness a race of apparent demons, called the [[The Others|Others]], emerged from the uttermost north, the polar regions of the [[Lands of Always Winter]]. They were wielding razor-thin swords of ice and raising the dead to fight the living. The [[children of the forest]] and their allies, the [[First Men]], fought valiantly against them, but were driven southwards by their advance.{{Ref|aGoT|24}} The Others were eventually checked when it was discovered that weapons made of [[dragonglass]] could kill them. A great hero, who in the eastern tradition is known as [[Azor Ahai]], led the war against the Others wielding his sword of fire, [[Lightbringer]], driving the Others back. In the [[Westeros]]i tradition, he may be known as the [[last hero]].

Steps were taken to ensure that the people would never be caught offguard by an invasion from the North again. The [[Wall]] was raised, supposedly by Brandon Stark known as [[Bran the Builder]], an imposing structure of solid ice and [[magic]], stretching one hundred leagues from the [[Gorge]] in the west to the [[Shivering Sea]] in the east, cutting off the [[Lands of Always Winter]] from the remainder of [[Westeros]]. The [[Night's Watch]] was established at this time to stand watch on the Wall and protect the people from the threat that lay to the north.

A later prophecy claimed that the Others would return and Azor Ahai would be reborn to lead the fight. There is also a similar prophecy about the [[prince that was promised]].<ref>[[A Game of Thrones (game)|A Game of Thrones RPG and Resource Book]], Guardians of Order</ref>

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}

[[Category:Events]]
[[Category:Westeros|Long Night]]
[[fr:Histoire des Sept Couronnes#La Longue Nuit (vers -8000)]][[zh:长夜]]

Weirwood

2013-06-22T13:52:08Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

[[image:Weirwood.png|thumb|300px|A Weirwood]]
[[File:Winterfell Godswood.jpg|thumb|300px|Weirwood heart tree, in [[Winterfell]] [[godswood]]]]

The '''weirwood''' is a species of deciduous trees found all over [[Westeros]]. The five-pointed leaves and the sap of weirwoods are blood-red, while the smooth bark on their wide trunks{{ref|aGoT|48}} and wood are bone white{{ref|aGoT|2}}. Most weirwoods have faces carved into their trunks. This was done by the [[children of the forest]] in ancient days, and is now done by the [[wildlings|freefolk]] as well as other descendants of the [[First Men]]. In some cases sap has collected in the crevices of the carved faces, giving the trees red eyes which have even been know to drip sap as if the trees were crying{{ref|aGoT|48}}.

==Weirwood and the Old Gods==
Weirwoods are considered sacred to the followers of the [[Old Gods|Old Faith]]. The children of the forest are said to have carved faces in the weirwoods during the [[dawn Age]], before the coming of the [[First Men]] across the [[narrow sea]]. It is said that through the faces the [[Old Gods|old gods]] watch over the followers and bear witness to important events. The [[Greenseer|Greenseers]] of the children of the forest can see through the eyes of weirwoods. Since trees have no sense of time, the Greenseer can see into the past or present when looking through the eyes of a tree.

Weirwoods grow wild in the forest. After the First Men took up the Old Faith they created [[godswood|godswoods]] within their castle walls and villages where a single weirwood, known as a heart tree, was planted so the gods could be worshiped.

Weirwoods are used to bear witness to important ceremonies such as marriages. It said that it is impossible to lie in the presence of a weirwood. An enormous weirwood with a gaping mouth grows in the village of [[Whitetree]] beyond [[the Wall]] with a trunk that is eight feet wide{{ref|aCoK|13}}.

The [[Knight of the Laughing Tree]] bore a device on his or her shield of a weirwood with a laughing face{{ref|aSoS|24}}.

==Weirwood and the Andals==
With the invasion of the [[Andals]] came the [[Faith of the Seven]]. Weirwoods came to represent the Old Faith and most were cut or burned down{{ref|aGoT|2}}. With the exception of a few remaining heart trees, the only place south of [[The Neck]] where weirwood groves remain is the [[Isle of Faces]] where the children and the First Men agreed to the peace. The Andals never conquered [[the North]], however, and the Old Faith remains strong there. Weirwoods still grow in the forests of the North, and are very prevalent beyond the Wall. [[Night’s Watch|The Night’s Watch]] uses a grove of nine weirwoods in the [[Haunted Forest]] half a league from [[Castle Black]] as a godswood when necessary{{ref|aGoT|48}}.

==As a Material==
The wood of the weirwood is an excellent, though expensive{{ref|TMK}}, building material because it does not rot. Weirwood can be used for making bows, spears, and arrows; [[Ygritte]] and [[Brynden Rivers]] both have horn and weirwood bows, and the children of the forest are said to have used weirwood bows{{ref|aGoT|66}}{{ref|aSoS|15}}{{ref|aSoS|55}}. [[Styr]] has a long bronze and weirwood spear{{ref|aSoS|69}}.

Weirwood can also be used to make furniture. The meeting table of the [[Kingsguard]] is made of white weirwood fashioned into the shape of a shield and supported by three white stallions{{ref|aSoS|67}}, and the throne, as well as the [[Moon Door]], of [[House Arryn]] in [[Eyrie|The Eyrie]] are carved out of weirwood{{ref|aGoT|38}}. Weirwood is also used in architecture for things such as the Black Gate of [[Nightfort]] and the rafters of [[Harrenhal]]{{ref|aCoK|7}} and [[Whitewalls]]{{ref|TMK}}. [[House of Black and White|The House of Black and White's]] main door is made of weirwood and ebony, as are it's chairs. [[Tobho Mott|Tobho Mott's]] shop has doors carved out of ebony and weirwood showing a hunting scene{{ref|aGoT|27}}.

==Black Gate at Nightsfort==
[[Coldhands]] leads [[Samwell Tarly]] and [[Gilly]] to the Black Gate to bring someone back that Coldhands was sent to find. Once through the gate, Sam and Gilly climb up a well with stairs cut into the side to the kitchen. In the kitchen [[Bran Stark|Bran]], and his group were sleeping. Sam’s arrival scares them, and Sam is caught up in [[Meera Reed|Meera]]’s net before the fire can be stoked so that the situation can be assessed. After Sam tells them that he is to lead someone through the gate for [[Coldhands]] Bran decides to go, so Sam leaves Gilly behind, and guides them to the gate. Since only a sworn man of the Watch can open the gate, Sam had to be there to open it. When they get to the gate it can be seen that it is made of faintly glowing white Weirwood with an old, wrinkled, shrunken, and pale face. The face opens its eyes and asks, “''Who are you?''”. Sam replies:

{{Quote|I am the sword in the darkness, I am the watcher on the walls, I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, I am the shield that guards the realms of men.}}

The face responds, “''Then pass''” and the door opens wide. All that remains is a great gaping mouth in a ring of wrinkles. As they pass [[Hodor]] does not dip low enough and a drip of water falls on Bran that is as salty as a tear.{{Ref|aSoS|56}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3}}

[[Category:Plants]]
{{Template:Creatures}}
[[es:Arciano]]
[[fr:Barral]][[ru:Чардрева]][[zh:鱼梁木]]

Moat Cailin

2013-06-22T13:50:51Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Infobox Settlement
| name = Moat Cailin
| image = [[File:Moat cailin by reneaigner.jpg|350px]]
| image_caption = Art work by Reneaigner ©
| location = [[Westeros]], [[The North]], [[The Neck]]
| settlement_type= Ancient fortress ruins
| seat =
| seat_type =
| religion =
| population =
| size =
| founded = [[Dawn Age]]
| destroyed =
| named_for =
| places =
| organizations =
}}
{{Location map|The North |long = -6 |lat = -45 |label = '''Moat Cailin''' | caption = [[The North]] and the location of Winterfell|width=350}}
[[File:Moat Cailin by crisurdiales.jpg|350px|thumb|Moat Cailin by Cris Urdiales ©]]

'''Moat Cailin''' is an ancient stronghold on the northern edge of the great swamp known as [[the Neck]], in the [[North]]. It is less than twenty miles from the headwaters of the [[Fever River]]. It is one of the North's most important strongholds, though much of it now stands in ruins. Its importance stems from the fact that it commands the [[Causeway (Kingsroad)|causeway]], which is the safe route for armies to travel through the swamps of the Neck.

Moat Cailin is an effective natural choke point which has protected the North from southern invasion for thousands of years. The only way for an invader to effective bypass Moat Cailin is to win the allegiance of [[House Reed]] and the [[crannogmen]] who know of other routes through the swamps. These routes, such as narrow trails between the bogs and wet roads through the reeds that only boats can follow, are not on any map. Given the Reeds' strong ancestral ties to [[House Stark]], they are unlikely to aid southerners.

==History==
It is claimed that Moat Cailin was raised roughly [[Timeline of major events|10,000 years ago]], by the the [[First Men]]. A great stronghold, with twenty towers and great basalt curtain wall as high as that of [[Winterfell]]'s. It used to be a key defence of the north, against which the [[Andal]] armies threw themselves time after time with no success. Today only great blocks of black basalt lay scattered about, half sunk in the ground, where the wall once stood. The wooden keep rotted away a thousand years past and three remaining towers out of a fabled twenty are green with moss.{{Ref|aGoT|37}}

According to myth, the [[children of the forest]] attempted to use Moat Cailin to hold back the flood of invading First Men. When that failed due to the human's superior numbers, the children attempted to shatter the Neck by [[hammer of the waters|working powerful magics]] from the [[Children's Tower]] and completely separate the north from the south in the same manner they shattered the [[Arm of Dorne]] centuries earlier. The children failed and only succeeded in flooding it, creating bogs and swamps. However, the cataclysm proved the strength of their power and may have proved instrumental in bringing the First Men to agree to the terms of the [[Pact]] that ended hostilities between the two races.

In the present era most of Moat Cailin's former towers have fallen into ruin and have not been permanently manned for centuries. However, the three remaining towers are more than capable of defending the passage to the south, provided that they are fully manned.

==Towers==
The remaining three towers command the causeway from all sides and enemies must pass between them. Attackers would have to face constant fire from the other towers should they attempt to attack any one tower, wading through chest deep water and crossing a moat.{{Ref|aGoT|55}}

The three remaining towers of Moat Cailin are as follows:

* '''[[Children's Tower]]''' is tall and slender. It has only half of the crenelations of its crown. Legend has it that the [[children of the forest]] called upon their [[Old Gods|gods]] here to send the hammer of the waters to smash the Neck.{{Ref|aGoT|55}}

* '''[[Gatehouse Tower]]''' is the only tower which still stands straight, even retaining some of the walls around it.{{Ref|aGoT|55}}

* '''[[Drunkard's Tower]]''' is so named due to its great lean. It stands where the south and west walls once met.{{Ref|aGoT|55}}

==Recent Events==
[[File:Reek_Moat_Cailin_MarcSimonetti.jpg|[[Theon Greyjoy]] rides to Moat Cailin - by Marc Simonetti ©|thumb|340px|right]]
===''A Game of Thrones''===
On the march south, [[Robb Stark]] takes the Gatehouse Tower as his seat, [[Jon Umber (Greatjon)|Greatjon Umber]] takes the Children's Tower for his and [[Rickard Karstark]], the Drunkard's Tower.{{Ref|aGoT|55}}

===''A Clash of Kings''===
[[Victarion Greyjoy]] is sent by his brother [[Balon Greyjoy]] to take Moat Cailin by sailing up the [[Saltspear]] and the Fever River.{{Ref|aCoK|24}} The fortress was only designed to resist attack from the south, and thus its northern flank is relatively exposed to attack by even a small force. This weakness is exploited by the [[ironborn]] in the [[Battle of Moat Cailin]] during the [[War of the Five Kings]].

Believing that [[the Neck]] is the key to the kingdom Balon reasons on [[Pyke]],
{{Quote|Once we hold Moat Cailin, the pup will not be able to win back to the [[north]] . . . and if he is fool enough to try, his enemies will seal the south end of the [[causeway (Kingsroad)|causeway]] behind him, and Robb the boy will find himself caught like a rat in a bottle. {{Ref|acok|24|p 395}}}}

After [[Theon Greyjoy]] [[Battle of Winterfell|declares himself the Prince of Winterfell]] Maester [[Luwin]] councils Theon that Moat Cailin sits on the edge of the bogs. Lord [[Howland Reed|Howland]] can make his uncle’s occupation a visit to hell if he chooses, but so long as Theon hold his heirs [[Jojen Reed]] and [[Meera Reed]] he must stay his hand. {{Ref|acok|50|p 729}}

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Upon hearing of his brother [[Balon Greyjoy|Balon's]] death, Victaron leaves a token force under the command of [[Ralf Kenning]] behind to hold the Moat, while he sails to decide the issue of the new [[Iron King]].

At [[Oldstones]], upon receiving the news of [[Balon Greyjoy]]’s death from the captain of the ''[[Myraham]]'', [[Robb Stark]] immediately makes plans to march on Moat Cailin. He realises that Victarion will have been compelled to return to [[Pyke]]. Robb states to his bannermen,
{{Quote|Moat Cailin is the key. Lord Balon knew that, which is why he sent his brother Victarion there with the hard heart of the Greyjoy strength. {{Ref|asos|24|p 525}}}}

===''A Feast for Crows''===
The sixty-three-man ironborn garrison begins to run low on food and supplies.

===''A Dance with Dragons''===
[[Ramsay Bolton]] sends [[Theon Greyjoy]] to offer the ironborn food and safe passage in return if they surrender unarmed. When they do surrender Ramsay has all sixty three of them flayed alive. The next day their skinless bodies, still dripping fresh blood, are put on pikes and displayed along the road.{{Ref|aDwD|20}} Ramsay and Theon meet the returning northern host of Lord [[Roose Bolton]] and his [[House Frey|Frey]] allies at Moat Cailin.

==Chapters that take place at Moat Cailin==
*[[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 55|A Game of Thrones: 55. Catelyn VIII]]
*[[A Dance with Dragons-Chapter 20|A Dance with Dragons: 20. Reek II]]

{{Region North}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}

[[Category:Places in the North]]
[[Category:Strongholds]]
[[es:Foso Cailin]][[fr:Moat Cailin]][[ru:Ров Кейлин]][[zh:卡林湾]]

Timeline of major events

2013-06-22T13:46:09Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

The '''Timeline of major events''' attempts to lay out the most important points in the history of [[Westeros]] and [[Essos]], based on dates and information given in the novels and supporting material. See also: a thorough [[Years after Aegon's Landing|listing of events]] after Aegon's Landing.

According to tradition, the known history of Westeros extends back over 12,500 years. However, the oldest historic recounts in [[Westeros]] were only written after the [[Andal Invasion|Andals arrival]] to the continent, as the [[First Men]] only used runes for carving on stone. Everything written about the [[Age of Heroes]], the [[Dawn Age]], and the [[The Long Night|Long Night]] originates from stories written down by [[Faith of the Seven|septons]] thousands of years later. The accuracy of the legends and myths that recount much of this history is openly questioned by the [[maesters]] of the Citadel, amongst others.

=Timeline=
All dates are in relation to the Landing of [[Aegon the Conqueror]], using negative numbers for events before [[Aegon's Landing]]. Note, that 'ca' is an abbreviation for the Latin word 'circa', meaning around, or approximately.

==[[Dawn Age|The Dawn Age]]==
{| class="wikitable"
|width=85px|Prehistory
| '''Before the coming of men''': The lands of [[Westeros]] are inhabited by a mysterious race of diminutive humanoid creatures known as the [[children of the forest]], [[giants]] and other magical [[Beastiary|creatures]].
|-
| ca.-12,000
| '''The [[First Men]] invade Westeros''': A human ethnic group, the First Men, invades Westeros across the land-bridge from the [[Essos|east]], bearing weapons of bronze. In a futile attempt to end the invasion, the children use magic to shatter that land-bridge, creating the island chain known as the [[Stepstones]]. However, the First Men are able to reinforce by ship, leading to generations of warfare over the land.

The First men are more numerous, larger, stronger, and more technologically advanced than the children, who try to resist the invaders using their magic. It proves unsuccessful, however: the First Men gradually push deeper and deeper into Westeros, establishing hundreds of petty kingdoms.
|-
| ca.-10,000
| '''Signing of the [[Pact]]''': After years of warfare, the First Men and children of the forest come to a standstill and finally agree to a peaceful coexistence, signing the pact of The Isle of Faces. This pact gives the First Men dominion over the open lands and lets the children keep control over the forested areas. In time, the First Men adopt the worship of the [[old gods|Old Gods of the Forest]].
|}

==[[Age of Heroes|The Age of Heroes]]==
{| class="wikitable"
|width=85px| ca.-10,000
| '''Age of Heroes''': An era during the history of [[Westeros]], which would be named so later for the great men and women who live in the years of peace and prosperity following the forging of the [[Pact]]. The Pact endures for nearly four thousand years, and in that time, the children of the forest and the First Men grow closer. In time, the First Men set aside many of their cultural differences to embrace the ways and customs of the children of the forest. With the exception of the [[Drowned God]] of the [[Iron Islands]], the [[Old Gods|gods of the children]] become those of the First Men.

Many of the noble houses of Westeros today trace their lineage back to the Age of Heroes. This was the time when grand historical figures are said to have lived, such as [[Brandon the Builder]], founder of [[House Stark]]; [[Lann the Clever]], who winkled Casterly Rock from the Casterlys, founder of House Lannister; or [[Garth Greenhand]], founder of House Gardener of the Reach. Also during this era the Storm Kings arise in the stormlands: a line with figures such as the founding [[Durran]], supposed builder of [[Storm's End]], first king of the [[Iron Islands]]; and the [[Grey King]].
|-
| ca.-8,000
|'''The [[The Long Night|Long Night]]''': In this time, night seems to last for a generation, and the longest, coldest and darkest winter descends on Westeros. The ice spreads down from the north, and under the cover of darkness, the [[Others]] invade Westeros from the [[Lands of Always Winter|uttermost north]], marching, killing and raising up the dead to be their [[Wight|servants]] in unlife and nearly destroying all men in Westeros. The Long Night comes to an end following the [[The Long Night#War for the Dawn|Battle of the Dawn]], after the children and the First Men rose united to defeat the Others, with [[dragonglass]] weapons, pushing them back into the frozen reaches of the Far North. They are led by a great hero, who, in an eastern tradition, is named [[Azor Ahai]], and wields a great sword of fire, [[Lightbringer]].<hr>

'''Founding of [[the Wall]]''': With the Others defeated, [[Bran the Builder]], with the aid of the giants, the First Men, and perhaps the children of the forest, raise up the Wall: a monumental fortification of ice and ancient [[magic]], to shelter the realms of men from the menaces of the north. The Sworn Brotherhood of the [[Night's Watch]] is formed to man and guard it.
It's said that [[Bran the Builder]] built [[Winterfell]] and became the first [[King In The North]].<hr>

'''The [[Night's King]]''': Not long after the Wall is complete, the thirteenth [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch|Lord Commander]] of the Night's Watch betrays his oath. He is seduced by a [[wight]] woman from beyond the Wall: declares himself the Night's King and rises in rebellion with the Watch as his personal army. During the dark years of his reign, horrific atrocities are committed, of which tales would be told in the [[North]] even after several millenia. The [[House Stark|Starks]] of [[Winterfell]] and the [[King-Beyond-the-Wall|King Beyond the Wall]], [[Joramun]], join forces to defeat the Night's King and thus restore honor to the Watch. This is the same Joramun who also finds the [[Horn of Winter]], which he is said to use to awaken [[giants]] from the earth.
|}

==[[Andal Invasion|The Andal Invasion]]==
{| class="wikitable"
|width=85px|ca.-6,000
| '''Foundation of the Faith''': In the [[Hills of Andalos]] on the eastern continent, [[Essos]], a new religion takes shape, called the [[Faith of the Seven]]. Supposedly, the supreme deity of the [[Andals]] appears to them, guiding them into their invasion of [[Westeros]].<hr>

'''The [[Andal Invasion]]''': The [[Andal]]s cross the [[Narrow Sea]] making landfall on its eastern shore, on what would one day become the [[Vale of Arryn]]. They come under the banner of the [[Faith of the Seven]], with seven-pointed stars carved into their chests, wielding [[Armament|weapons]] of steel. They fight both the First Men and the children of the forest, sweeping the land much like the First Men did thousands of years before.

For centuries the Andals war with the First Men and the children in an attempt to drive them out. One by one, the six southron kingdoms fall and the [[weirwood]]s are burned. Only the Kingdom of the North remains under the rule of the First Men, in large part due to the strategically located fortress of [[Moat Cailin]] resisting multiple attempts to take it and thereafter serving as the door between North and South. Even though the North remain secure, the children of the forest begin their slow withdrawal from the lands of men, retreating deeper into their forests and [[beyond the Wall|North of the Wall]].
|-
|width=85px|ca.-4,000
| The [[Iron Islands]] fall to the Andals, ending the first line of kings ruling there uncontested for over a thousand years, originating from [[Urron Greyiron|Urron Redhand]]. Unlike in the other regions, however, Andals are assimilated to the native beliefs of the [[Old Way]] and the [[Drowned God]].
|}

==[[Valyrian Freehold|Age of Valyria]] ==
{| class="wikitable"
|width=85px|ca.-5,000
| '''Rise of the [[Valyrian Freehold]]''': On the [[Essos|eastern continent]], the peaceful sheep-herding folk of the [[Valyrian peninsula]] find [[dragon]]s lairing in the [[Fourteen Fires]], an immense chain of volcanoes extending across the neck of the peninsula. The Valyrians tame the dragons with [[magic]], which gives them the means to gain influence over the area. The Valyrian Freehold is established. In its capital, [[Valyria]], magic flourishes, topless towers rise toward the heavens where dragons soar, stone sphinxes gaze down through eyes of garnet, and smiths forge swords of legendary strength and sharpness.<hr>

'''Conquest of Ghiscar''': Five great wars are fought between the [[Ghiscari Empire]], the greatest empire on the eastern peninsula, and the Freehold — wars which Valyria wins with the help of its dragons. After the last war, the Freehold utterly destroys the [[Old Ghis|Ghiscari capital]], slaying its people, destroying the city's walls and streets with dragonflame, and salting and sulphuring the fields. The Ghiscari empire shattered, the Valyrian Freehold expands its influence over the surviving Ghiscari cities of [[Slaver's Bay]].
|-
| ca.-700
| '''The [[Rhoynar Invasion]]''': With the destruction of Old Ghis, the Freehold's slow westward expansion brings it into conflict with the Rhoynish cities along the great River [[Rhoyne]], a vast waterway. Prince [[Garin (Prince)|Garin the Great]] raises an army a quarter-million strong to oppose the Valyrians, but fails utterly against their dragons.<hr>

Rhoynar evacuation: [[Nymeria]], a Rhoynish warrior-queen, evacuates the survivors of Garin's war, mostly women and children, on ten thousand ships across the [[Narrow Sea]], seeking refuge in [[Dorne]], in southern Westeros.
There, Nymeria forms a marriage alliance with Lord [[Mors Martell]] and together they finally organize the land into one kingdom, establishing [[House Martell]] as the ruling house of Dorne. Mors adopts many Rhoynish [[customs]]. The unification of Dorne under Nymeria and Mors leads to new conflicts with the kingdoms of the Reach and the Stormlands, expressed through raids, skirmishes, and the occasional wars over the centuries.
|-
| ca.-500
| The Valyrian Freehold conquers much of what would be the area of the southern [[Free Cities]]. A religious sect, the [[Moonsingers]], leads many thousand refugees north to a remote lagoon protected by mountains and mists, and there found the Secret City of [[Braavos]]. They later build the [[Titan of Braavos]], a great statue which also serves as a defensive fortification.
|-
| ca.-200
| The Valyrian Freehold annexes a [[Dragonstone|small island]] at the mouth of [[Blackwater Bay]], off the east coast of [[Westeros]]. The [[House Targaryen|Targaryens]], a Valyrian noble family, take control of the island building a castle whose tower is shaped to look like [[Dragon]]s, giving its name: [[Dragonstone]].
|-
| ca.-100
| '''The [[Doom of Valyria]]''': The nature of the Doom is unclear, save that heavy volcanic activity is involved, likely due to the Fourteen Fires, the mountains where the dragons were first discovered. The Valyrian Peninsula is shattered and the city of Valyria is laid waste, although not completely destroyed. The dragons of Valyria are virtually wiped out and the Valyrian Freehold crumbled apart, its various city states broke apart asserting their independence, surviving to this day as the [[Free Cities]] and the cities of [[Slaver's Bay]].<hr>

[[Braavos]] reveals itself to the other cities, eventually becoming the most powerful of them through its vast fleet and economic power. The cities of [[Slaver's Bay]] become independent again, although Ghiscari power begins building again in the south. The warrior-nomads of the vast [[Dothraki Sea|eastern plains]] become more emboldened by the fall of Valyria, and their dominant tribe, the [[Dothraki]], begins raiding the surrounding lands. The Targaryens remain safe on Dragonstone, the guardians of possibly the last three dragons in the western world.
|}

==The Seven Kingdoms==
{| class="wikitable"
|width=85px| ca.-3000
|Over the centuries following the Andal Invasion, the southern kingdoms of the first men fall, and eventually the Andals raise up six powerful kingdoms of their own.
|-
| ca.-3000
| '''Wildling Invasion''': The [[Free Folk]] (Wildlings) unite under the brother [[King-Beyond-the-Wall|Kings-beyond-the-Wall]] [[Gendel]] and [[Gorne]], manage to evade the [[Night's Watch]] and bypass the [[Wall]] in great numbers using a network of tunnels that extend under the Wall. However, they are met by the Stark King on the other side and are eventually thrown back.
|-
| ca. -700
| In the North, [[House Stark]] finally subdues [[House Bolton]], their primary antagonists for dominance in the North. Later Karlon Stark would defeat sea raiders from the east and found the cadet branch [[House Karstark]].<hr>
In the West, the Ironborn of the Iron Islands rise to power, at their peak they controll most of the western coast from [[Oldtown]] and the [[Arbor]] in the south to [[Bear Island]] in the North.<hr>
The Rhoynar fleeing the valyrian invasion migrate to Dorne. This is the last major migration into Westeros.
|-
| ca. -400
| House Bolton rises in rebellion against House Stark, but after four years of siege they are subdued once again.
|-
| ca. -350
| The Storm Kings expand their control of the [[Westerlands]] north to include the territory of the [[Riverlands]] up to the Neck. <hr>
Over time the Ironborn lose many of their possessions but, some three generations before Aegon's Landing, conquer the territory of the Riverlands from the [[Stormlands]]. The Ironborn king, [[Harren Hoare]] builds [[Harrenhal]].
|}

==Targaryen Dynasty==
{| class="wikitable"
|width=85px| {{Date|1}}
| '''The [[War of Conquest]]''': [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon the Conqueror]] invades [[Westeros]], subdues, and unites six of the seven kingdoms of Westeros under his banner and constructs a new capital city at [[King's Landing]]. He is unable to conquer Dorne and allows it to remain sovereign. With the destruction of the [[Storm King]], [[Argilac]] the Arrogant, and the death of the last King of the [[Reach]], control of the castle of Storm's End passes to Aegon's bastard half-brother [[Orys Baratheon]], and of [[Highgarden]] to [[Harlen Tyrell]]. [[Edmyn Tully]] of [[Riverrun]] is named Lord of the [[Riverlands]] and [[Vickon Greyjoy]] of [[Pyke]] becomes Lord of the [[Iron Islands]].
|-
| {{Date|37|48}}
| '''The [[Faith Militant uprising]]''': Upon Aegon's death, his son [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys I]], born of incest, takes the throne. The [[Faith of the Seven]] rejects his legitimacy to rule and leads a popular uprising against the Targaryens. The weak and indecisive Aenys makes his half-brother [[Maegor I Targaryen|Maegor]] the Hand of the King and gives him authority to deal with the crisis. Maegor's response is ruthless and brutal, resulting in the deaths of thousands in battle, slaughter and by dragonfire. The slaughter lasts all of Aenys' reign and Maegor's, who succeeded him.
|-
| {{Date|48}}
| '''[[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys the Conciliator]]''': King Jaehaerys I succeeds King Maegor, who by that time is known as ''Maegor the Cruel''. He declares a truce and agrees to end the slaughter in return for the [[Faith Militant]] disbanding and submitting to the Targaryens, earning the name ''The Conciliator''. Jaehaerys' rule brings decades of peace and prosperity to the realm.

|-
| {{Date|129|137}}
| '''The [[Dance of the Dragons]]''': The first major civil war in the history of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]: a war of succession between [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]] and his half-sister [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]] over their father's throne. It consumes them both, as well as most of the Targaryen family and their remaining dragons. The war ends with [[Aegon III Targaryen|Aegon III]], son of Rhaenyra, being crowned.<hr>

'''Death of the last dragon''': King [[Aegon III|Aegon Targaryen]] struggles to breed healthy dragons - those he does manage to produce are born weak and sickly. He is unable to prevent the death of the last one, earning himself the title 'Dragonbane'. The last dragons leave behind several eggs which the Targaryens fail to hatch. These eggs are later destroyed or lost, leaving the dragons to be believed extinct.
|-
| {{Date|157|161}}
| '''[[Conquest of Dorne|Daeron conquers Dorne]]''': Upon taking the throne, at age fourteen, King [[Daeron I Targaryen|Daeron I]] decides to finish Aegon the Conqueror's work and launches a successful invasion of Dorne. Unfortunately, he leaves a [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] of Highgarden in charge: a house that has warred with the Martells for thousands of years. The tyrannical rule of the Tyrells triggers an uprising against the [[Iron Throne]]. When Daeron I returns with a fresh army, he is killed, his cousin Prince Aemon the Dragonknight is captured and his forty thousand men are lost.
|-
| {{Date|161|171}}
| Reign of King [[Baelor I Targaryen|Baelor the Blessed]], the septon king. Baelor manages to forge a peace treaty with [[Dorne]]. It is said that he made this peace by walking the Boneway barefoot and rescuing his cousin, [[Aemon Targaryen|Aemon the Dragonknight]], from a viper pit. He builds the Great Sept in [[King's Landing]], which is later renamed the [[Great Sept of Baelor]].
Baelor locks his sisters in the Maidenvault of the [[Red Keep]] so the sight of them will not tempt him to carnal thoughts. Despite this, his sister [[Daena Targaryen|Daena the Defiant]] has an affair with her cousin [[Aegon IV Targaryen|Aegon]] (later Aegon IV) and gives birth to a bastard son, [[Daemon Blackfyre]].
|-
| ca.{{Date|170}}
| Prince [[Daeron II Targaryen|Daeron]], second cousin of Baelor I, and Princess [[Myriah Martell]] of Dorne are married and have their first son, Prince [[Baelor Breakspear|Baelor]].
|-
| {{Date|171|172}}
| Reign of King [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys II]].
|-
| {{Date|172|184}}
| Reign of King [[Aegon IV]], Aegon the Unworthy, held to be the worst king in the history of Westeros. On his deathbed Aegon IV legitimises his 'Great Bastards': [[Daemon Blackfyre]], [[Aegor Rivers]], [[Brynden Rivers]] and [[Shiera Seastar]]. He is succeeded by his son, [[Daeron II Targaryen|Daeron II]], but his legitimacy is called into question due to his mother's close relationship with [[Aemon the Dragonknight]].
|-
| {{Date|184}}
| '''Beyond the wall''': The free folk unite under [[Raymun Redbeard]], King-Beyond-the-Wall. Taking the Night's Watch unawares, they scale the [[Wall]] and invade the [[North]]. They are eventually stopped at the [[Battle of Long Lake]] by a Stark host led by Lord [[Willam Stark]].
|-
| {{Date|184|209}}
| Reign of [[Daeron II Targaryen|Daeron II]].
|-
| {{Date|195|196}}
| '''The [[Blackfyre Rebellion]]''': The second major civil war erupts after Daemon Blackfyre puts a claim on the Iron Throne based on Daeron II's illegitimacy. With many lords declaring for him, Daemon Blackfyre marches his forces on Kings Landing but is defeated in the [[Battle of the Redgrass Field]]. He is killed by his half brother [[Bloodraven]], yet several of his sons escape to the [[Free Cities]] with [[Bittersteel]].
|-
| {{Date|197}}
| [[Dorne]] formally joins the Seven Kingdoms through the marriage of Daeron II's younger sister [[Daenerys, daughter of Aegon IV|Daenerys]] to Prince [[Maron Martell]].
|-
| {{Date|209}}
| The events of ''[[The Hedge Knight]]'' take place. Prince [[Baelor Targaryen|Baelor 'Breakspear' Targaryen]], the heir to the throne, is killed in a tourney mishap. A few months later, King Daeron II and Baelor's two sons die in the [[The Great Spring Sickness|Great Spring Sickness]]. Daeron II's second son, [[Aerys I Targaryen|Aerys I]], becomes king. Prince Baelor's nephew Aegon becomes squire to a hedge knight, Ser [[Duncan the Tall]], in the hope of improving his mettle.
|-
| {{Date|209|211}}
| Reign of King [[Aerys I Targaryen|Aerys I]].
|-
| ca.{{Date|211}}
| The events of ''[[The Sworn Sword]]'' take place. [[House Webber]] and [[House Osgrey]] of the Reach become allies. Bloodraven has become the King's Hand by this time, angering Prince [[Maekar I Targaryen|Maekar]], brother to Aerys and the late Baelor.
|-
| ca.{{Date|212}}
| '''The [[Second Blackfyre Rebellion]]''': Blackfyre loyalists attempt to launch a Second Rebellion, but Bloodraven exposes the plan, captures one of Daemon Blackfyre's sons and executes many of the conspirators before a battle needs to be fought.
|-
| {{Date|221|233}}
| Reign of King [[Maekar I Targaryen|Maekar I]]. During Maekar's reign his eldest son [[Daeron I Targaryen|Daeron]] dies of the pox and his second son [[Aerion Targaryen|Aerion]] "Brightflame" dies after drinking [[wildfire]]. His third son, [[Maester Aemon|Aemon]], journeys to [[Oldtown]] to become a [[maesters|maester]]. Maekar dies battling an outlaw king. Aemon refuses the crown and removes himself to the [[Wall]]. Prince Aegon becomes [[Aegon V Targaryen|Aegon V]], the Unlikely, as he is the fourth son of a fourth son. Bloodraven is exiled to the Wall, later becoming Lord Commander.
|-
| ca.{{Date|255|260}}
| '''The [[War of the Ninepenny Kings]]''': War erupts when the [[Band of Nine]], including [[Maelys Blackfyre]], conquers the Free City of [[Tyrosh]] and the [[Stepstones]] before plotting an attack on the Seven Kingdoms. [[Barristan Selmy]] kills Maelys. [[Brynden Tully]] distinguishes himself in the war.
|-
| {{Date|259}}
| ''The [[Tragedy of Summerhall]]'': King Aegon V and his heir, Prince [[Duncan Targaryen|Duncan]], are killed in a great fire at the Targaryen's summer palace. The fire was triggered by an unsuccessful attempt to hatch the last three dragon eggs left in the west, and it heralded or directly contributed to [[Rhaegar Targaryen]]'s birth.
|-
| {{Date|259|262}}
| Reign of Aegon's second son [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen|Jaehaerys II]].
|-
| {{Date|262|283}}
| Reign of [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys II]], the Mad King. He appoints the ruthless young [[Tywin Lannister]] as his Hand.
|-
| ca.{{Date|270}}
| King Aerys spurns Tywin Lannister's offer of his daughter [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]] for Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], instead marrying Rhaegar to Princess [[Elia Martell]] of Dorne.<hr>

'''The [[Defiance of Duskendale]]''' takes place when [[House Darklyn]] refuses to pay taxes to the Iron Throne. Aerys, eager to sort out the situation himself, ends up being taken prisoner. Duskendale is besieged for six months before Barristan Selmy manages to free the king. House Darklyn is destroyed and [[House Rykker]] takes over the town. It is said that it was the Defiance that began Aerys' descent into madness. Around this time Prince Rhaegar begins corresponding with Maester Aemon and ponders if he is the "[[the prince that was promised]]", who shall be reborn to fight the great darkness when it returns. Later they conclude the prince is actually Rhaegar's baby son, [[Aegon Targaryen|Aegon]].
|}

==Robert's Rebellion==
{| class="wikitable"
|width=85px| {{Date|281}}
| ''The Year of False Spring'': Lord [[House Whent|Whent]] holds a great [[Tourney at Harrenhal]], where Prince Rhaegar distinguishes himself in battle, but names [[Lyanna Stark]] of [[Winterfell]], who is betrothed to [[Robert Baratheon]], as the [[Queen of Love and Beauty]] rather than his own wife [[Elia Martell|Elia]]. [[Eddard Stark]] meets and befriends [[Howland Reed]] of [[Greywater Watch]].<hr>

The band of outlaws called the [[Kingswood Brotherhood]] is defeated by a royal force commanded by [[Arthur Dayne]]; during that battle a young squire, [[Jaime Lannister]], distinguishes himself and is [[knight]]ed, later he becomes a member of the [[Kingsguard]] and is disinherited from his father. Tywin Lannister resigns the Handship in angry protest and returns to [[Casterly Rock]].
|-
| {{Date|282|283}}
| '''[[Robert's Rebellion]]''': Rhaegar Targaryen abducts Lyanna Stark. Lyanna's brother and father demand that Aerys discipline his son, but instead the Mad King kills them both. Aerys demands the heads of [[Robert Baratheon]] and [[Eddard Stark]] from their ward, [[Jon Arryn]]. Instead, [[House Arryn|Houses Arryn]], [[House Stark|Stark]], and [[House Baratheon|Baratheon]] raise the standard of rebellion. Robert claims the throne through his descent from his great-grandfather, [[Aegon V]] and thus Robert's Rebellion, also called the War of the Usurper, begins. [[Hoster Tully]] agrees to join the rebellion as well. The [[House Tyrell|Tyrells]] remain loyal to the king and besiege Robert's castle of [[Storm's End]], held by his brother [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]. The [[Hand of the King]], [[Jon Connington]], is defeated in the [[Battle of the Bells]] and is sent into exile in the [[Free Cities]]. The rebel army defeats the royalists at the [[Battle of the Trident]]. Prince Rhaegar is killed. The [[House Lannister|Lannister]]s apparently march to the aid of King Aerys, but instead turn against him and [[Sack of King's Landing|sack]] the city. King Aerys is killed by Jaime Lannister. Princess Elia Martell and her children, Aegon and [[Rhaenys Targaryen]], are brutally murdered by Lannister bannermen, causing a rift between Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon. Ned Stark and Howland Reed defeat the Kingsguard guarding the [[Tower of Joy]] holding Lyanna prisoner, only to find her dying. Robert becomes King of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] and marries [[Cersei Lannister]]. Ned returns home to Winterfell with his bastard son, [[Jon Snow]]. Loyal Targaryen retainers carry Aerys' two youngest children, Prince [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]] and Princess [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]], to safety in the Free Cities.
|}

==King Robert's Reign==
{| class="wikitable"
|width=85px|{{Date|289}}
| '''The [[Greyjoy Rebellion]]''': [[Balon Greyjoy]] names himself King of the [[Iron Islands]]. He is defeated and two of his sons are killed. King Robert accepts his surrender and Balon's remaining son, [[Theon Greyjoy]], becomes a ward and hostage of [[Eddard Stark]].
|-
| {{Date|297}}
| Magister [[Illyrio Mopatis]] of Pentos invites [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]] and [[Daenerys Targaryen]] to stay in his manse and offers to help them reclaim their [[Iron Throne|throne]].<hr>
The [[Hand of the King]], [[Jon Arryn]], discovers that the heirs to the [[Iron Throne]] are bastards and is killed with poison.
|}

==Game of Thrones==
{| class="wikitable"
|width=85px|{{Date|298}}
| The events of ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' begin. The first five novels span a period of three years or more, concluding in the year {{Date|300}}<hr>
In the North, after thousands of years without encounter, the [[Others]] reappear in an attack on rangers from the [[Night's Watch]] and a group of [[Wildlings]].<hr>
The [[Seven Kingdoms]] is engulfed in the [[War of the Five Kings]], following the death of king [[Robert Baratheon]]: a central conflict that spans through all five books.<hr>
In the East, [[Daenerys Targaryen]] hatches three [[dragon]] eggs, bringing dragons back to the world once again.
|-
|{{Date|299}}
| Beyond the Wall: With the disturbing news of a new [[Conflict Beyond the Wall]] brewing, the [[Night's Watch]] leaves in force on a [[the Great Ranging|ranging]] into the far north.
In the East, [[Daenerys Targaryen]] conquers the great cities of [[Slaver's Bay]], setting their slaves free and throwing the region into chaos.
|-
|{{Date|300}}
| After a decade-long Summer, Winter finally engulfs [[Westeros]].
|}

=References and Notes=
{{References|2}}
{{EnWP|Westeros|small=yes}}

[[Category:History| ]]
[[es:Cronología de eventos importantes]]
[[fr:Histoire des Sept Couronnes]]
[[pt:Linha do Tempo dos Principais Eventos]]

Seven Kingdoms

2013-06-22T13:44:08Z

SerMyLady: /* Religion */ not a proper noun

[[File:Seven Kingdoms.png|thumb|300px|right|The Seven Kingdoms, as they stood after unification by Aegon and before Robert's Rebellion From top-left to bottom-right:

[[The North]], [[Iron Islands]], [[Riverlands]], [[Vale]], [[The Westerlands]], [[Crownlands]], [[The Reach]], [[Stormlands]], [[Dorne]] ]]

The '''Seven Kingdoms''' is a realm located on the continent of [[Westeros]], ruled by the king who sits on the [[Iron Throne]] in the capital city, [[King's Landing]]. The name dates before the time of when [[Aegon the Conqueror]] set to [[War of Conquest|unite]] the lands of Westeros, when there were seven independent kingdoms. Today there are nine distinct regions.

==Origin==
When Aegon used [[dragons]] to conquer the seven individually ruled kingdoms that existed on the [[Westeros|mainland]] and forged a huge, strong empire. The Kingdoms were: The [[Kingdom of the North]], the [[Kingdom of Vale and Sky]], the [[Kingdom of the Iron Islands|Kingdom of the Isles and Rivers]], [[Kingdom of the Rock]], [[Kingdom of the Reach]], [[Kingdom of the Stormlands]] and [[Dorne]].

Aegon managed to conquer only six of the seven kingdoms, consolidating them under the rule of [[House Targaryen]] and the [[Iron Throne]]. [[Dorne]] was joined to the realm only two centuries later through diplomatic means, after a [[Conquest of Dorne|few hurdles]] on the way, thus making the name somewhat inaccurate.

==Government==
:{{Main|Iron Throne|Warden{{!}}Wardens|Laws & Justice}}

For most of their history the regions of [[Westeros]] were independent kingdoms. The number of these kingdoms and their borders have changed many times. Following a successful conquest of all the lands of Westeros south of the [[Wall]] but [[Dorne]], and their consolidation under the rule of the [[Iron Throne]], Aegon established his new empire's capital on the spot of his landing, for which it was known as [[King's Landing]].

Due to the vast size of the new Kingdom, in each region Aegon raised 'great houses' who swore fealty to him. The lords were granted a degree of autonomy and granted authority over their minor lords and small folk. In the original six kingdoms [[House Baratheon]] married into the Targaryens and were awarded the [[Stormlands]], after the defeat of King [[Argilac|Argilac the Arrogant]]; the [[House Tyrell]] was granted over-lordship over the Reach, while [[House Lannister]] was allowed to keep their family holdings after they bent the knee, following the defeat at the [[Field of Fire]]; [[House Stark]] chose to submit and was confirmed as overlords over the North. [[House Greyjoy]] was granted the [[Iron Islands]] after the defeat of King [[Harren the Black]]. For supporting Aegon against Harren, [[House Tully]] of Riverrun was awarded over-lordship of the [[Riverlands]].

==Regions and Territory==
:{{See also|Westeros{{!}}Westeros for Geographic info}}

The Seven Kingdoms are divided into nine administrative regions, seven of which, [[The North]], [[Iron Islands]], the [[Vale]], [[The Westerlands]], [[The Reach]], the [[Stormlands]] and [[Dorne]], were independent kingdoms at the time of conquest. The [[Riverlands]] had been independent before, but had fallen to the Storm Kings and more recently to the ironborn. They regained independence after the local lords rebelled against [[Harren the Black]] and swore fealty to Aegon during the conquest. The area around King's Landing, which had also been a battleground between several kingdoms, constituted the royal demesne and became known as the [[Crownlands]]. The island stronghold of [[Dragonstone]], ancient seat of the Targaryens, was successively granted to heirs apparent to the throne.

The realm's territory includes all but the northernmost tip of the [[Westeros|continent]], where the [[Wall]] defines its northern border. The king on the Iron Throne also controls the many islands off the coast of Westeros, such as [[Tarth]], [[Greenstone]], and [[Dragonstone]]. It is occasionally drawn into conflicts over the [[Stepstones]] off its southeastern coast, but it has rarely controlled a significant portion of them.

==Population==
The population of the Seven Kingdoms numbers in the millions. It is sparsely populated in the vast regions of the North and the deserts of Dorne, and mostly densely populated in the fertile lands of the Reach. The kingdoms are speckled with villages and holdfasts and a few large townships, but only five settlements can be called cities, their population numbers in the hundreds of thousands. Listed in decreasing order of size, they are:

* [[King's Landing]], the capital of the Seven kingdoms, with a population of half a million.
* [[Oldtown]], Located within [[the Reach]]. The oldest city on the continent, and home of the [[Citadel]] of the [[maesters]].
* [[Lannisport]] Located within [[the Westerlands]].
* [[Gulltown]], Located within [[the Vale]].
* [[White Harbor]], Located within [[the North]]

The rest of the Seven Kingdoms is primarily rural, with the rare exception of port towns because of their economic importance.

==Culture==
:{{See also|Customs}}

The people of the Seven Kingdoms are a mixture of several ethnic groups which have migrated to the continent over the centuries and intermarried. As such these original ethnicities are more of a blurred trend than firm political units. Today they are mostly identified through their place of residence, where each kingdom retains its unique flavor. The influence of the [[Andal]]s is strongest in the south, while the [[Northmen]] still follows many customs of the [[First Men]]. [[Dornishmen]] are heavily influenced by the mass immigration of the [[Rhoynar]]. Small groups, such as the [[Ironmen]] and the [[mountain clans]], maintain very different cultures from the rest of the realm.

Its feudal society is based on the model of the old kingdoms on which the Targaryen dynasty was built with each region retaining some sovereign rights and ruled by a high lord that answers only to the King.

==Commerce and Currency==
:{{See also|Currency}}

Most transactions in Seven Kingdoms involve [[Currency|currency]]. The coinage is minted by the [[Master of Coin]] appointed by the King on the [[Iron Throne]]. There are golden Dragons, silver Stags and copper Stars. Golden Dragons are worth the most and have a dragon stamped on one side and a Kings face on the other. <ref>[[A Dance with Dragons]], [[The Blind Girl (A Dance with Dragons)|The Blind Girl]]</ref>. Most [[Feudalism|smallfolk]] would never own a gold Dragon, using mostly copper Stars for their needs.

Trade within the Seven Kingdoms is quite vigorous, as the products of [[Dorne]] are very different from those of the North. However, long distance trade is almost entirely in luxuries, as transport is very expensive, not to mention dangerous. Transport by land is around ten times as expensive as transport by [[ships]], which means that almost all goods travel by river or coastal ship for at least part of their journey. Furs from the [[North]], silks and gems from the south, fine craft work from anywhere these are the items that are gathered at great markets. Grain, meat, and fish are also found there, but they have almost exclusively come from nearby areas.<Ref>[[A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying]], [[A Song of Ice and Fire Campaign Guide|Campaign Guide]]</Ref>

Furthermore there is regular trade between the Seven Kingdoms, [[Essos]], and the [[Summer Islands]].

==Religion==
:{{See also|Religion}}

The people of the Seven Kingdoms follow several different faiths. The [[Faith of the Seven]] is the primary religion of the realm, the only regions where it is not practiced are the [[Iron Islands]], where worship of the [[Drowned God]] holds sway, and the [[North]], where worship of the [[old gods]] of the Forest remains strong.

* '''The [[Faith of the Seven]]''', is the primary religion of the Seven Kingdoms, it was brought to the [[Westeros|continent]] by the [[Andals]], thousand of years before the country formation. The Faith worships the Seven, a single deity with separate aspects: the Mother, the Father, the Warrior, the Smith, the Maiden, the Crone and the Stranger (death).

* '''The [[old gods]]''', the faith of the North and the lands beyond the [[wall]]. The faith of the [[children of the forest]], who used to inhabit the land thousands of year ago, a faith that worship numerous and nameless gods of the forests, who are always watching through the faces carved into the bark of ancient [[weirwood]] trees.

* '''The [[Drowned God]]''', the indigenous deity of the [[Iron Islands]], a harsh deity who rewards those who plunder in his name

* '''The [[R'hllor|Red God]]''', R'hllor is a god popular in [[Essos]] who is little-known in Westeros, although gaining in popularity. The followers of R'hllor claim their deity is the Lord of Light and will stand against the [[Great Other]], the god of darkness and cold, in a war that is to come.

==References and Notes==
{{references|1}}

[[Category:Nations]]
[[Category:Westeros]]
[[fr:Royaume des Sept Couronnes]]
[[es:Siete Reinos]][[zh:七大王国]][[pt:Sete Reinos]][[ru:Семь Королевств]]

A Storm of Swords-Chapter 22

2013-06-22T13:43:39Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Infobox Chapter ASoS
| pov = [[Arya Stark|Arya]]
| title = Arya IV
| place = [[High Heart]] - [[Acorn Hall]]
| page = 246
| previous = [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 21|Jaime III]]
| current = [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 22|Arya IV]]
| next = [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 23|Daenerys II]]
| arc previous = [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 17|Arya III]]
| arc next = [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 29|Arya V]]
}}

==Synopsis==
The outlaws first visit Lord [[Lymond Lychester]] and then the [[Lady of the Leaves]] in search of word on Lord [[Beric Dondarrion|Beric]]'s whereabouts. But none have seen him, only hearing rumors that he was dead--hung once, killed by [[Vargo Hoat]], [[Amory Lorch]], and twice by [[Gregor Clegane]]. The same rumors [[Arya Stark|Arya]] had been hearing at [[Harrenhal]]. But [[Lem]] and [[Tom of Sevenstreams|Tom]] know that Beric is still alive.

The outlaws plan to ransom Arya at [[Riverrun]] after they meet up with Beric and [[Thoros of Myr]]. They arrive at [[High Heart]], an ancient hill sacred to the [[children of the forest]]. Thirty-one mighty [[weirwood]]s had stood at the top of the hill, but only their stumps remained from after the [[Andal|Andals]] chopped them down. Yet Arya could still feel the power of the place. The [[Ghost of High Heart|old dwarf woman]] speaks in private to Lem, Tom and [[Greenbeard]], but Arya overhears the conversation. The woman has dreams while sleeping among the weirwood stumps, and tells them she had dreamed of "a shadow with a burning heart killing a golden stag";<ref>A likely reference to the death of [[Renly Baratheon]]</ref> of "a man without a face, waiting on a swaying bridge, on his shoulder perched a drowned crow with seaweed hanging from its wings";<ref>A likely reference to the death of [[Balon Greyjoy]]</ref> and of "a raging river and a woman that was a fish…dead with red tears on her cheeks, but when her eyes did open, I woke from terror."<ref>A likely reference to the death of [[Catelyn Tully]]</ref>

At [[Acorn Hall]], Lady [[Ravella Swann|Smallwood]] informs them that Thoros had been through recently, and that [[House Karstark|Karstark]] men were searching for the [[Jaime Lannister|Kingslayer]]. Arya and [[Gendry]] go off to the smithy, and the former apprentice explains that Thoros was a charlatan, using regular swords with [[wildfire]] to make his flaming sword.

==Character List appearing/mentioned==
{{Columns|3|
*[[Lymond Lychester]]
*[[Lady of the Leaves]]
*[[Beric Dondarrion]]
*[[Vargo Hoat]]
*[[Amory Lorch]]
*[[Gregor Clegane]]
*[[Arya Stark]]
*[[Lem]]
*[[Tom of Sevenstreams]]
*[[Thoros of Myr]]
*[[Ghost of High Heart]]
*[[Greenbeard]]
*[[Renly Baratheon]]
*[[Balon Greyjoy]]
*[[Catelyn Tully]]
*[[Ravella Swann]] Lady Smallwood
*[[Jaime Lannister]] Kingslayer
*[[Gendry]]
}}

==Places and terms mentioned==
{{Columns|3|
*[[Harrenhal]]
*[[Riverrun]]
*[[High Heart]]
*[[Children of the Forest]]
*[[Weirwood]]
*[[Andal]]
*[[Acorn Hall]]
*[[House Karstark]]
*[[Wildfire]]
}}

==References and Notes==
{{References}}

* The synopsis was copied from AOL member vbkorik27 previously at [http://web.archive.org/web/20080228051425/members.aol.com/vbkorik27/summary/legend.html].
* [http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/01/a-read-of-ice-and-fire-a-storm-of-swords-part-13 A Read of Ice and Fire: A Storm of Swords part 13]. Summary and analyses of the chapter by Leigh Butler.

[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters|A Storm of Swords: Chapter 22]]
[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters--POV Arya Stark]]
[[Category:Chapters which take place in the Riverlands]]

[[es:Tormenta de Espadas-Capítulo 22]]
[[fr:A Storm of Swords, Chapitre 23, Arya]]
[[zh:冰雨的风暴-章节 22]]

Westerlands

2013-06-22T13:42:12Z

SerMyLady: /* History */ not a proper noun

[[File:The Westerlands.png|350px|thumb|The Westerlands with the major strongholds]]

The '''Westerlands''' is a region in the west of the continent of [[Westeros]]. It is ruled by [[House Lannister]]. Before the [[War of Conquest|Targaryen conquest]], it was known as the [[Kingdom of the Rock]]. The customary surname of [[bastardy|bastards]] born in the Westerlands is Hill.

==Geography==
A large part of the Westerlands consists of hills and mountains. Its lands extend as far west as the the hills of the Westerlands, between the [[House Lefford|Golden Tooth]] and [[House Piper|Pinkmaiden]], south up to the [[Goldroad]], bordering on [[the Reach]], east up to the [[Sunset Sea]], and north up to the [[Ironman's Bay]]. 

==Accessibility and natural defenses==
Because of the hills and mountains, its eastward border with the [[Riverlands]] is very defensible, the main pass through the mountains is being guarded by the [[Golden Tooth]], a castle which which controls access to the [[River Road]]. From the south, the main entrance is the [[Searoad]]. It is more accessible than the Red Fork, but the forest at [[Crakehall]] gives the Westermen a good defense line. However, the Westerlands are vulnerable to attack from the sea as the coast is quite flat and can be easily invaded.

==Notable locations==
* [[Lannisport]], this port city is one of the major ports of the Seven Kingdoms and the largest city in the Westerlands.
* [[Casterly Rock]], the seat [[House Lannister]], a fortress carved out of a massive hill of solid rock.
* The [[Golden Tooth]], the seat of [[House Lefford]], which guards the main pass from the Westerlands into the Riverlands.

==Economy==
The Westerlands are not the largest, most populous, or most fertile part of the realm, but they are certainly the richest. Full of hills and crags, the land is dotted with mines from which pour gold and silver in astonishing quantities. There are goldmines at the [[Casterly Rock]], the [[Golden Tooth]], [[Castamere]], [[Nunn's Deep]], and the [[Pendric Hills]]. Nothing is said of the number of people working in the mines or in other industries. There is some fishery in Lannisport and on [[Fair Isle]].

==History==
===Before the Andals===
Nothing is known of the time before the coming of the [[First Men]]. Like the rest of Westeros, the [[children of the forest]] probably lived in the Westerlands and fought with the [[First Men]] when they came. After the [[Pact]] at the [[Isle of Faces]], the children only kept the forests. This means they might have lived near Crakehall.

During the [[Age of Heroes]], the legendary hero and [[w:trickster|trickster]] [[Lann the Clever]] got hold of [[Casterly Rock]] from [[House Casterly]]. According to legend he is the ancestor of the Lannisters.

===Kingdom of the Rock===
Some 6000 years ago, the [[Andals]] invaded Westeros. They fought with the First Men and the children. All regions south of [[the Neck]] were conquered by them. As the Andals forged their kingdoms, the Westerlands became known as the Kingdom of the Rock, with the [[King of the Rock|Kings of the Rock]] presumably taking [[Casterly Rock]] as their seat.

Not much is said in the books about the history of the Kingdom of the Rock. Without a doubt it warred against the other kingdoms in Westeros. Ser Eustace of [[House Osgrey]] mentions that a famous relative of his defeated an attack by the Kingdom of the Rock by killing the Lannister King [[Lancel V Lannister|Lancel V]]. Given their difficulty in defending the coastline, the Westermen most likely also fought with the [[Ironborn]].

===Targaryen Era===
:{{See also|War of Conquest}}
After the invasion of [[Aegon I|Aegon Targaryen]], [[King of the Rock|King]] [[Loren Lannister|Loren]] mustered his armies to fight the invaders. Allied with King [[Mern Gardener|Mern]] of the Reach, they assembled an enormous host, remembered as the Host of the Two Kings. However, they were no match for Targaryen [[dragon]]s. King Loren escaped the battle and submitted to Aegon. His primacy in the Westerlands was confirmed by the Targaryens. Since this time the Westerlands have been part of the [[Seven Kingdoms]].

During the [[Blackfyre Rebellion]], some Westerland houses kept a foot in booth camps. It is mentioned that some nobles supported [[Daemon Blackfyre]]. There are no Westerland supporters of [[Daeron II]] mentioned. It is unknown if this means the Westerlands only supported Daemon Blackfyre.

During [[the Great Spring Sickness]] the coast of the Westerlands suffered under the attacks of raiders of [[House Greyjoy|Dagon Greyjoy]].

===Tytos Lannister===
During the reign of [[Tytos Lannister]], Lannister rule was purely nominal. Tytos was held in very low esteem and was basically ignored by his vassals. [[House Tarbeck]] and [[House Reyne]] eventually revolted against his rule. Tytos's son [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] led the campaign to put the rebellion down. Houses Tarbeck and Reyne were extinguished; their respective seats at Tarbeck Hall and Castamere were razed. Since this time no house dares oppose [[House Lannister]] in the Westerlands. Because of this unity, the Westerlands are a force to be reckoned with. Tywin's own prestige was so great and his capabilities so well demonstrated that he became [[Hand of the King]] for King [[Aerys II]].

===Robert's Rebellion===
After the apparent abduction of [[Lyanna Stark]], fiancé of [[Robert Baratheon]], by Crown Prince Rhaegar and the execution of her father and brother by Aerys, a rebellion of [[House Stark]], [[House Arryn]], [[House Baratheon]], and [[House Tully]] began.

Before this time, Tywin had resigned as Hand, and for the better part of the war the Westerlands remained neutral. After the [[Battle of the Trident]], Tywin chose the side of the rebels. The Westerland army [[Sack of King's Landing|sacked King's Landing]], and killed the Targaryen heirs to prove their support. After the crowning of the main rebel Robert Baratheon, he was married to [[Cersei Lannister]] to bind the Lannisters to his cause.

===War of the Five Kings===
During the [[War of the Five Kings]], Westerland armies devastated the Riverlands. In revenge, a joint Riverlands-Northern army invaded the Westerlands. They pillaged the eastern area of the Westerlands, capturing [[Ashemark]], [[the Crag]], the gold mines at [[Castamere]], [[Nunn's Deep]] and the [[Pendric Hills]]. Other areas of the Westerlands remained relatively unscathed.

==References and Sources==
{{references|2}}

{{HousesWesterlands|state=uncollsapsed}}
{{Template:Region Westerlands|state=uncollsapsed}}

[[Category:The Westerlands| ]]
[[Category:Places in Westeros|Westerland, The]]

[[es:El Occidente]]
[[fr:Terres de l'Ouest]]
[[ru:Западные Земли]]
[[zh:西境]]

Bran Stark

2013-06-22T13:38:41Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Stark.PNG|50px|left]] Brandon Stark [[File:House Stark.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[File:Bran Stark by AniaEm.jpg|250px]]
| image_caption = Artwork by Anja Dalisa ©
| Alias = Bran Bran the Broken The Winged Wolf
| Title = Prince
| Allegiance = [[House Stark]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Northmen]]
| Spouse =
| Place_of_Birth = [[Winterfell]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|292}}<ref>In [[A Game of Thrones]] Bran is 7.{{ref|agot|1}}{{ref|agot|7}}</ref>
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (POV) [[A Clash of Kings]] (POV) [[A Storm of Swords]] (POV) [[A Feast for Crows]] (Mentioned) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Isaac Hempstead-Wright,Bran Stark|Isaac Hempstead-Wright]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 3|Season 3]]
}}
[[File:Pojypojy_Bran_falling.jpg‎ |Bran falling - by Pojypojy ©|thumb|250px|right]]
[[File:Bran stark and raven by daaria.jpg|thumb|300px|[[three-eyed crow]] in Brans dreams, by Daaria©]]
[[File: MiguelRegodónHarkness_Bran_Hodor.jpg‎|After Bran's accident [[Hodor]] carries him in a basket ‎on his back - © 2012 Miguel Regodón Harkness |thumb|300px|right]]
[[File:Bran s h m j-winterfell.jpg|300px|thumb|Bran, Summer, Hodor and the Reeds. by M.Luisa Giliberti ©]]
{{See homonyms | Brandon Stark (disambiguation)}}

'''Brandon Stark''', typically called '''Bran''', is [[Eddard Stark|Eddard]] and [[Catelyn Tully|Catelyn's]] second son. His life changed irrevocably when he suffers a crippling injury and relies on the servant [[Hodor]] to aid his mobility. He is usually accompanied by a [[direwolf]] named [[Summer]] and has prophetic dreams.
He is one of the major [[POV Character|POV characters]] in the books. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] he is played by Isaac Hempstead-Wright.<ref name=hbo/>

==Appearance and Character==
Bran has inherited the [[House Tully|Tully]] coloring from his mother, having auburn hair and blue eyes.{{ref|agot|7}}{{ref|agot|14}}

He has a fascination with climbing and exploring along the walls and ramparts of [[Winterfell]].{{ref|agot|6}}{{ref|agot|8}} Like his siblings, he is dutiful and tough-minded.{{Template:Citation needed}} He is usually accompanied by a [[direwolf]] named [[Summer]], with whom he shares a strong [[skinchanger|warg]] connection.{{Template:Citation needed}}

See ''' [[:Category:Images of Bran Stark|here]]''' for more images of Bran.
==History==
Bran is the second son and fourth child of [[Catelyn_Stark|Lady Catelyn]] and [[Eddard_Stark|Lord Eddard]] Stark, head of [[House Stark]] and [[Warden of The North|Warden]] of the [[North]]. He was born at [[Winterfell]] in [[291 AL]]{{ref|agot|1}}{{ref|agot|7}}. He is named after his late uncle, Eddard's elder brother [[Brandon Stark|Brandon]],{{Template:Citation needed}} whose death was one major event in the series that led to [[Robert's Rebellion]].

Bran has three older siblings ([[Robb Stark|Robb]], [[Sansa Stark|Sansa]], and [[Arya Stark|Arya]]) and one younger ([[Rickon Stark|Rickon]]). He also has a [[bastard]] half-brother, [[Jon Snow]]. Bran was educated by [[Maester]] [[Luwin]] and trained with [[armament|weapons]]. He dreamed of becoming a knight of the [[Kingsguard]].{{ref|agot|8}}

===''A Game of Thrones''===
Bran is among a group of twenty men who witness [[Eddard Stark|Eddard]] dispense the king's justice to [[Gared|a deserter]] of the [[Night's Watch]], the first time Bran is allowed to accompany such a group. On the way back to the castle, the group finds a dead direwolf and her pups - Bran and each of the other Stark siblings receives one of the young animals as a pet.{{Ref|aGoT|1}} During the royal visit to Winterfell, Bran fights [[Tommen Baratheon|Prince Tommen]] in the yard under the supervision of master-at-arms Ser [[Rodrik Cassel]].{{ref|agot|7}}

On a climbing expedition, Bran passes a window through which he sees [[Cersei Lannister|the queen]] and her brother Ser [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]] making love. He is shocked after being spotted and loses his grip, almost falling before being caught by the Kingslayer. Jaime then pushes him from the window, intending to kill him to keep secret the incestuous love affair, but Bran survives and enters a coma.{{Ref|aGoT|8}}

While Bran is comatose, he is saved by his direwolf from an assassination attempt: the wolf tears out the killer's throat. During that coma, Bran has many visions, including a [[three-eyed crow]] that tells him it can teach him to fly. With the crow's guidance, Bran wakes and immediately names his direwolf ''[[Summer]]''.{{Ref|aGoT|17}} Bran is crippled from the fall and unable to walk, but the crow tells him that he is ''the winged wolf'' bound in chains. After he wakes, he learns much Northern lore from [[Luwin|Maester Luwin]] and [[Old Nan]].

When [[Tyrion Lannister]] stops at [[Winterfell]] on his way back from [[The Wall]], he gives schematics for a saddle designed for Bran's crippled form, despite threats from Bran's brother [[Robb Stark|Robb]], acting as Lord of Winterfell, and the direwolves. {{Ref|aGoT|24}} Later, while testing this out on a ride in the [[Wolfswood]], Bran is ambushed by a band of [[Free Folk|wildlings]] and Night's Watch deserters, but is rescued by Robb, [[Theon Greyjoy]], [[Grey Wind]], and Summer. {{Ref|aGoT|37}}

Afterwards, he begins to bond with the sole survivor of that band, [[Osha]], due to their shared faith in the [[old gods]]. When Robb calls the Northern banners following Lord Eddard's arrest in [[King's Landing]], Bran witnesses the incident with the [[Greatjon]], and is the acting Lord of Winterfell when Robb rides south. {{Ref|aGoT|53}} Later, Bran has a dream of his father in the crypts of the castle - he ventures there with Osha, finding nothing - but, almost immediately, Maester Luwin receives a raven-borne message informing Winterfell of Ned's execution by [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]]'s command. {{Ref|aGoT|66}}

===''A Clash of Kings''===
After [[Robb Stark|Robb]] becomes [[King in the North]], Bran, as Robb's heir, becomes the Prince of [[Winterfell]], and rules the castle in his brother's absence.{{Ref|aCoK|16}} He befriends [[Meera Reed|Meera]] and [[Jojen Reed]], children of his father's most trusted friend, [[Howland Reed]].{{Ref|aCoK|21}}

While sleeping, Bran frequently enters [[Summer]]'s mind (though he thinks he is simply dreaming) and begins to become more bestial. Jojen recognizes Bran's ability as [[skinchanger|skinchanging]], and instructs him on how to use it properly. After learning of Bran's visions, Jojen claims that if Bran goes north beyond the [[Wall]], he can find the [[three-eyed crow]] from his dreams.{{Ref|aCoK|28}}

When [[Theon Greyjoy]] betrays the Starks and captures [[Winterfell]], Bran and [[Rickon Stark|Rickon]] hide in the crypts.{{Ref|aCoK|69}} To hide the truth of their escape, Theon has two other children murdered and skinned by "[[Ramsay Bolton|Reek]]" and proclaims them to be Bran and Rickon.{{Ref|aCoK|56}}

Theon is betrayed by [[Ramsay Bolton]], who has [[Winterfell]] burned and takes the surviving women and children to the [[Dreadfort]]. Ramsay does not act out of loyalty to the [[House Stark|Starks]], but acts in coordination with his father to [[Red Wedding|betray the Starks]], and even massacres those loyal to the Starks outside of Winterfell.{{Ref|aCoK|66}}

The brothers and their traveling party split. Rickon and [[Osha]] set off in the direction of [[White Harbour]]. Bran, [[Hodor]], [[Meera Reed|Meera]] and [[Jojen Reed]] go north to seek the [[three-eyed crow]].{{Ref|aCoK|69}}

===''A Storm of Swords''===
[[Ramsay Bolton]] was in on the trick played by [[Theon Greyjoy|Theon]] with the miller's children, so Bolton's men search for the real Bran and [[Rickon Stark|Rickon]].{{Ref|aSoS|24}} Bran, [[Meera Reed|Meera]], [[Jojen Reed|Jojen]], and [[Hodor]] travel in secret to evade them.

Enroute to the [[Wall]] they stop at [[Queenscrown]]. While hidden inside the castle they spot men in the village.{{Ref|aSoS|40}} Summer attacks the men, among whom is Bran's half-brother, [[Jon Snow]]. Summer's attack gives Jon the opportunity to get away from his [[wildling]] companions.{{Ref|aSoS|41}}

They eventually reach the Wall at the [[Nightfort]] and meet [[Samwell Tarly]] of the [[Night's Watch]]. He leads them through a secret door at the bottom of a well that takes them through to the north side of the Wall. There they meet [[Coldhands]], an enigmatic figure of uncertain allegiance.{{Ref|aSoS|56}}

===A Dance with Dragons===
Bran, [[Meera Reed|Meera]], [[Jojen Reed|Jojen]], [[Hodor]], and [[Coldhands]] continue their journey through the [[Haunted Forest]] in search of the [[three-eyed crow]]. The journey is long and cold, and they suffer on the brink of starvation. To try and sate his hunger, Bran feasts on human flesh while inside [[Summer]].{{Ref|aDwD|4}}

They reach the cave of the three-eyed crow, but are ambushed by [[wight|wights]] just outside the cave’s entrance. Bran [[warg|wargs]] into Hodor to fight off the wights, but blacks out and wakes up again inside the cave. The cave is warded against [[Others|White Walkers]] and wights, so Coldhands cannot accompany them inside. Inside the cave, the group meet the remaining [[children of the forest]] and the three-eyed crow.{{Ref|aDwD|13}}

The three-eyed crow teaches Bran about [[greenseer|greenseeing]] and [[skinchanger|skinchanging]]. Bran is fed a paste of [[weirwood]] seeds, which awakens his greenseeing gifts. He then wargs into the weirwood roots around them and sees his father, [[Eddard Stark|Eddard]], through [[Winterfell]]'s heart tree in the past. He tries to speak to Eddard, but all that is heard is a whisper on the wind.

The three-eyed crow explains that he can look into the past through the weirwoods, but cannot change the past. Bran then later dreams again through Winterfell’s heart tree and sees flashes of the past as far back as the old Kings of Winter. While inside the cave, Bran continues to warg into Hodor to explore the deeper parts of the cave.{{Ref|aDwD|34}}

It appears that Bran contacts Theon through the [[weirwood]] tree at Winterfell before Theon is forced to help the [[spearwife|spearwives]] rescue "[[Arya Stark]]" ([[Jeyne Poole]]).<ref>[[A Dance with Dragons]], [[A Ghost in Winterfell (A Dance with Dragons)|A Ghost in Winterfell]]</ref>

==Family==
{{Stark tree}}

{{Template:POV Characters}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=hbo>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO Cast and crew page]</ref>
}}
{{EnWP|House Stark|small=yes}}


[[Category:POV characters|Stark, Bran]]
[[Category:Nobles|Stark, Bran]]
[[Category:House Stark]]
[[Category:Characters from the North|Stark, Bran]]
[[Category:Greensight|Stark, Bran]]
[[Category:Skinchangers|Stark, Bran]]


[[fr:Bran Stark]]
[[ru:Брандон_(Бран)_Старк]]
[[Zh:布兰·史塔克]]
[[es:Bran Stark]]
[[pt:Bran Stark]]
[[nl:Bran Stark]]

Jojen Reed

2013-06-22T13:37:56Z

SerMyLady: /* A Dance with Dragons */ not a proper noun

{{Character
| Character_name= [[File:Reed coat of arms.png|70px|left]] '''Jojen Reed''' [[File:Reed coat of arms.png|70px|right]]
| image = [[File:Jojen and Meera Reed.jpg|250px|Jojen and Meera Reed by Amoka©]]
| image_caption = Jojen and Meera Reed by Amoka©
| Alias = Little Grandfather
| Title =
| Allegiance = [[House Reed]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Crannogmen]]
| Spouse =
| Place_of_Birth=
| Date_of_Birth = +/- {{Date|286}}
| Place_of_Death=
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (Appears)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = Thomas Brodie-Sangster
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 3|Season 3]]
}}

'''Jojen Reed''' is [[Howland Reed]]'s only son and [[Meera Reed]]'s younger brother. Jojen has [[greensight]], the power of prophetic dreams. He is thirteen.{{Ref|aSoS|9}}

==Characteristics==
Jojen is barely an adolescent when he arrives at [[Winterfell]], but his gravity and mature personality make him seem older.{{Ref|aSoS|9}} He is short and slim with unusually deep green eyes, wearing green colored clothing.{{Ref|aCoK|21}} He knows a number of arcane things that he gleans from his dreams, including the day of his death.{{Ref|aCoK|28}}

==History==
In his childhood Jojen nearly died of greywater fever. While he was near death, he was visited by a [[Three-eyed crow]] that gave him the gift of [[greensight]], causing him to experience prophetic dreams. One such dream involved a chained wolf that the three-eyed crow was trying to free from a chain. When Jojen told his [[Howland Reed|father]] about the dream, Lord Howland sent him and his sister Meera to [[Winterfell]].{{Ref|aCoK|28}}

===A Clash of Kings===
[[File:Mustamirri reedscamping.jpg|thumb|250px|Jojen and Meera, on their way to [[Winterfell]] - by mustamirri ©]]
In the middle of a Harvest Feast Jojen and his sister [[Meera Reed|Meera]] arrive to pledge the [[House Reed|Reeds']] support to [[Winterfell]] and [[Robb Stark|Robb]] after [[Eddard Stark]]'s death. [[Luwin|Maester Luwin]] tells Bran that he should meet these two warmly because Howland Reed was a great friend of his father and these are his children. Jojen asks about the [[direwolf|Direwolves]], wanting to see them and is told they are in the [[Godswood]].{{Ref|aCoK|21}}

Later, after Meera manages to defeat Summer using a net and frog spear, Jojen tells Bran that everyone in the Castle hears him scream when he sleeps, and asks about what frightens him. Jojen tells Bran that he should leave Winterfell sooner rather than later and Meera reveals that Jojen has the [[Greensight]]. Jojen and Meera ask Bran to tell them what frightens him; they tell him that that everyone in the Castle hears him scream when he sleeps. Bran does not tell, but is interested in what dreams Jojen has had. Jojen says he will tell if Bran will tell about his dreams. Jojen tells Bran that he is sure that he is ''the Winged Wolf'' bound to earth with chains.

Meera reveals that they were sent to Winterfell by their father after hearing about Jojen’s dreams. Bran tells them about the dreams of the [[three-eyed crow]]. The Crow has sent them to free him, and that the Crow is in the North beyond the Wall. Bran is also told that he must open his third eye to free himself. Bran says that he has only two, and that he does not need a third eye. Jojen’s questioning of Bran about his dreams upsets Bran, and Summer starts getting aggressive. [[Shaggydog]] also appears, brought by Summer’s anger. Meera tells Bran to call them off, but he does not know how, and Jojen tells Bran that Summer is reacting to his anger. When Meera tells Jojen to climb the tree, Jojen tells her that it is not yet time for him to die. Meera and Jojen escape up the Godswood. Bran calls [[Hodor]], who chases off the wolves.{{Ref|aCoK|28}}

Later Jojen enters Bran’s room with Meera behind him after he is left in his room by [[Osha]] (while being carried, Bran questioned Osha who tells Bran that she has seen many of the mythical beasts of the North, but not a three-eyed-Crow). Bran finally tells them about his wolf dreams. Then Jojen reveals his dream: he dreamed that sea would come to Winterfell in the dark of night, drowning many people. Then Bran tells Jojen about his dreams of the Crow and the worst, his dreams of falling. Jojen tells him he is a Warg, and that he is powerful but will not fly unless he opens his third eye. Jojen also warns Bran not to tell anyone because people will fear him. After they leave, Bran attempts unsuccessfully to open the third eye.

In following days Bran tries to warn his household, but no one seems to believe him. He is also with Meera and Bran as they play a game of tiles and discuss the dreams. When Bran tells them that [[Maester Luwin]] thinks that it should be possible to change the dreams, Meera agrees with Bran that it should be possible. Meera gets angry with her brother when he tells them that what he sees always come true. Then Jojen reveals that he has seen bodies of Bran and [[Rickon Stark|Rickon]] at the feet of the man they call Reek (not yet revealed as being actually [[Ramsay Snow]]) and he is skinning off their faces with a knife. Meera states that she could go down to the dungeons and kill Reek now, but Jojen tells her she will not succeed; first the jailers would stop her, and they will never believe.{{Ref|aCoK|35}}

When [[Theon Greyjoy]] takes Winterfell, Bran is lead out of his room where he meets Meera and Jojen, who have also been taken captive.{{Ref|aCoK|46}}

Later, Bran, Meera, Jojen, [[Rickon Stark|Rickon]], [[Osha]] and [[Hodor]] fake an escape from Winterfell, returning to hide in the crypts until after the castle is sacked by [[Ramsay Bolton]]. Hodor has to force the crypts' door open with his massive strength and they find the castle destroyed. They discover many of the bodies of the people Jojen saw dead in his dream. In the godswood they find Maester Luwin unconscious. They waken him and he tells them of enemies in all directions. Luwin advises [[Osha]] to split the Stark children. Osha decides to take Rickon with her South and Jojen says that they will take Bran. After they separate, Jojen tells the others that their road is north, so he, Meera, Hodor and Bran travel north.{{Ref|aCoK|69}}

===A Storm of Swords===
Jojen is there when Hodor wakes Bran from the Wolf dream while in the ruins of a tower. Jojen warns Bran against spending too much time as the wolf, telling him that he must eat, and that eating in the Wolf Dream did not count. Bran tells Jojen that he wanted to eat the deer he had won in a fight against wolves; he was tired of the frogs Meera caught. Jojen asked if he had marked the trail, and Bran knows he did not do as Jojen told him again. Bran also points out that at one time Jojen was telling him to explore is skills in the Wolf dream and now he discourages him.

It is revealed that Jojen is so serious that he has was nicknamed little grandfather at Winterfell. Jojen tells them that the next day they need to leave. Meera questions him on why they should leave given they seem safe and there is plenty of food. Jojen tells her that this is not the place they need to be. Meera and then Bran state they want to go to a village to at least get horses (or a boat), but Jojen tells her that they cannot reveal themselves to anybody because Bran is safe as long as it is thought he is dead. He continues by stating they are not robbers. Jojen explains to them that they must find Bran’s teacher; Jojen does not have the knowledge to train him since Jojen does not understand the gifts that Bran was given, which are way beyond Jojen’s gift. Then Meera tells Bran that Jojen is right, what they are is servants, and they will do what he tells them to do. Bran tells them that he wants to fly, and to take him to the crow with tears in his eyes.{{Ref|aSoS|9}}

As they move north, they are fed with the fish Meera spears and the squirrels or hares Summer finds. Bran often watches as Meera spears fish, admiring her speed and precision. As they progress north food becomes harder to find, and even Summer is having a hard time finding food. Jojen insists that they keep away from roads because roads have travelers that will spread tales about a giant, a cripple boy and a wolf. Jojen tells them about the mountain folks, when asked if the mountain people know they are there, Bran knows they do because of his wolf dreams.

When they are desperate, and the weather is turning bad, Summer finds them a cave where they find a mountain man (Bran thinks he is a Liddle) that shares his food with them. When asked if they should take the King’s road, the mountain man tells them that things are dangerous. Now there are flayed men (the bastard’s men), and dead men. As for the wall he tells them that the Bear disappeared north of the wall with most of his men and that his ravens had returned with no messages. He continues by stating things were different when there was a Stark in Winterfell. Jojen tells him that the wolves will be back. In the morning the man is gone, but he left some food for them.{{Ref|aSoS|24}}

When Jojen tells Bran that Hodor likes it when somebody says his name, Bran tells them that that his real name is Walder and he is Nan’s distant progeny.{{Ref|aSoS|24}}

They arrive at a village in disrepair: the most substantial building, the inn, only having only some walls still standing. When asked about the place, Bran tells them that this is part of the New Gift given to the Night's Watch thanks to Queen Alysanne. The area had been abandoned because of raiding by the [[Free Folk|Wildings]]. With the Watch not being as strong, the villages could not be protected, and the small folk moved south even though the land is good for farming as Jojen had noted earlier. Jojen tells them they have to find shelter since a storm is coming.

There is a Holdfast in the middle of the lake, but Meera notes that they have no boat. Bran tells them there is a stone causeway hidden under the water, and Meera easily finds it once she knows it is there. When asked how he knows this Bran tells them that Old Nan told him. In honor Queen Alysanne, who stayed there, there was a gold crown on the Holdfast; some of the gold can still be seen. Meera leads them across as the causeway ziged and zaged. It goes almost a third of the way around the island before coming back. The water comes only up to Hodor’s waist and the Reed’s chests, and is slippery, making the journey treacherous. The door to the holdfast cannot be completely closed, but Meera is able to open it all the way. Stairs lead up and down, but are closed off by rusted iron grates which cannot be forced. Bran is able from Hodor’s back to reach up and pull open the rusted grate covering a murder hole above them.

They climb up through the murder hole to the safety of group of small cells on the second level with a total of 5 levels. Bran asks Jojen how they will get past the wall, but Jojen is not sure, only that one of the castles along the wall may give them a way through. He tells them they cannot go to the occupied castles (besides, the Nights Watch may not let them pass). Bran tells them that his uncle told him that the gates through the wall were sealed when they were abandoned. Meera says they should open them, but Bran worries about letting bad things back through. It is then that Jojen sees a man on a horse in the village and then the storm arrives. The thunder scares Hodor who starts screaming his name in fear. Bran is able to quite him after Jojen asks him to. Immediately after this Jojen spies many more men in the village. Hodor starts screaming again in agony, but nobody can control Hodor. Then Bran reaches for him as he had for Summer (Bran knows that he was Hodor for a second) and Hodor collapses on the floor almost comatose.{{Ref|aSoS|40}}

They arrive at the [[Nightfort]], this castle chosen because of Jojen’s Greendream. They cannot figure out from here how to get across the wall, and Bran tells Jojen that they should have gone to the Castle Black, but Jojen tells him they dare not. Jojen reminds Bran that he had helped his brother at the Queen’s Crown through Summer, killing at least 3 of the Wildings. There had been too many of them and Summer had been hit by an arrow during his escape. Afterwards Bran could not reach Summer, being driven away by the pain. After that night, it took a while for the Wildings to leave, and so the group waited until the next day to leave. Summer had finally swum across, and Meera removed the arrow and treated the wound.

At the Nightfort Meera climbs to the top of the wall, and the other two search the buildings. They decide to sleep that night in the kitchen because it would provide some protection. The kitchen has a central well with steps inside leading down. As they go to sleep, Jojen states that maybe he would have a Greendream to show him the way. Bran cannot get to sleep, and then hears sounds that are coming from the well that are getting louder, footsteps. Bran wiggles over to Meera and wakes her. She hears the sound at once, arms herself, then goes to the well. Bran cannot let Meera handle the threat alone, so forces his way into Hordor (it is very difficult). As Hordor, he grabs a sword. When the thing finally comes over the edge of the well, Bran, in fear, loses connection with Hodor, who starts screaming. Meera traps the thing in her net and sticks him with her frog spear. When the fire is stoked up they see a girl, [[Gilly]], with a baby and a fat man in the black of the Nights Watch trapped in the net. It is [[Samwell Tarly|Sam]].

The girl asks if Jojen is the one that [[Coldhands]] sent them to get, the one that Coldhands was sent to find. Coldhands had told them that there would be people in a castle. When Jojen asks how Sam and his group got through the wall, and Sam told him that they came through the Black Gate, a gate as old as the wall. Sam will have to take them back because only a man sworn to the Nights Watch can open the gate. Sam tells them that Coldhands was dressed in the black of the Nights Watch but pale. He rides an elk and has ravens.

Coldhands did not come because he cannot pass beyond the wall because there are spells woven into it. When Sam sees the cripple, the one Jojen tells him he is one that Coldhands wants, he recognizes Bran as Jon’s brother. When Jojen states that Bran is dead, Sam realizes that they are keeping Bran being alive a secret, and Sam states that he and Gilly can keep a secret. Bran then tells Sam that Jon is alive. When Summer licks Sam’s hand, Bran decides they will go with him. The gate is made of a White [[Weirwood]] with a withered face. The door opened its eyes and asked “Who are You.” Sam answers with a rhyme and the door allows them to pass.{{Ref|aSoS|56}}

===A Dance with Dragons===
Jojen, [[Bran Stark|Bran]], [[Meera Reed|Meera]], [[Hodor]], and [[Coldhands]] travel north of the [[Wall]] in search of the [[three-eyed crow]].{{Ref|aDwD|4}} They reach the cave of the three-eyed crow, but are ambushed by [[wight|wights]] just outside the cave’s entrance. Because Jojen is too weak to continue, Meera carries him on her back. Inside the cave, the group meet the remaining [[children of the forest]] and the three-eyed crow.<ref>[[A Dance with Dragons]], [[Bran II (A Dance with Dragons)|Bran II]]</ref>

Jojen falls into a resigned depression. He wants to go home to [[Greywater Watch]]. Meera implies while speaking with Bran that Jojen has had a [[greenseer|greendream]] of his fate when he goes to Greywater Watch, and that the outcome is not good.<ref>[[A Dance with Dragons]], [[Bran III (A Dance with Dragons)|Bran III]]</ref>

==Jojen’s Prophesies==
Earlier [[Bran Stark|Bran]] had gotten angry at [[Jojen Reed]] when he continues to ask about the wolf dreams, and [[Summer]] starts growling at Jojen in response to Bran’s anger. [[Shaggydog]] appears and joins his brother wolf, and they attack. Jojen and his sister [[Meera Reed|Meera]] escape by climbing a tree. Bran then talks to Maester [[Luwin]] about [[Greenseer|green dreams]] and the maester tells him dreams sometimes come true, but magic has gone, and dreams are just dreams. Afterwards Meera comes to his room, and Bran tells her about what the maester said. She leaves him with one of Jojen’s green dreams:

{{Quote|You were sitting at supper, but instead of a servant, Maester Luwin brought you your food. He served you the king’s cut off the roast, the meat rare and bloody, but with a savory smell that made everyone’s mouth water. The meat he served the Freys was old and grey and dead. Yet they liked their supper better than you liked yours.{{Ref|aCoK|28}}}}
Later [[Bran Stark|Bran]] learns of his brother’s victory, and the death of Ser [[Ryman Frey]] from Maester Luwin. Bran knows that only Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] matters, as [[Walder Frey (Big)|Big Walder]] states, which disquiets him. Niether Big Walder or [[Walder Frey (Little)|Little Walder]] seem bothers by their uncle Ser [[Stevron Frey]]’s death, who note he was very old (50 or 60) and always tired. Little Walder asks if Ser [[Emmon Frey]] is now heir, and his brother gives him line of ascension: Ser [[Ryman Frey]], [[Edwyn Frey]], and [[Black Walder Frey]], [[Petyr Frey]], [[Aegon Frey]] and his sons. Little Walder states the Ryman is too old, and then asks if they think he will be lord, and Big Walder states he will be lord and does not care. The maester tells them that they should be ashamed.
After Bran is carried back to his room, Jojen enters the room unbidden with Meera behind him. Brans asks Jojen if he had heard about the bird; it was not supper, it was a letter from Robb. Jojen tells him that the [[Greenseer|green dreams]] are not easy to understand. When Bran asks Jojen to tell him his dream, and that he will believe him no matter how strange it sounds. Then Jojen reveals:

{{Quote|I dreamed that the sea was lapping all around Winterfell. I saw black waves crashing against the gates and towers, and then the salt water came flowing over the walls and filled the castle. Drowned men were floating in the yard. When I first dreamed the dream, back at Greywater, I didn’t know their faces, but now I do. That Alebelly is one, the guard who called our names at the feast. Your [[Chayle|septon’s]] another. Your [[Mikken|smith]] as well.}}
Bran, confused and dismayed, replies:

{{Quote| But the sea is hundreds and hundreds of leagues away, and Winterfell’s walls are so high the water couldn’t get in even if it did come}}
To this Jojen replies:

{{Quote| In the dark of night the salt sea will flow over these walls,” said jojen. “I saw the dead, bloated and drowned.}}
Bran tries to warn others, but mostly the dream is dismissed. Ser [[Rodrik Cassel]] finally returns with a prisoner, [[Reek]] who was involved in the forced marriage and then murder of Lady [[Donella Manderly|Hornwood]]. Jojen reveals to Bran that he had a green dream where Reek is skinning off his face.

When Bran meets with the Reeds later that night, Meera agrees that it should be possible to change prophesies. Meera gets angry with her brother when he tells them that what he sees always come true. Then Meera states that [[Alebelly]] and Bran should both fight to avoid their fates. Bran asks if he drowns also and Jojen reveals another dream:

{{Quote| Not drowned. I dreamed of the man who came today, the one they call Reek. You and your brother lay dead at his feet, and he was skinning off your faces with a long red blade.}}
Meera states that she could go down to the dungeons and kill Reek now, but Jojen tells her she will not succeed; first the jailers would stop her, and they will never believe. Even if Bran went to [[Greywater]] the green dreams do not lie.{{Ref|aCoK|35}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}
{{EnWP|Minor houses in A Song of Ice and Fire|small=yes}}

[[Category:Nobles|Reed, Jojen]]
[[Category:Characters from the North|Reed, Jojen]]
[[Category:Greensight|Reed, Jojen]]
[[Category:House Reed]]

[[fr:Jojen Reed]][[ru:Жойен Рид]]
[[zh:玖健·黎德]][[zh:琼恩·艾林]][[zh:玖健·黎德]][[pt:Jojen Reed]]

Skinchanger

2013-06-22T13:37:16Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

[[File:Bran stark dreams by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Bran Stark]] is a skinchanger. Art by TeiIku ©]]
A '''skinchanger''' or '''warg''' is a person with the ability to enter the mind of an animal and control its actions. It is much easier for a skinchanger to do so if a bond exists between the two parties. The interaction between the skinchanger’s and animal’s mind will influence both personalities, with detrimental effects to the human if the animal’s influence is not fought. As yet, there has only been one known incidence of a skinchanger entering another human’s mind, and only a simple-minded one at that. This incidence was particularly traumatic to the person involved, and difficult for the skinchanger. Such an event proves to be a moral and ethical dilemma.

An untrained skinchanger may unconsciously enter the mind of an animal, especially while sleeping, particularly if a bond exists. It is extremely traumatic if an animal is killed while its mind is inhabited by a skinchanger. If a skinchanger is killed while inhabiting a creature, a part of his consciousness will remain in the creature. Much fear and superstition exists around skinchangers, with many mistakenly believing them to be shape shifters. It is said the greatest of the skinchangers were the [[greenseer|greenseers]], who amongst many other things could warg. The greatest amongst them could wear the skin of any beast. One man in a thousand is born a skinchanger, and one skin changer in a thousand could be a greenseer.

==Notes about Skinchanging==
Nature of the beasts, according to [[Haggon]]:
* Dogs are easy to bond with, because they are so much like humans and trusting; it becomes easier with time to skinchange into one.
* Wolves are harder; one has to forge a lasting bond, much like a marriage. A man might befriend a wolf, even break a wolf, but no man could truly tame a wolf.
* Birds are very tempting, but a warg may soon lose contact to the mundane things of earth, and want only to fly.
* Cats are cruel and vain beasts and can’t be easily controlled, only forced.
* Elk and deer are prey; wear their skins too long, and even the bravest man becomes a coward.

An unwritten code of ethics for [[wildling]] Skinchangers, as told by [[Haggon]], forbids them:
* To eat of human meat.
* To mate as wolf with wolf.
* To seize the body of another man (this is the worst abomination).

==Second Life==
A skinchanger can experience many deaths while in another body. It is only when the person's human body dies that the "True death" occurs. It is possible for the warg to live a type of second life, a much simpler life inside the mind of an animal he controls. In the second life, the skin changer’s memory slowly fades until nothing of the man is left and only the beast remains. {{Ref|aDwD|Prologue}}

==Known skinchangers==
There have been few known skinchangers in modern times, with most people associating them with the legends of the [[children of the forest]], particularly the greenseers.

===Stark Children===
The skinchanging ability is primarily seen amongst the current generation of [[House_Stark|Stark]] children. All of the children and their [[direwolf|direwolves]] are said to exhibit common personalities, although in most instances this is entirely unconscious and is not likely to involve entering the animal's mind.

* '''[[Bran Stark]]''': Despite his young age, Bran is a more experienced skinchanger than any of his siblings. This is possibly due to his enhanced state of consciousness experienced when he was comatose after his fall. Initially he was just entering [[Summer]], his direwolf's, mind during sleep and just believed he was having vivid dreams. Once [[Jojen Reed]] arrived at [[Winterfell]] and recognised what was occurring, he began to instruct Bran on how to control his abilities. Since this time, he has been able to slip into his wolf during waking hours and control the body, instead of simply experiencing everything the direwolf does. On his journey to find the children of the forest, Bran and his companions are attacked by a number of [[Wights]]. In order to save his own life and the lives of his companions, Bran enters the mind of his guide [[Hodor]] so that he can fight the Wights more effectively. Bran, under the tutelage of [[Bloodraven]], learns to enter a raven and later the Great [[Weirwood]] at [[Winterfell]].

* '''[[Arya Stark]]''': Whilst traveling, Arya experienced dreams of her direwolf, [[Nymeria (direwolf)|Nymeria]], leading a wolfpack and attacking some humans. This corresponds to events in the area where Nymeria is believed to be, with the wolves becoming larger and more bold. She also entered the minds of cats when she was in [[Braavos]].

* '''[[Jon Snow]]''': [[Varamyr Sixskins]] notes that Jon Snow is a strong skin changer, but untrained in and unaware of his true abilities; he had known what Jon was the moment he saw the great white direwolf stalking silent at his side. Jon Snow's ability has manifested few times, as he slipped into [[Ghost]] while scouting for [[Wildlings]] with [[Qhorin Halfhand]]. Through Ghost's eyes, he spied on the Wildling horde. When an eagle attacked [[Ghost]], Jon woke screaming.By ''A Dance with Dragons'', Jon is often having wolf dreams. [[Melisandre]] has offered to help him with his abilities, but so far he has turned her down.

===Wildlings===

* '''[[Orell]]''' was a wildling raider and skinchanger who could inhabit the body of an eagle. This eagle was frequently seen before the main body of the Wildling exodus, providing valuable scouting information. While inhabiting the eagle, Orell was killed by [[Jon Snow]], causing the eagle, or the remains of Orell's consciousness, to despise him.
* '''[[Varamyr|Varamyr Sixskins]]''' is a wildling accompanied by three wolves, a [[snow bear]] and a [[shadowcat]]. Consequently, he is almost certainly the greatest skinchanger seen by anyone south of [[The Wall]] in living memory. After Orell's death, Varamyr took control of his eagle, using it to scout during the battle at [[Castle Black]]. This eagle was killed by [[Melisandre]] while he was inhabiting it, causing him to go mad.
* '''[[Haggon]]''' was the mentor of Varamyr Sixskins.{{Ref|aDwD|Prologue}}
* '''[[Borroq]]''' is a skinchanger who can inhabit the body of a boar.{{Ref|aDwD|Prologue}}
* '''[[Briar]]''' was a skinchanger who could inhabit the body of a shadowcat.{{Ref|aDwD|Prologue}}
*''' [[Grisella]]''' was a female wildling skinchanger who could inhabit the body of a goat.{{Ref|aDwD|Prologue}}

===Other Skinchangers===

* '''[[Brynden Rivers]]''': Former [[Hand of the King]] and [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch]], now [[three-eyed crow]] and part of the roots of a [[Weirwood|Weirwood tree]]. He mainly skinchanges into crows and [[raven]]s but can also see through Weirwood trees.

==References and Notes==
{{EnWP|Organizations in A Song of Ice and Fire|small=yes}}
{{references|2}}

[[Category:Skinchangers| ]]
[[Category:Abilities]]
[[fr:Zoman]][[ru:Варг]][[zh:易形者]]

Greenseer

2013-06-22T13:36:23Z

SerMyLady: /* A Dance with Dragons */ not a proper noun

[[File:UrukkiSaki_athousandeyesandone.jpg|[[Bran Stark]] is being mentored by the [[Last Greenseer]] – by Urukki Saki ©|thumb|350px|right]]
A '''greenseer''' is the name for the wise men of the [[children of the forest]] who had magical abilities that included power over nature and prophetic visions.

Greenseers had the [[greensight]] and were [[skinchanger|wargs]] as well.{{Ref|aSoS|9}} The [[First Men]] believed that they were responsible for carving the faces into [[weirwood]] trees and stories describe the greenseers seeing through the faces of their weirwoods, influencing animal and plant life.{{Ref|aCoK|28}} As the tales go, they used their power to shatter the Arm of [[Dorne]] into the island chain of the [[Stepstones]].{{Ref|aGoT|66}}

One in a thousand men is born a [[skinchanger]] and one skinchanger in a thousand is born a greenseer.{{Ref|aDwD|34}} It is also known that humans can be born greenseers just as they are born wargs.

The relationship between the greenseers of the children of the forest and the order of green men who protect the [[Isle of Faces]] in the [[God's Eye]] has not been specified. There is one greenseer left in the world - the [[Last Greenseer]].
==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===
In [[Winterfell]] Maester [[Luwin]] discusses the [[greensight]] and the greenseers with [[Bran]]. Bran remembers that Maester [[Luwin]] told him that the children of the forest had the greensight. Masters Luwin answers,
{{Quote|“Some claimed to have that power. Their wise men were called '''greenseers'''. {{Ref|aCoK|28|p 440}}}}
When Bran asks, was it magic? Master Luwin replies,
{{Quote|“Call it that for want of a better word, if you must. At heart it was only a different sort of knowledge. {{Ref|aCoK|28|p 440}}}}
When Bran asks him what was it? Master Luwin answers,
{{Quote|“No one truly knows, Bran. The children are gone from the world, and their wisdom with them. It had to do with the faces in the trees, we think. The [[First Men]] believed that the greenseers could see through the eyes of the [[weirwood]]s. That was why they cut down the trees whenever they warred upon the children. Supposedly the greenseers also had the power over the beasts of the wood and the birds in the trees. Even fish.” {{Ref|aCoK|28|p 440}}}}
===A Dance with Dragons===
The [[Three-eyed crow|Last Greenseer]] lives with the remaining [[children of the forest]] in a [[cave of the three-eyed crow|cave]] far north of the [[Wall]]. [[Bran Stark]] and his companions go in search of him, embarking on a perilous journey [[Beyond the Wall]]. They are led by [[Coldhands]] to the [[cave of the three-eyed crow|cave]].

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}

[[Category:Organizations]]
[[fr:Vervoyant]][[zh:绿先知]]

Dorne

2013-06-22T13:29:03Z

SerMyLady: /* History */ not a proper noun

[[File:Dorne.png|thumb|400px|Map of Dorne with its major strongholds]]
[[File:Dorne World.png|thumb|175px|Dorne location on [[Westeros]]]]

'''Dorne''' is large peninsula which makes up the southern-most part of [[Westeros]], and is one constituent regions of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Its capital is [[Sunspear]] and the lords of the ruling [[House Martell]] still style themselves "Prince" and "Princess" in the [[Rhoynar|Rhoynish]] fashion.

==Geography==
Dorne is bordered by the [[Sea of Dorne]] to the north, the islands known as the [[Stepstones]] to the east, and the [[Summer Sea]] to the south. Stretched between them is the mountain range known as the [[Red Mountains]], which separates Dorne from the remainder of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] by land. There are only two major passes though the Red Mountains, connecting Dorne with the rest of the continent by land, the [[Stone Way|Stone Way Pass]] and the [[Prince's Pass]]. The Prince’s Pass leads to the Reach, while the Boneway exits the mountains near Summerhall.

Dorne is the hottest region on Westeros. The region is rocky, mountainous, arid and dry, and features the only desert on the continent. Its rivers provide some fertile lands and even during a long summer there is enough rain and other supplies of water to keep Dorne habitable <ref>[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1348/ SSM August 04, 2005]</ref> Inland water is almost as valuable as gold, and wells are jealously guarded.

===Notable locations===
* [[Sunspear]], the seat of [[House Martell]], the ruling family of the region.
* [[Starfall]], the seat of [[House Dayne]].
* [[Yronwood]], the seat of [[House Yronwood]], the most powerful of the Martell bannermen.
* [[Planky Town]], a trade port town at the mouth of the Greenblood.

==People==
: {{Main|Dornishmen}}
Dorne is the least populous of the Seven Kingdoms {{Ref|aFfC|40}}. Dornishmen differ both culturally and ethnically from other Westerosi due to the historical mass immigration of [[Rhoynar|Rhoynish]] people and their relative isolation. Dornishmen have adopted many Rhoynish [[customs]] on top of their [[Andal]] origins. Dornishmen have a reputation for hot-bloodedness and sexual licentiousness, and are still viewed with some mistrust and rivalry by the people of the [[Dornish Marches]]. Dornish [[Bastardy|bastards]] are given the surname Sand.

==Economy==
Dorne provides many exotic products which are uncommon in the rest of the Seven Kingdoms, in particular, citrus fruits and Dorne's own special wines. Lemons, olives, and pomegranates come chiefly from Dorne. Many of these plants are grown with the aid of canals that bring water from streams and rivers. Dorne is also famous for the [[Dornish sand steed|sand steed]], a type of slim but swift horse bred in only in Dorne, which can run for near two days before tiring.{{Ref|aSoS|38}}

[[Ships]] from the [[Free Cities]] such as [[Volantis]] trade at the port town [[Planky Town]], which is located at the mouth of the river [[Greenblood]], allowing transport of goods across the land. Caravans take on supplies at Sunspear before crossing the deep sands to reach the Prince's Pass.

==History==
The [[First Men]] settled Westeros by crossing the land bridge across the [[Narrow Sea]] called the Arm of Dorne. During their great war with the First Men, the [[children of the forest]] broke the Arm in an attempt to stop them coming.

One thousand years ago, Dorne was a coalition of [[Andal]] states and petty kingdoms, with no ruler strong enough to seize control of the entire region, until the [[Rhoynar Invasion]] which forced the people of the [[Rhoynar]] to flee, led by their legendary warrior-queen [[Nymeria]], they left in a fleet of 10,000 ships, arriving to Dorne. Nymeria made alliance with Lord [[Mors Martell]] of Sunspear, and with his support conquered the entire peninsula, uniting it as the Kingdom of Dorne with [[House Martell]] as its ruler. The Rhoynar brought their own gods with them to Dorne, but they have largely disappeared in favor of the Faith. Nevertheless, many Rhoynish customs, including inheritance regardless of gender, have been absorbed into Dornish society.<ref name=SSM1/>

Dorne has had a violent history, particularly with the mountain houses, who lived by raiding across the borders into the marches, feuding with each other endlessly. Dorne and [[the Reach]] fought border wars beyond count and made countless raids across mountains and marches even when at peace, leading to their great enmity.

Seven centuries after the Andal invasion, [[Aegon I|Aegon the Conqueror]] invaded [[Westeros]] and in his [[War of Conquest]] subjugated all of the Andal kings one by one, except Dorne, which successfully resisted the Dragon King. Whereas other kings and lords had taken to the field against Aegon, or clustered in castles, the Dornish refused to give open battle and allow Aegon to deploy his dragons. Instead, they turned to ambush and raids, striking quickly and then slipping back into the desert or through the mountain passes, where even the dragons could not find them. In time, Aegon pulled away from Dorne.

A century and a half later King [[Daeron I]], the Young Dragon, managed to do what his ancestor could not and successfully [[Conquest of Dorne|subdued the kingdom]]. Unfortunately, it almost immediately rose in rebellion. In the resulting conflict, forty thousand soldiers gave their lives, forcing the Targaryens to pull away from Dorne. After Daeron's death, his brother and successor [[Baelor I Targaryen|Baelor the Blessed]] made peace with Dorne instead, marrying off his cousin, [[Daeron II|another Daeron]], to [[Myriah Martell]]. When this prince ruled as Daeron II, he made another marriage pact, offering his younger sister [[Daenerys, daughter of Aegon IV|Daenerys]] to the ruling Prince of Dorne [[Maron Martell]], finally joining Dorne to the rest of the Seven Kingdoms through a peaceful alliance. Before officially joining the realm, the Dornishmen fought alongside Daeron II's forces (being led by his half-Martell son [[Baelor Breakspear]]), helping to suppress the [[Blackfyre Rebellion]].

==References and Notes==
{{References|2|refs=
<ref name=SSM1>So Speak Martin: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1428/ Event horizon chat], March 18, 1999</ref>
}}

{{Template:HousesDorne|state=uncollapsed}}

{{Template:Region Dorne|state=uncollapsed}}

[[Category:Dorne]]
[[Category:Places in Westeros]]

[[fr:Dorne]]
[[ru:Дорн]]
[[es:Dorne]]
[[zh:多恩]]

Riverlands

2013-06-22T13:27:23Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

[[File:The Riverlands.png|300px|thumb|The Riverlands with the major strongholds]]

The '''Riverlands''' is a central region of the continent of [[Westeros]], consisting of the fertile areas between the forks of the [[Trident]]. Because of its central position in Westeros it has been a frequent battleground. The people of the Riverlands are known as "rivermen" and are a mixture of hardy warriors, peaceful fisherfolk and devout smallfolk. Bastards born in the Riverlands are given the surname Rivers.

For the last three centuries the Riverlands have been ruled by [[House Tully]] from their castle at [[Riverrun]], until their defeat in the [[War of the Five Kings]]. Riverrun is now held by [[House Frey]] of the [[Twins]], although [[Petyr Baelish]] has been named Lord Paramount of the Trident and the liege lord of the Riverlands with [[Harrenhal]] as his seat.

==Geography ==
The Riverlands encompass a region of plains, forests, hills, and endless rivers. The lands extend as far north as the swamp area of [[the Neck]], at the source of the Green Fork, east up to the [[kingsroad]], south to the [[Blackwater Rush]], and west to [[Ironman's Bay]] and the hills of [[the Westerlands]]. It seems that the Riverlands only has easily defensible borders in the North. Although there are mountains in the east and the west the mountains themselves seem to belong to the [[Vale]] and the [[Westerlands]] respectively. In the west the heavily fortified castle [[Golden Tooth]] guards the entrance to the Riverlands but belongs itself to the Westerlands.

The Riverlands is named for the number of rivers which are present. The Green Fork that runs south from swamps in the Neck, the Blue Fork and the Red Fork, that run from the north from the southwest, come together a short distance from [[Lord Harroway's Town]] to form the [[Trident]]. The Red Fork runs from its source in the western mountains to [[Riverrun]] where it combines with the [[Tumblestone]] and then runs to the east and combines with the Trident before pouring into the sea at [[Saltpans]]. In the south the [[Blackwater Rush]] runs through a part of the Riverlands.

The Riverlands does not contain any major cities but a number towns, such as [[Fairmarket]], [[Lord Harroway's Town]], [[Saltpans]], [[Maidenpool]] and [[Stoney Sept]]. Its major castles are [[Riverrun]], [[Harrenhal]], [[Seagard]], [[Stone Hedge]], and [[The Twins]]. Additional noteworthy places in the Riverlands are the old ruins at [[Oldstones]], where in ancient times a Riverlands dynasty used to have its castle, and the Lake [[God's Eye]] with the [[Isle of Faces]] in it.

==Economy==
The Riverlands are rich and fertile and populous.<ref>[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1200/ SSM:Strength of the regions] (February 28, 2002)</ref> The numerous rivers that run across its expanse are used for trading and the transport of goods, In times of peace fisherfolk in skiffs and grain barges pole downstream and merchants on floating ships sail on the rivers.{{Ref|aSoS|1}} With so much trade on the rivers, villagers will haul their grain and other goods to it to see it sold and carried elsewhere by the merchants.{{Ref|aSoS|11}} Wine can be made from small, tart grapes grown in the Riverlands. {{Ref|aFfC|31}}

==History ==
===Pre-Targaryen===
:{{See also|Dawn Age|Andal Invasion}}

During the Dawn Age the [[First Men]] settled in the Riverlands, coming into conflict with the native [[children of the forest]]. After centuries of fighting, a [[pact]] was signed at the [[Isle of Faces]], the children withdrew to their forests, while the First Men raised their kingdoms in the lands ceded by the mysterious folk. The Riverlands saw the rise of the [[King of the Rivers and the Hills|Kings of the Rivers and Hills]].

During the thousand years that followed, various families ruled the Riverlands. Many dynasties claimed these lands, including the [[House Bracken|Brackens]], the [[House Blackwood|Blackwoods]] and the [[House Mudd|Mudds]], who were the last of the First Men to claim the Riverlands as their own. Their time came to an end with the coming of the [[Andal Invasion]]. At this time, King [[Tristifer IV Mudd|Tristifer IV]] of [[House Mudd]], raised his armies and met the Andal invaders. King Tristifer was said to have won 99 out of his 100 battles against the Andals; in the final battle he was killed. His son and successor, [[Tristifer V Mudd|Tristifer V]] was not as successful as his father and the kingdom fell.

The Andals raised their own petty kingdoms and for a long time the Riverlands were the kingdom of native Andal dynasties, including the [[House Teague|Teagues]], the [[House Fisher|Fishers]] and the [[House Justman|Justmans]]. The last native king was killed by [[the Stormlands|Stormland]] invaders about 360 years before [[Aegon's Landing]]. The [[Storm King|Storm Kings]] in turn were defeated by [[King of the Iron Islands|Iron King]] [[Harwyn Hoare|Harwyn Hardhand]], who established his own kingdom from the Iron Islands to the Riverlands. Two generations later, Harwyn's grandson, [[Harren the Black]], ordered the construction the immensive castle, [[Harrenhal]], as a display of his wealth and power. Construction of Harrenhal took forty years and a huge amount of resources and money to build. Ironically, the same day the most immense castle in history was finished, [[Aegon I]] invaded Westeros with his [[dragon]]s.

===Targaryen Era===
King Harren the Black was very unpopular within the Riverlands when Aegon [[War of Conquest|invaded Westeros]]. Aegon approached a number of lords in the region, convincing them to rebel against Harren, including [[Edmyn Tully]]. Harren thought if he refused battle Aegon would have to lay siege to the castle. Instead, Aegon let his dragons attack. The heat produced by the dragons was so great that much of the castle burned and melted, killing Harren and his children. After the victory Aegon raised [[Edmyn Tully]] to Lord Paramount of the Riverlands, a sub-kingdom below the sovereignty of the [[house Targaryen|Targaryens]].


===Robert's Rebellion ===
:{{See also|Robert's Rebellion}}

During [[Robert's Rebellion]] [[Hoster Tully]], Lord Paramount of the Riverlands, took the side of the rebels; he was already connected with them through the engagement of his daughter [[Catelyn Tully|Catelyn]] to [[Brandon Stark]]. After Brandon's death, Hoster had Catelyn married to Brandon's younger brother [[Eddard Stark|Eddard]] and his younger daughter [[Lysa Tully|Lysa]] married to [[Jon Arryn]]. A number of Lord Tully's vassals remained loyal to the Targaryens: [[House Darry|Darry]], [[House Ryger|Ryger]], and [[House Goodbrook|Goodbrook]]. [[Lord Walder Frey]] arrived late to the [[Battle of the Ruby Ford]] in support of the rebels.

The [[Battle of the Trident]], which ultimately determined the outcome of Robert's Rebellion, was fought in the Riverlands.

===War of the Five Kings ===
[[File:Riverlands by reneaigner.jpg|thumb|350px|Riverlands ravaged by war by Rene Aigner©]]
:{{main|War of the Five Kings}}
The Riverlands were hit hard during the war, starting with raiders under the command of Ser [[Gregor Clegane]]. When a party commanded by [[Beric Dondarrion]] went to the Riverlands to find and kill them they were ambushed by the raiders, who resumed their killing and plundering.

A second phase set in as [[Jaime Lannister]] defeated a Riverland army under the command of [[Edmure Tully]] and besieged [[Riverrun]]. Because it was surrounded by the Tumblestone and the Red Fork, Lannister had to set up three camps to lay an effective siege. A northern army under [[Robb Stark]] moved nearby undetected and was able to defeat the different camps in turn, liberating Edmure Tully and taking Jaime Lannister prisoner.

Another [[House Lannister|Lannister]] army was still in the Riverlands south of the Red Fork and was able to kill and plunder at will. [[The Twins]] and [[Seagard]] were noted to be the only two Riverland settlements largely untouched by the fighting.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 56|Chapter 56]], Tyrion</ref><ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 7|Chapter 7]], Catelyn</ref> The majority of Riverland castles were conquered ([[Harrenhal]]) and others were sacked ([[Darry]]). In revenge, the army of Robb Stark invaded the Westerlands.

After the [[Red Wedding]] the Riverland lords surrendered. Most were welcomed again into the king's peace, but the Tullys lost Riverrun to the Freys and the lordship over the Riverlands to [[Petyr Baelish]]. Even thought the war had ended, outlaw bands and broken men still roam the Riverlands, some officially fighting in the name of [[Robert Baratheon|King Robert]], but most killing at will.

==References and Sources==
{{references|2}}
{{HousesRiverlands|state=collapsed}}
{{Region Riverlands|state=uncollapsed}}


[[Category:Riverlands]]
[[Category:Places in Westeros]]


[[fr:Conflans]]
[[ru:Речные Земли]]
[[es:Tierras de los Ríos]]
[[zh:河间地]]

Meera Reed

2013-06-22T13:26:43Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Character
| Character_name = [[File:Reed coat of arms.png|70px|left]] Meera Reed [[File:Reed coat of arms.png|70px|right]]
| image = [[File:Meera reed by daenerys mod.jpg|250px|Meera Reed by Elia Fernandez©]]
| image_caption = Meera Reed by Elia Fernandez©
| Alias =
| Title =
| Allegiance = [[House Reed]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Crannogmen]]
| Spouse =
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth = [[283 AL]]
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (Appears)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = Ellie Kendrick
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 3|Season 3]]
}}
[[File:Mustamirri reedscamping.jpg|Jojen and Meera, on their way to [[Winterfell]] - by mustamirri ©|thumb|250px]]
'''Meera Reed''' is [[Howland Reed]]'s daughter and oldest child. Her younger brother is [[Jojen Reed]]. She is sixteen years old.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 9|Chapter 9]], Bran</ref>

==Character and Appearance==
As is typical of crannogmen, Meera is short and slim. She has long brown hair and green eyes.<ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 21|Chapter 21]], Bran</ref> Although she is flat chested and is never remarked as being particularly beautiful, [[Theon Greyjoy]] seems to have considered her attractive{{Ref|aCoK|50}}, while [[Bran Stark]]'s initial crush on her grows to the point of believing himself to "love" her by A Dance with Dragons{{Ref|aDwD|13}}.

Meera has been taught to fight with a net and a three prong frog spear by her father. She is a fine huntress, able to easily spear fish with her spear. She was able to defeat [[Summer (direwolf)|Summer]] in mock combat with her weapons by entangling the [[direwolf]], in her net.

Meera is described as having a cheerful disposition, in stark contrast to her sullen brother. She is intensely loyal and protective of her "prince" as well as her own brother, and will not back down from a fight if need be. Bran says that the only thing that ever makes her angry or upset is her brother Jojen {{Ref|aSoS|9}}.

==Recent Events==
===A Clash of Kings===
In the middle of a Harvest Feast, Meera and her brother [[Jojen Reed]] arrive to pledge [[House Reed|Reeds']] support to [[Winterfell]] and [[Robb Stark|Robb]] after [[Eddard Stark]]'s death. [[Luwin|Maester Luwin]] tells [[Bran]] that he should greet these two warmly because Howland Reed was a great friend of his father and these are his children. Meera is with Jojen when Jojen asks about the [[direwolf|Direwolves]], wanting to see them, and is told they are in the [[Godswood]].{{Ref|aCoK|21}}

Later, Meera manages to defeat the direwolf [[Summer (direwolf)|Summer]] using a net and frog spear. Bran claims that Summer won, but then Jojen points out that Summer is tangled up in the net and cannot escape. After Bran does a mock fight with Summer, he asks her if she was taught to fight by their Master at Arms, and she tells him that [[Greywater Watch]] has no knights, master at arms, maester, or ravens. She says neither ravens nor the Reeds’ enemies can find [[Greywater Watch]] because it moves, although many have tried.

Bran asks her if he can visit Greywater after the conflict, and she tells him that he can come whenever he wants.

Jojen tells Bran that everyone in the castle hears him scream when he sleeps, and asks about what frightens him. As Jojen questions Bran and pushes him to admit he has [[Skinchanger|the wolf dreams]], Bran gets agitated, which causes Summer to get agitated, and start to act aggressively towards Jojen. Meera tells her brother to climb the tree, but he initially refuses, telling her it is not yet his time to die. [[Shaggydog]] joins Summer and they both start to attack. Jojen finally climbs the tree, Meera following him. They climb down only after Hodor arrives to chase the direwolves away at Bran’s instruction.{{Ref|aCoK|28}}

Later, Meera is behind Jojen when they enter Bran’s room after he is left there by [[Osha]] who had told Bran that she has seen many of the mythical beasts of the North, but not a [[three-eyed crow]]. Bran finally tells Meera and Jojen about his wolf dreams. Then Jojen reveals one of his own dreams: he saw that sea would come to [[Winterfell]].

When Bran tells them that Maester Luwin thinks that it should be possible to change the dreams, Meera agrees. She gets angry with her brother when he tells them that what he sees always comes true. Jojen reveals that he has seen the bodies of Bran and [[Rickon Stark|Rickon]] at the feet of the man they call Reek (not revealed as actually the [[Ramsay Bolton|Bastard of Bolton]] yet) and he is skinning off their faces with a knife. Meera states that she could go down to the dungeons and kill Reek now, but Jojen tells her she will not succeed; the jailers would stop her, he says, and would not believe her if she tried to explain.{{Ref|aCoK|35}}

When [[Theon Greyjoy]] takes Winterfell, Bran is carried out of his room where he meets Meera and Jojen, who have also been taken captive.{{Ref|aCoK|46}}

Later, Bran, Meera, Jojen, [[Rickon Stark|Rickon]], [[Osha]] and [[Hodor]] fake an escape from Winterfell, returning to hide in the crypts until after the castle is sacked by [[Ramsay Snow]]. Debris traps them in the crypts until Hodor forces the door open with his massive strength. Outside they find the castle destroyed. Many of the bodies they find are of the people Jojen saw dead in his dream. Meera takes the sword of [[Rickard Stark]] from the crypts to use as a weapon.

In the [[godswood]], they find Maester Luwin alive but unconscious. They wake him and he warns them of all the enemies Bran and Rickon have in each direction. Luwin advises [[Osha]] to split the Stark children up to make them harder to find. Osha decides to take Rickon with her and Jojen says that he and Meera will take Bran. After they separate, Jojen tells the others that their road is [[Beyond the Wall|north]].{{Ref|aCoK|69}}

===A Storm of Swords===
Meera has been hunting for the group as they move north and is their main food provider, mainly catching fish and frogs.

They camp in a place they call [[Tumbledown Tower]], but Jojen tells them that they need to move on. Meera questions him on why they should leave since Tumbledown Tower is a safe place and there is plenty of food, but Jojen tells her that though Bran could wait out the in anonymity there, it was not the place they needed to be. He says they must keep going to find Bran's [[three-eyed crow|teacher]] in the [[Beyond the Wall|north]]. Meera eventually agrees with Jojen, but gives the choice to Bran, saying he is their prince and they will do what he tells them to do. Bran finally decides to go north.{{Ref|aSoS|9}}

As they move north, they are fed with the fish Meera spears and the squirrels and hares Summer finds. Bran often watches as Meera spears fish, admiring her speed and precision. As they travel on, food becomes harder to find, even for Summer. Jojen insists that they keep away from roads because there will encounter travelers who will spread tales about a giant, a cripple boy and a wolf.
[[File: SirHeartsalot_fellowshipofbran.jpg‎|[[Hodor]], [[Bran]], Meera, [[Jojen Reed|Jojen]], the [[three-eyed crow]] and Summer - by Sir-Heartsalot ©|thumb|350px|right]]
When the weather turns bad, Summer finds them a cave where they find a mountain man (Bran thinks he is a [[House Liddle|Liddle]]) who shares his food with them. When they ask if they should take the King’s road, the mountain man tells them that it's dangerous for travelers. Now there are [[House Bolton|flayed men]] and dead men. He tells them that [[Jeor Mormont|the Bear]] disappeared north of the wall with most of his men and that his ravens had returned with no messages. He says things were different when there was a Stark in Winterfell. Jojen tells him that the wolves will return. In the morning the man is gone, but he left some food for them.{{Ref|aSoS|24}}

When Jojen tells Bran that [[Hodor]] likes it when somebody says his name, Bran tells them that that his real name is Walder and he is [[Nan|Old Nan’s]] distant progeny. He asks if they think the [[Ironborn|Ironmen]] killed Nan. Meera states that it was not [[Theon Greyjoy]] who did the killing because too many of the dead were [[Ironborn]]. Meera tells him to remember Old Nan’s stories so part of Nan would be alive in him.

As they move on, Bran tells the Reeds that both he and Hodor like stories about knights. Meera then proceeds to tell a story about the [[Knight of the Laughing Tree]] in the Year of the False Spring. It starts out when a young [[Crannogmen]] who knew many magics of his people (likely [[Howland Reed]], Meera's father) traveled to visit the [[Isle of Faces]] and stayed there for a winter. In the year of the false spring, he leaves and comes upon [[Harrenhal|a great castle]] where [[Tourney at Harrenhal|a large tourney]] is taking place. He runs into three squires who start a fight with him. A two-legged [[Lyanna Stark|she-wolf]] rescued the Crannogman, attacking the squires and running them off with a tourney sword. She then takes him back to her lair. She insists the lad attend the tourney feast as he has a rightful place at the table.

At the feast, he sees the squires with their knights. He is offered the chance to take the squires on in the joust, but the little Crannogman declines, since Crannogmen are not trained for jousting and he would most likely lose. Late on the second day, however, a short mystery knight in ill-fitting armor appears and defeats the squires served - [[House Blount|the porcupine knight]], [[House Haigh|the pitchfork knight]], and the knight of [[House Frey|the two towers]]. To ransom their horses and armor, the mystery knight, in a booming voice, only requires the knights to teach their squires honor. The knight then disappeared from the lists, leading the king to send his own son, [[Rhaegar Targaryen|the dragon prince]], to search for the [[Knight of the Laughing Tree]]. The next day, all that was found of the mystery knight was the knight's shield painted with a heart tree with a laughing red face. Meera concludes the story by saying [[Rhaegar Targaryen|the dragon prince]] went on to win the tourney.{{Ref|aSoS|24}}

Bran complains about the story, saying the [[Knight of the Laughing Tree]] should have won the whole tourney and the wolf maid should have been crowned as the [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]. Meera says she was, but that that was a sadder story. {{Ref|aSoS|24}} Throughout the telling, Jojen repeatedly asks Bran if he's sure he hasn't heard this story before from his father.

They arrive at a village in disrepair: the most substantial building, the inn, only has a few walls still standing. Bran tells the Reeds that this is part of [[Gift|the New Gift]] given to the Night's Watch courtesy of [[Alysanne Targaryen|Queen Alysanne]]. The area had been abandoned because of raiding by the [[Free Folk|Wildings]]. With the Watch not being as strong, the villages could not be protected, and the smallfolk moved south.

Jojen tells them they have to find shelter since a storm is coming. There is a holdfast, [[Queenscrown]] in the middle of the lake, but Meera notes that they have no boat. Bran tells them that Old Nana said there's a stone causeway hidden under the water, and Meera easily finds the beginning of it once she knows it's there.

Meera leads them across the zigging and zagging causeway. The water comes only up to Hodor’s waist and the Reed’s chests, and is slippery, making the journey treacherous. The door to the holdfast cannot be completely closed, but Meera is able to open it all the way. Stairs lead up and down, but are closed off by rusted iron grates which can not be forced. Bran is able from Hodor’s back to reach up and pull out a rusted grate above them covering a murder hole. They climb up through the murder hole to the safety of a group of small cells on the second level.

Bran asks Jojen how they will get past the wall, but Jojen is not sure, only that one of the castles along the wall may give them a way through. He tells them they cannot go to the occupied castles - the Night's Watch may not let them pass. Bran says that his uncle said that the gates through the wall were sealed when they were abandoned. Meera says they could open them, but Bran worries about letting bad things back through.

It is then that Jojen sees a man on a horse in the village as a storm arrives. The thunder scares Hodor who starts screaming his name in fear. Bran is able to quiet him so they don't give away their position. Immediately after this, Jojen spies many more men in the village, one of whom turns out to be [[Jon Snow]], traveling with wildlings. Hodor starts screaming again in agony, but nobody can control him. Bran reaches for Hodor as he had for Summer for just a second and Hodor sags to the floor, almost comatose.{{Ref|aSoS|40}} Bran posses Summer and attacks the wildlings going after Jon. Summer kills three of them, but takes an arrow to the shoulder.

The group waited until the next day to leave after the wildlings were gone. Summer, who had slunk off to nurse his wounds, finally returns, and Meera removes the arrow and treats the wound.

They arrive at the [[Nightfort]], the castle in Jojen’s green dream, but they cannot figure out how to get across the wall. Bran tells Jojen that they should have gone to [[Castle Black]], but Jojen tells him they dare not.

Meera climbs to the top of the Wall to get a look at the other side while the boys search the buildings. They decide to sleep that night in the kitchen because it would provide some protection. The kitchen has a central well with steps inside leading down. Jojen states that maybe he would have a [[greensight|green dream]] to show them the way.

Bran, who cannot get to sleep, hears sounds coming from the well that are getting louder, like footsteps. Bran wiggles over to Meera and wakes her. She hears the sound at once, arms herself, then goes to the well. Bran cannot let Meera handle the threat alone, so forces his way into Hodor. As Hodor, Bran grabs a sword. When the thing finally comes over the edge of the well, Bran, in fear, loses connection with Hodor, who starts screaming. Meera traps the thing in her net and sticks him with her frog spear.

When the fire is stoked up they see a girl, [[Gilly]], with a baby and a fat man in the black of the Nights Watch trapped in the net. It is [[Samwell Tarly]].

Gilly asks if Jojen is the one that [[Coldhands]] was looking for. Coldhands had told Gilly and Sam that there would be people in the castle. When Jojen asks how Sam and his group got through the wall, and Sam told him that they came through [[Nightfort|the Black Gate]], a passage as old as the wall. Sam will have to take them back because only a man sworn to the Nights Watch can open the gate.

Sam tells them that Coldhands was dressed in the black of the Nights Watch, but pale. He rides an elk and has ravens. Coldhands did not come because he cannot pass beyond the wall as there are spells woven into it. When Sam sees that Bran is crippled, he recognizes him as Jon’s brother. When Summer licks Sam’s hand, Bran decides they will go with him. Meera, Jojen, Hodor and Bran go through the Black Gate, which is a white [[Weirwood]] with a withered face. The door opened its eyes and asked, “Who are you?” Sam answers with the Night's Watch oath and the door allows them to pass beyond the wall.{{Ref|aSoS|56}}
[[File: EllieKendrickMeerReed.jpg‎|Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed|thumb|right]]

===A Dance with Dragons===
While traveling with [[Coldhands]] north of the [[Wall]], Meera, [[Bran Stark|Bran]], [[Jojen Reed|Jojen]] and [[Hodor]] are forced to take shelter in an abandoned [[wildling]] village while Coldhands deals with a threat. The group discusses the nature of Coldhands, deciding that he is not alive. Meera does not trust him.<ref>[[A Dance with Dragons]], [[Bran I (A Dance with Dragons)|Bran I]]</ref>

They reach the cave of the [[three-eyed crow]], but are ambushed by [[wight|wights]] just outside the cave’s entrance. Because Jojen is too weak to continue, Meera carries him on her back up to the entrance. Inside the cave, the group meet the remaining [[children of the forest]] and the three-eyed crow.<ref>[[A Dance with Dragons]], [[Bran II (A Dance with Dragons)|Bran II]]</ref> Jojen falls into a resigned depression, and Meera struggles to keep both their spirits up.<ref>[[A Dance with Dragons]], [[Bran III (A Dance with Dragons)|Bran III]]</ref>

==References and Notes==
{{references|3}}
{{EnWP|Minor houses in A Song of Ice and Fire}}

[[Category:Noblewomen|Reed, Meera]]
[[Category:Characters from the North|Reed, Meera]]
[[Category:House Reed]]
[[fr:Meera Reed]]
[[zh:梅拉·黎德]]
[[es:Meera Reed]][[ru:Мира Рид]]

Dragonglass

2013-06-22T13:26:07Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

[[File:Night's Watch Dragonglass Dagger.jpg|thumb|150px|Depiction of a Dragonglass Dagger]]

'''Dragonglass''' is volcanic glass, or obsidian. [[children of the forest]] make weapons out of dragonglass, including daggers, blades and arrowheads. <ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 66|Chapter 66]], Bran</ref> During the [[Age of Heroes]] it was also recorded by the [[Night's Watch]] that the children of the forest gave the black brothers a hundred obsidian daggers every year. {{Ref|aFfC|5}} Dragonglass weapons are one of the few weaknesses of the [[Others]]. An Other that is pierced by an obsidian blade dies almost instantaneously. Obsidian blades are sharper than steel but far more brittle. {{ref|acok|43}} The [[Valyrian]]s called obsidian ''frozen fire'' and made use of obsidian to make their [[glass candle]]s. {{ref|affc|45}}

The [[smallfolk]] like to say that dragonglass is made by [[dragons]] while [[Maester]]s say it comes from the fires of the earth. {{ref|asos|33|p 373}} There are large deposits of dragonglass on [[Dragonstone]] and it is an important export from [[Asshai]]. [[Mors Umber]] wears a chunk of dragonglass in place of a lost eye.

According to GRRM, in the ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' series he has given obsidian,
{{Quote|“Magical characteristics that of course real obsidian doesn't necessarily have. After all, we live in a world that has no magic. My world does have magic, so it's a little bit different. <ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20051103091500/nrctc.edu/fhq/vol1iss3/00103009.htm/ "Interview with the Dragon" Copyright © 2003 Robert Shaw.]</ref>}}
==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===
In his turret in [[Winterfell]] Maester [[Luwin]] pours a handful of shiny black arrowheads out of a green jar and shows them to [[Bran]], [[Rickon]] and [[Osha]]. Bran picks one up and sees that it is made of glass. Osha names it ''dragonglass''.

Master Luwin tells them that it is obsidian, the children worked no metal and hunted with it, and in place of swords they carried blades of obsidian. Osha remarks that they still do. Bran holds the arrowhead up close. The black glass is slick and shiny. He thinks it beautiful and asks Maester Luwin if he can keep one. {{Ref|aGoT|66|p 737}}
===A Clash of Kings===
At the [[Fist of the First Men]] [[Jon Snow]] discovers a cache of knives, leaf-shaped spearheads, and numerous arrowheads made of obsidian. ''Dragonglass'', he thinks to himself. Beneath the dragonglass is an [[old warhorn]], and when Jon shakes the dirt from inside it, a stream of arrowheads falls out.

Jon gives [[Samwell Tarly]] a spearhead and a dozen arrowheads as well, and passes the rest out among his other friends for luck. {{Ref|aCoK|43}}

In [[Qarth]] [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]] tells [[Daenerys Targaryen]] that [[glass candle]]s that have not burned in a hundred years are now burning in the house of [[Urrathon|Urrathon Night-Walker]]. <ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 63|Chapter 63]], Daenerys</ref>

===A Storm of Swords===
[[Samwell Tarly]] and the few survivors from [[Battle of the Fist of the First Men|the Fist]] are running for their lives south in the middle of night with a heavy snow falling. Upon an undead horse, a lone Other appears from the swirling snow. In a blind panic Sam slays the Other by stabbing it with the dragonglass dagger given to him by [[Jon Snow]]. {{Ref|asos|18}} The dagger causes the Other to shrink and puddle, dissolving away in twenty heartbeats. Only the dagger remains,
{{Quote|wreathed in steam as if it were alive and sweating.}}
[[Grenn]] goes to scoop up the dragonglass dagger but has to fling it down again as it is so cold.

At [[Craster's Keep]] Samwell discusses obsidian with the Old Bear, he tells Sam that if it kills the Others as Sam claims he wants more of it. Sam remarks that the [[children of the forest]] would know where to find obsidian but Lord Commander Mormont says to Sam that the children are all dead.

At the [[Wall]] King [[Stannis Baratheon]] sends word to his castellan Ser [[Rolland Storm]] on [[Dragonstone]] to begin mining obsidian. He fears he will not hold his seat much longer but hopes that the [[Lord of Light]] shall grant them enough ''frozen fire'' to arm themselves against the Others before the Dragonstone falls. {{Ref|ASOS|78}}
===A Feast For Crows===
There is a black [[glass candle]] burning in [[Marwyn]]'s study on the [[Citadel#Isle of Ravens|Isle of Ravens]] when [[Samwell Tarly]] arrives there. {{ref|affc|45}}
{{Ref|aFfC|35}}

===A Dance With Dragons===
In [[Meereen]] [[Quaithe]] tells [[Daenerys]] that the glass candles are burning. . . {{ref|aDwD|11}}

==Quotes==
{{Quote|“Obsidian. Forged in the fires of the gods, far below the earth. The [[children of the forest]] hunted with that, thousands of years ago. The children worked no metal . . . In place of swords, they carried blades of obsidian.” {{Ref|aGoT|66|p 737}}}} – Maester [[Luwin]]

{{Quote|“Finally only the dragonglass dagger remained, wreathed in steam as if it were alive and sweating. [[Grenn]] bent to scoop it up and flung it down again at once. “Mother, that’s '''cold'''.” {{Ref|asos|18}}}}

{{Quote|“[[Others|They]] are vulnerable to obsidian.” {{ref|aDwD|11}}}} - [[Samwell Tarly]], to Lord Commander [[Jon Snow]]

{{Quote|“Dragonglass. '''Frozen fire''', in the tongue of old [[Valyria]]. Small wonder it is anathema to these [[Others|cold children]] of the [[Great Other|Other]].” {{Ref|asos|78}}}} – [[Melisandre]]

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}

[[Category:Substances]]
[[fr:Verredragon]][[zh:龙晶]]

A Clash of Kings-Chapter 6

2013-06-22T13:22:49Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

{{Infobox Chapter ACfK
| pov = [[Jon Snow |Jon]]
| place = [[Castle Black]]
| title = Jon I
| page = 69
| previous = [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 5|Arya II]]
| current = [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 6|Jon I]]
| next = [[A_Clash_of_Kings-Chapter 7|Catelyn I]]
| arc previous =
| arc next = [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 13|Jon II]]
}}

[[Jon Snow|Jon]] finds [[Samwell Tarly|Sam]] in the library where he was supposed to find maps for Lord Commander [[Jeor Mormont]]’s ranging. Sam, who finds the library to be a great treasure trove, did not realize he had been there all night. Jon escorts him to the Lord Commander, who asks about the ravens. He then dismisses Sam and tells Jon about Maester [[Aemon]]’s history, and how they are both alike in being brother to a king.

==Synopsis==
[[Jon Snow|Jon]] searches for [[Samwell Tarly|Sam]] in the dark basement library of [[Castle Black]]. It is a treasure trove with thousands of ancient books and scrolls, including books that are not even in the [[Citadel]] and scrolls from [[Valyria]]; the library at [[Winterfell]] had more than a hundred. Sam has been gone for so long that [[Rast]] suggested he had deserted, but Jon did not think Sam had the courage. When he finds Sam by the light of his lamp, Sam is surprised that he has been there all night; it is impossible to know night from day in the library. Sam says he was sent by Maester [[Aemon]] to find maps for Lord Commander [[Jeor Mormont]], which he has found. He now excitedly shows Jon the accounts of a ranging from the [[Shadow Tower]] all the way to [[Lorn Point]] on the [[Frozen Shore]] by a ranger named [[Redwyn]]. They are undated, but mention [[Dorren Stark]] as King in the North and so must be from before the [[War of Conquest]]. Redwyn wrote that they had fought [[Giants]] beyond [[the Wall]], and even traded with the [[children of the forest]]. There are maps also. Jon suggests that Sam could write about this ranging, but he seems to ignore Jon, fearing the expedition. Sam states that it is hard to find things since everything is a jumble, and it would take years to organize the library.

Jon starts leafing through a fragile book that contains inventories, and Sam tells him to be gentle; important books in the library have been copied half a hundred times. Jon asks who would care about an inventory, and Sam states he would, and that information about the watch could be found by studying one. Jon cannot understand how Sam can consider the library a treasure, as it is not gold or silver. Sam has also found a book about the language of the children and other works that even the [[Citadel]] doesn’t have. Jon tells Sam that the library will be here when they return, and Sam adds “if we return...”

Sam, as Maester Aemon’s steward, has to go on the ranging because the maester is too frail, and somebody has to care for the two cages of ravens. Meanwhile, [[Pyp]] and [[Toad]] want to go, but are being left behind. Jon adds that someone needs to keep [[Grenn]] humble, and tries to reassure Sam by telling him that Mormont is taking 200 men, and they will be met by 100 more from the [[Shadow Tower]] under the command of [[Qhorin Halfhand]]. Sam responds that Jon can write the messages and he can teach either Jon or Grenn to care for the birds, but Jon reminds him that he has duties as the Lord Commander’s steward.

They depart to bring the maps to the Lord Commander. Sam confides in Jon that he never felt safe in his father’s castle. Jon tells Sam that they are all afraid, and they should be with so many rangers disappearing in the past two years; what matters is how they face it. As they pass through the underground passages called the wormwalks, which are important in keeping Castle Black together during the winter, Jon thinks of the [[White raven]] that came to Maester Aemon with word of the end of summer. Jon saw the last winter, which was said to be short and mild, but he can feel that this one will be different. Once they reach the surface, they can see the morning sky with the red line that has been named “Mormont’s Torch” since it lights the way through the haunted forest. The comet is so bright it can be seen by day. The castle seems deserted with so many gone to the brothels of [[Mole's Town]]. [[Pyp]], [[Halder]] and [[Toad]] offered to buy Jon his first woman, but he is not interested, and Sam is frightened of whores. As they walk past the [[Faith of the Seven|Sept]] they hear singing, but the seven are not Jon's gods. They also pass Ser [[Endrew Tarth]] training the poor collection of new recruits brought by [[Conwy]]. They run into [[Donal Noye]] who tells them about the recruits, and then asks Jon if he has heard about [[Robb Stark|Robb]] being crowned. Jon has, and states he will make a good king. Noye is not so sure; he used to think that [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] would be a good king. He reveals that he forged Robert’s warhammer, and knew his brothers. He then tells them that Robert, who was like steel, changed when crowned, that [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]] is brittle like iron, and [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]] is like copper, bright and shiny but not worth much. Jon asks himself what metal Robb would be, and then departs stating the Lord Commander is waiting for them.

When they arrive, the commander complains about how long it took them. [[Thoren Smallwood]], ignoring them, is demanding that Mormont stay at Castle Black, and insists he should be in command as First Ranger. Mormont dismisses him, telling him he already sent two rangings out and will not wait in Castle Black for news from the next ranging, and [[Benjen Stark]] is First Ranger until it is known for certain that he is dead. When Smallwood leaves, Mormont exclaims that he would prefer Jon as First Ranger and that Smallwood is wrong about his implication that he is not fit enough for a ranging.

Mormont is not happy with how old the maps are, or their quantity. Sam explains that there were more, but the library is in disorder, and Jon states that although the villages may be wrong, the geography will be right. Mormont then asks about the ravens and Sam responds that Maester Aemon will be choosing the ravens that evening. Mormont states that he wants strong birds to ensure that if they die, his successor will know where and how. Sam is then dismissed.

When he leaves, Mormont asks, without wanting an answer, whether Sam is as big a fool as he seems. He then reveals that he was thinking of sending Sam, because of his father, to [[Renly Baratheon|King Renly]] to ask for support, but Ser Arnell would be better than a quaking fat boy. Ser Alliser should be reaching [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]] soon but the [[House Lannister|Lannisters]] have never supported the [[Night's Watch]]. Jon points out that they do have the twitching wright’s hand to show Joffrey, and Mormont states he would like another for Renly. Jon tells him that [[Dywen]] claims you can find anything beyond the Wall, and Mormont complains about Dywen claiming to have seen a 15’ tall bear on his last ranging. Then, he asks about Jon’s hand, which Jon says is good enough to wield a sword. He has been using an ointment and following instructions given to him by Maester Aemon; Mormont states that fortunately Aemon knows his stuff even though he is blind.

Mormont tells Jon Maester Aemon's story. He was the third son of [[Maekar I Targaryen]], who was himself the fourth son of King [[Daeron II]]. King Daeron, Maester Aemon’s grandfather, sent him to the Citadel when he was nine or ten and ninth or tenth in succession; the Maester is now more than 100 years old. The Crown Prince, [[Baelor Targaryen|Baelor]], died in a tourney mishap, and his two sons died in [[The Great Spring Sickness]] along with King Daeron, so the King’s second son [[Aerys I]] succeeded him. After King Aerys I died without issue, the crown passed to Maekar. King Maekar was killed in battle against an outlaw lord, and his two eldest sons, [[Daeron Targaryen|Daeron]] and [[Aerion Targaryen|Aerion]], were already dead.

A [[Great Council]] was convened to decide on the succession. It passed over Aerion’s infant son and then quietly offered the throne to Aemon. Maester Aemon refused, saying he swore a vow to serve even though the [[High Septon]] offered to absolve him. His younger brother, [[Aegon V]] was then named King. He was called "the Unlikely" because as the fourth son of a fourth son he was very unlikely to become king. Maester Aemon knew that those who would be unsatisfied which his brother's rule would try to use him. To prevent this he became a member of the Night's Watch.

Mormont’s raven now starts squawking “King” and Jon notes that the raven likes that word, and that it must think that Mormont should have the crown. Mormont states there are already two too many kings for his liking.

Jon asks why he told him about Maester Aemon, and Mormont explains that Jon and Maester Aemon have something in common, a king for a brother and a humble life for themselves as brothers of the Night's Watch. Jon states that he knew his brother would be a lord, so now he is a king. Mormont tells him a lord is one thing, a king is another, and that if Jon does not admit it troubles him, Mormont will know him as a liar, and then asks what Jon will do. Jon swears he will be troubled, but keep his vows.

==Character List==
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|- valign="top"
| style="width:25%" |
'''Appearing:'''
*[[Samwell Tarly]]
*[[Jon Snow]]
*[[Ghost]]
*[[Endrew Tarth]]
*[[Donal Noye]]
*[[Jeor Mormont]]
*[[Thoren Smallwood]]

| style="width:25%" |
'''Mentionned'''
*[[Redwyn]]
*[[Dorren Stark]]
*[[Qhorin Halfhand]]
*[[Pypar|Pyp]]
*[[Todder|Toad]]
*[[Maester Aemon]]
*[[Grenn]]
*[[Benjen Stark]]
*[[Halder]]
*[[Conwy]]
*[[Alliser Thorne]]
*[[Robb Stark]]
*[[Robert Baratheon]]

| style="width:25%" |
'''Mentionned'''
*[[Steffon Baratheon]]
*[[Stannis Baratheon]]
*[[Renly Baratheon]]
*[[Joffrey Baratheon]]
*[[Jaremy Rykker]]
*[[Waymar Royce]]
*[[Arnel]]
*[[Dywen]]
*[[Daeron II Targaryen]]
*[[Maekar I Targaryen]]
*[[Aemon Targaryen]]
*[[Aegon IV Targaryen]]
*[[Arya Stark]]

| style="width:25%" |
'''Mentionned'''
*[[Baelor Targaryen]]
*[[Aerys I Targaryen]]
*[[Aerys II Targaryen]]
*[[Aelinor Targaryen]]
*[[Daeron Targaryen]]
*[[Aerion Targaryen]]
*[[Nan]]
*[[Bran Stark]]
*[[Luwin]]
*[[Aegon V Targaryen]]
*[[Jaehaerys II Targaryen]]
*[[Jaime Lannister]]
|}

==External links==
{{References|2}}
*[http://blogoficeandfire.blogspot.com/2010/02/jon-catelyn.html Humorous review and summary of the chapter] by Jason.
*[http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/01/a-read-of-ice-and-fire-a-clash-of-kings-part-3 Review and summary] by Leigh Butler.

[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters|A Clash of Kings: Chapter 06]]
[[Category: A Song of Ice And Fire chapters--POV Jon Snow|A Clash of Kings: Chapter 06]]
[[Category:Chapters which take place in Castle Black]]
[[es:Choque de Reyes-Capítulo 6]]
[[fr:A Clash of Kings, Chapitre 07, Jon]]

War of the First Men and the children of the forest

2013-06-22T13:17:46Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

[[File:First Men war Children.jpg|thumb|350px|First Men cut down trees and burned them]]

The '''War of the First Men and the children of the forest''' took place during the [[Dawn Age]].

==Prelude to War==
Prior to the arrival of the [[First Men]] on the continent of [[Westeros]], the [[children of the forest]] reigned supreme throughout the land. Then, from the east the First Men arrived coming across the [[Arm of Dorne]]. As the First Men spread throughout the land and built their holdfasts, they cut down trees and burned them. This infuriated the children of the forest, who worshipped trees. They declared war on the First Men. <ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 66|Chapter 66]], Bran</ref>

==War==
The two races fought a desperate war for dominance, resulting in the destruction of the [[Arm of Dorne]] and [[hammer of the waters|the flooding of the Neck]] through the magic of the [[greenseer]]s of the children of the forest. Despite their obvious advantage in magic, the children were losing. The First Men were equipped with bronze swords and armour. They were bigger and stronger. Still, the wars continued.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 66|Chapter 66]], Bran</ref>

==Peace==
After years of warfare, before they fought one another to a standstill, the two sides agree to a truce, signing the [[Pact]] on the [[Isle of Faces]], agreeing to peacefully coexist and granting the open lands to humanity and the forests to the children. In time, the First Men even adopted the [[Old gods|gods of the children]] of the forest. With the signing of the Pact, the [[Dawn Age]] came to a close, The Pact lasted for four thousand years before the enigmatic [[Others]] invaded from the [[Lands of Always Winter]], bringing death and destruction to both races. Bring about the [[Age of Heroes]]. <ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 66|Chapter 66]], Bran</ref>

==References and Notes==
{{references|3}}

[[Category:Terms]]
[[Category:Wars]]
[[category:Westeros]]
[[es:Guerra entre los Primeros Hombres y los Niños del Bosque]]

Children of the Forest

2013-06-22T13:16:01Z

SerMyLady: not a proper noun

[[File:Children of the Forest.jpg|thumb|350px|Child of the forest, in its natural habitat]]
[[File:Children of the Forest greenseers.jpg|thumb|350px|Depiction of [[Greenseer]] singing the song of the earth]]

The '''children of the forest''', sometimes referred to simply as the "children" are a mysterious non-human race that originally inhabited the continent of[[Westeros]] long before the arrival of the [[First Men]] during the [[Dawn Age]] more than 12,000 years ago. The [[giants]] call them ''woh dak nag gram'' ('little squirrel people'). They call themselves in the [[True Tongue]] ''those who sing the song of the earth''. {{Ref|aDwD|13}}

==Culture==
Little is known about the children. They are a mysterious and magical people who have not been seen by humans for thousands of years. Tales describe them as diminutive humanoid creatures, dark and beautiful, at their tallest no larger than an human child. They are long-lived. Their true names would be too long for human tongues.

The children did not use metal, weave cloth or build cities; instead they lived off the land, using stone implements, wearing bark leg-bindings and shirts of woven leaves, dwelling in caves, crannogs, and hidden tree villages. Males and females both hunted side by side. The children had no books, no ink, no parchment and no written language. {{Ref|aDwD|34}} They were a people with a deep connection to the land. {{Ref|aGoT|66}} The children wielded [[obsidian]] weapons and bows in battle, but also used powerful [[magic]].

Legends say the children of the forest were gifted with supernatural powers and [[magic|magic]]; having power over the beasts of the wood, the ability to wear an animal’s skin, and the skill to create music so beautiful as to bring tears to the eyes of any who heard it, and the [[greensight]] ability (although the [[Maesters]] believe that the greensight was not magic, simply another kind of knowledge). It was the children who carved the faces on the [[weirwood]]s to keep watch over the woods.{{Ref|aCoK|28}} They believe that their wisdom had something to do with the faces in the trees.{{Ref|aCoK|28}} The children of the forest believed that the weirwood trees were the Gods, and when they died they became a part of them.{{ref|aDwD|34}}

==Appearance==
They were smaller than men with nut-brown skin, dappled like a deer's with paler spots. They had large ears that could hear things that no man could hear.

They usually had large eyes, great golden cat's eyes, that could see down passages where a boy's eyes saw only blackness. They have vertical, slit-like pupils; this trait is responsible for improved night vision and typically associated with a nocturnal lifestyle in such creatures as cats (the children's eyes are described in ''A Dance With Dragons'' as resembling cats' eyes) and many species of snakes, including nearly all vipers (despite [[Doran Martell]]'s reference to his brother [[Oberyn Martell|Oberyn's]] "viper eyes," however, the Red Viper is never described as sharing this feature with the children of the forest). A few had green or red eyes; these had the gift of [[greensight]] and were known as [[greenseer]]s.

Their hands had only three fingers and a thumb, with sharp black claws instead of nails.{{Ref|aDwD|34}} The children were slight, quick, and graceful.

==History==
{{Quote| “They were a people of the [[Dawn Age]], the very first, before kings and kingdoms, in those days, there were no castles or holdfasts, no cites not so much as a market town to be found between here and the [[sea of Dorne]]. There were no men at all. Only the children of the forest dwelt in the lands we now call the [[Seven Kingdoms]].” {{Ref|aGoT|66}}}}
It is unknown for how long the children lived alone in their land, nor where they themselves came from, but for thousands of years they had what later became known as "''[[Westeros]]''", to themselves. Eventually about 12,000 years ago, the children came in contact with the [[First Men]], the first outsiders. These invaders brought with them bronze, great leathern shields, and the first [[horse]]s and their own gods. Burning the great [[Weirwood]]s as they came, leading to [[War_of_the_First_Men_and_the_Children_of_the_Forest|war]] between the two.

For roughly 2,000 years two races fought [[War of the First Men and the Children of the Forest|a desperate war for dominance]]. The children used their magic to shatter the [[Arm of Dorne]], the land-bridge through which the First Men came, in a futile attempt to end the invasion and later flooded [[the Neck]] - where legend has it that the children called upon their [[Old Gods|gods]] from the [[Children's Tower]] to send the [[hammer of the waters]] to smash the Neck, as they smashed the [[Arm of Dorne]], but it was not enough to stop the advance of the [[First Men]]. The histories say that some of the First Men, the [[crannogmen]], grew close to the children of the forest in the days when the greenseers tried to bring the [[hammer of the waters]] down upon the Neck. {{Ref|acok|50|p 733}}

Eventually the First Men and the children fought one another to a standstill. The two races agreed to peaceful coexistence and signed the [[Pact]] on the [[Isle of Faces]], granting the open lands to humanity and the forests to the children.

The Pact lasted for 4,000 years before the enigmatic [[Others]] invaded from the uttermost north, bringing death and destruction to both races, during an extended period of winter known as [[The Long Night]], the children of the forest joined with the First Men, to fight against the Others in the [[The Long Night#War for the Dawn|War for the Dawn]]. Eventually the [[Others]] were driven back into the [[Lands of Always Winter]].

After the [[The Long Night#War for the Dawn|War for the Dawn]], the First Men and the children of the forest lived in relative peace, but in these years, the children of the forest began their slow withdrawal from the lands of men, retreating deeper into their forests and [[beyond the Wall]]. During the [[Age of Heroes]] it was also recorded by the [[Night's Watch]] that the [[children of the forest]] gave the black brothers a hundred obsidian daggers every year.{{Ref|aFfC|5}}

The children of the forest taught the worship of the [[old gods]] to the First Men, but the old gods were largely supplanted in the South by the [[Faith of the Seven]] after the [[Andal|Andal Invasion]]. A hill, now known to the Westerosi as ''[[High Heart]]'', was sacred to the [[children of the forest]]. There the [[Andal]] king named [[Erreg]] the [[Kinslayer]] cut down the children’s grove of thirty-one [[weirwood]]s. {{Ref|asos|22|p 249}} High Heart is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the children who died there, likely defending their grove from Erreg. Some of the children’s magic is said to still linger at High Heart.

Relations between the children and humans grew distant over the years, until they ceased altogether. By the time of [[Aegon's Landing]], humans had not seen the children for thousands of years. {{Ref|aGoT|66}}

[[File:The_children_of_the_forest.jpg|thumb|400px|right|The children of the forest look out from the [[Isle of Faces]] as the [[Andals]] approach :: Artwork by Conor Cambpell©]]

==Existence==
Although people in [[Westeros]] believe the children of the forest to be extinct there are a few that still live in the world of men. A dwindling remnant of their population is located far north of the [[Wall]], in [[cave of the three-eyed crow|a cave system under a hill]]; the entrance is a warded cleft in the hillside.{{Ref|aDwD|34}}

The caves are timeless, vast, silent. They are home to more than three score living singers and the bones of thousands dead, and extend far below the hollow hill. The children of the forest live with whom they refer to as ''the [[Three-eyed crow|Last Greenseer]]''. In the caves there are passages that go deep, bottomless pits and sudden shafts, forgotten ways that lead to the very center of the earth. [[Leaf]] tells [[Bran Stark]] that even the children of the forest have not explored them all, even though they have lived there for a thousand thousand man-years. [[Bran]] realises that they are indeed singers, he hears them singing. They sing sad songs in the [[True Tongue]] so he cannot understand the words, but their voices are as pure as the winter air. {{Ref|aDwD|34}}

[[Bran]] asks [[Leaf]] where the rest of the children are, she replies:

{{Quote|Gone down into the earth … Into the stones, into the trees. Before the [[First Men]] came all this land that you call [[Westeros]] was home to us, yet even in those days we were few. The gods gave us long lives but not great numbers, lest we overrun the world as deer will overrun a wood where there are no wolves to hunt them. That was in the dawn of days, when our sun was rising. Now it sinks, and this is our long dwindling. The [[giants]] are almost gone as well, they who were our bane and our brothers. The great [[lion]]s of the [[westerlands|western hills]] have been slain, the [[unicorns]] are all but gone, the [[mammoth]]s down to a few hundered. The [[direwolf|direwolves]] will outlast us all, but their time will come as well. In the world that men have made, there is no room for them, or us.{{Ref|aDwD|34}}}}
To Bran Leaf seemed sad as she told him, and that makes Bran sad as well.

It is only later that he reflects and thinks to himself, ''Men would not be sad. Men would be wroth. Men would hate and swear a bloody vengeance. The singers sings sad songs, where men would fight and kill''.
==Known children of the forest==
*[[Leaf]]
*[[Ash]]
*[[Scales]]
*[[Black Knife]]
*[[Snowylocks]]
*[[Coals]]
==Quotes==
{{Quote|"The children of the forest are all dead. The [[First Men]] killed half of them with bronze blades, and the [[Andals]] finished the job with iron.” {{Ref|aDwD|33|p 373}}}} - [[Jeor Mormont]]

{{Quote|“The children . . . live only in dreams. Now. Dead and gone.” {{ref|AGOT|66|p 736}}}} – Maester [[Luwin]]

{{Quote|“All that is left of them are the faces on the trees."}} – Maester [[Luwin]]

{{Quote|“North of the [[Beyond the Wall|Wall]], things are different. That’s where the children went, and the [[giants]], and the other old races. {{ref|AGOT|66|p 736}}}} - [[Osha]]

{{Quote|“The children are gone from this world, and their wisdom with them. {{ref|ACOK|28}}}} – Maester [[Luwin]]

{{Quote|“The children of the forest could tell you a thing or two about dreaming.” {{ref|AGOT|66}}}} - [[Osha]]

{{Quote|“Leaf and her people were far from childlike. Little wise men of the forest would have been closer. {{Ref|aDwD|34}}}} - [[Bran]]

==References and Notes==
{{References|2}}
{{Template:Creatures}}
[[Category:Sentient species]]
[[Category:Cultures]]
[[Category:Children of the Forest| ]]

[[fr:Enfants de la forêt]]
[[ru:Дети Леса]]
[[zh:森林之子]]

A Game of Thrones

2013-06-22T09:15:09Z

SerMyLady: /* Plot summary */ I've only been able to find fans' attempts to work out a timeline

{{Infobox Book |
| name = A Game of Thrones
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = [[Image:AGameOfThrones.jpg|200px]] 
| image_caption = US Hardcover (2002 Bantam Reissue)
| author = [[George R. R. Martin]]
| cover_artist = [[w:Steve Youll|Steve Youll]]
| country = [[w:United States|United States]]
| language = [[w:English language|English]]
| series = [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
| genre = [[w:Fantasy|Fantasy]]
| publisher = [[w:Bantam Books|Bantam Books]] (US) [[w:Voyager Books|Voyager Books]] (UK)
| release_date = [[w:6 August|6 August]] [[w:1996|1996]]
| media_type = Print ([[w:Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[w:Paperback|Paperback]] [[w:audiobook|audiobook]] & [[w:e-book|e-book]]
| pages = 694 (US Hardback) 672 (UK Hardcover) 835 (US Paperback) 804 (UK Paperback)
| isbn = ISBN 0553103547 (US Hardback) ISBN 0002245841 (UK Hardback) ISBN 0553573403 (US Paperback) ISBN 000647988X (UK Paperback)
| preceded_by =
| followed_by = [[A Clash of Kings]]
}}

'''''A Game of Thrones''''' is the first of seven planned novels in '''''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''''', an [[w:epic fantasy|epic fantasy]] series by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. It was first published on [[w:6 August|6 August]] [[w:1996|1996]]. The novel was nominated for the [[w:1998|1998]] [[w:Nebula Award|Nebula Award]] and the [[w:1997|1997]] [[w:World Fantasy Award|World Fantasy Award]]<ref name="WWE-1998" />, and won the 1997 [[w:Locus Award|Locus Award]].<ref name="WWE-1997" /> The novella ''Blood of the Dragon'', comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel, won the 1997 [[w:Hugo Award|Hugo Award]] for Best Novella.

==Plot introduction==

''A Game of Thrones'' is set in the [[Seven Kingdoms]] of [[Westeros]], a land reminiscent of [[w:Medieval|Medieval]] [[w:Europe|Europe]]. In Westeros the seasons last for years, sometimes decades, at a time.

Fifteen years prior to the novel, the Seven Kingdoms were torn apart by a [[War of the Usurper|civil war]], known alternately as "Robert's Rebellion" and the "War of the Usurper." Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]] kidnapped [[Lyanna Stark]], arousing the ire of [[House Stark|her family]] and of her betrothed, Lord [[Robert Baratheon]] (the war's titular rebel). The Mad King, [[Aerys II Targaryen]], had Lyanna's [[Rickard Stark|father]] and [[Brandon Stark|eldest brother]] executed when they demanded her safe return. Her second brother, [[Eddard Stark|Eddard]], joined his boyhood friend Robert Baratheon and [[Jon Arryn]], with whom they had been fostered as children, in declaring war against the ruling [[House Targaryen|Targaryen dynasty]], securing the allegiances of [[House Tully]] and [[House Arryn]] through a network of dynastic marriages (Lord Eddard to [[Catelyn Tully]] and Lord Arryn to [[Lysa Tully]]). The powerful [[House Tyrell]] continued to support the King, but [[House Lannister]] and [[House Martell]] both stalled due to insults against their houses by the Targaryens. The civil war climaxed with the [[Battle of the Trident]], when Prince Rhaegar was killed in battle by Robert Baratheon. The Lannisters finally agreed to support King Aerys, but then brutally turned against him, [[Sack of King's Landing|sacking the capital at King's Landing]]. [[Jaime Lannister]] of the [[Kingsguard]] betrayed and murdered King Aerys and House Lannister swore loyalty to Robert Baratheon. The Tyrells and remaining royalists surrendered and Robert Baratheon was declared King of the Seven Kingdoms. Unfortunately, during the war, Lyanna Stark had died, apparently of illness shortly after her brother captured the [[Tower of Joy|fortress]] where she'd been held captive; Robert Baratheon instead married [[Cersei Lannister]] to cement the alliance with her House. Despite Robert's victory, the Mad King's younger son [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]] and only daughter [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]] were taken to safety [[Free Cities|across the sea]] by loyal retainers. After the war House Martell chose a path of isolation, since [[Doran Martell|Prince Doran]]'s sister [[Elia Martell]] (Prince Rhaegar's wife) and her young children had been killed by knights sworn to House Lannister during the storming of the capital.

Six years later, King Robert proved his resolve by [[Greyjoy Rebellion|defeating a rebellion]] by Lord [[Balon Greyjoy]] of the [[Iron Islands]]. Balon's two eldest sons were killed and his youngest son, [[Theon Greyjoy|Theon]], was given to the care of Eddard Stark as a ward.

==Plot summary==

{{Main|Chapters#A Game of Thrones{{!}}Chapter Summaries}}

''A Game of Thrones'' follows three principal storylines as they develop in tandem with one another. The novel begins in the year 298 AL (After Landing) and continues for many months.

===In the Seven Kingdoms===

[[Eddard Stark]], Lord of [[Winterfell]] and [[Warden of the North]], performs the execution of [[Gared|a man]] of the [[Night's Watch]] who has betrayed his vows and fled from [[the Wall]]. His sons [[Robb Stark|Robb]] and [[Bran Stark|Bran]], his bastard son [[Jon Snow]], and his ward [[Theon Greyjoy]] all attend. After the beheading, Robb finds a dead [[direwolf]] (the sigil of [[House Stark]]), killed by the antlers of a stag (the sigil of [[House Baratheon]]), which had given birth to five pups before it died. Robb and his brothers ask to keep them and Eddard consents, on the condition that the children themselves take care of them, rather than leaving the matter to the servants of House Stark. There are five pups, one for each of Eddard's trueborn children: Robb names his [[Grey Wind]] and Bran names his [[Summer_(direwolf)|Summer]], whilst Eddard's daughters [[Sansa Stark|Sansa]] and [[Arya Stark|Arya]] name theirs [[Lady_(direwolf)|Lady]] and [[Nymeria_(direwolf)|Nymeria]] respectively. Eddard's youngest, three-year-old [[Rickon Stark|Rickon]], names his [[Shaggydog]]. Unexpectedly, Jon finds a sixth pup lying separately nearby: an [[w:albino|albino]] runt with white fur and red eyes. Jon claims this one, [[Ghost]], for himself.

King [[Robert Baratheon]] arrives at Winterfell with his court and many retainers, including his wife, [[Cersei Lannister|Queen Cersei]] of [[House Lannister]], and his children: [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]] and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]]. The queen's twin brother, Ser [[Jaime Lannister]] of the [[Kingsguard]], and their younger brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]], the Imp (so named for his dwarfism), also accompany the group. Robert asks Eddard to become the new [[Hand of the King]] after the death of the previous office holder, Lord [[Jon Arryn]]. Eddard agrees and travels south with his daughters Sansa and Arya, leaving Catelyn, Robb, Bran (now in a [[w:coma|coma]] after a grievous fall from a window) and Rickon at home. Jon Snow elects to travel north to [[Wall|the Wall]] to join the [[Night's Watch]] and is joined by Tyrion, who is eager to see the fabled construction for himself.

Catelyn Stark, learns from her sister [[Lysa Arryn]] (widow of the late Lord Jon Arryn) that the Lannisters had Jon Arryn murdered. After Eddard leaves for the south, an attempt is made on Bran's life, thwarted only by the direwolf Summer. Catelyn realizes that Bran must have seen something and been pushed from the window deliberately, and that the would-be murderers are trying to cover their tracks. She travels by sea to [[King's Landing]] and learns from her childhood friend [[Petyr Baelish|Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish]] that the dagger used in the assassination attempt was last seen in the hands of Tyrion Lannister. Traveling north again, Catelyn and her retainers encounter Tyrion by chance in [[Crossroads Inn|an inn]] (as he returns south from the Wall) and take him captive to the [[Eyrie]], where Lady Lysa places him on trial. Unfortunately, Tyrion chooses [[trial by combat]] and his champion, a [[sellsword]] named [[Bronn]], wins freedom for him.

In the capital at [[King's Landing]], Eddard investigates Jon's death and learns that Jon Arryn and King Robert's brother, Lord [[Stannis Baratheon]], had discovered that King Robert's three children were actually the products of an incestuous liaison between Queen Cersei and her twin brother Jaime. Spurning the advice of Robert's other brother [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]] to take Cersei into custody, Eddard instead offers mercy, telling Cersei to flee. King Robert dies of a mishap whilst hunting and Cersei's eldest son Joffrey is proclaimed King before Eddard can pass the crown to [[Stannis Baratheon]], Robert's true heir. When Eddard moves against him, he is betrayed by Littlefinger. Eddard reluctantly agrees to sign a false confession of treason in return for Sansa and Arya's lives and the chance to go into exile on the Wall. Instead, Joffrey has Eddard brutally executed. Whilst Sansa is retained in custody, Arya manages to escape with the help of her fencing instructor [[Syrio Forel]], and [[Yoren]], a recruiting agent for the [[Night's Watch]].

A civil war, later dubbed the [[War of the Five Kings]], erupts. Robb Stark leads an army of northmen into the [[Riverlands]] to support Lord [[Hoster Tully]], whose forces had come [[War_of_the_Five_Kings#War in the Riverlands|under attack]] by [[Tywin Lannister|Lord Tywin Lannister]] after Catelyn took Tyrion prisoner. [[Riverrun]], the Tully stronghold, is besieged by an army under Jaime Lannister, whilst Lord Tywin holds a large army south of the [[Trident|River Trident]] to prevent Robb's advance. Unexpectedly, Robb wins the support of [[House Frey]] by agreeing to a dynastic marriage. This allows him to detach his cavalry and cross the Green Fork whilst his infantry carries on to the Trident under Lord [[Roose Bolton]], one of Robb's bannermen. Tywin, joined by the liberated Tyrion (who has won the support of the [[mountain clans]] of [[Vale|the Vale]]) [[Battle of the Green Fork|defeats]] the Stark footmen before learning that Robb has outmaneuvered him. Shortly afterwards Robb's forces surprise and capture Jaime Lannister before smashing the Lannister army at the [[Battle of the Whispering Wood|Whispering Wood]] outside Riverrun. Tywin falls back on the strong castle of [[Harrenhal]] and orders Tyrion to go to King's Landing and counsel King Joffrey, acting as Hand in his stead.

Lord Renly Baratheon flees south from King's Landing to [[Highgarden]], stronghold of the powerful [[House Tyrell]], and there is declared King of Westeros by acclamation, becoming the second of the war's five kings. Robb Stark becomes the third, when he is proclaimed the [[King in the North]] and of the Trident by all the Stark and Tully bannermen present.

===On the Wall===

In the lands beyond [[Wall|the Wall]], three men of the [[Night's Watch]] stumble across the massacred bodies of [[wildlings]]. [[Waymar Royce|Ser Waymar Royce]] is confronted by several creatures of ice, the fabled '[[Others]]' of legend. He fights one, but is killed. The second man, [[Will]], investigates Royce's corpse only for it to come to life and strangle him. The third, [[Gared]], is so terrified of what he sees that he flees south to the Wall and then beyond. He is the deserter executed by [[Eddard Stark]] in the first chapter of the book.

[[Jon Snow]] chooses to join the Night's Watch when his father departs for [[King's Landing]] and travels north with his uncle [[Benjen Stark]], the First Ranger of the Watch. At the Wall Jon finds that the Watch is beset with problems. A new [[King-Beyond-the-Wall]] has arisen in the [[Beyond the Wall|far northern lands]] to rally the wildlings to his banner. This man, [[Mance Rayder]], was once a brother of the Watch before fleeing to join the wildlings. Jon also learns that the Watch is grievously under strength, mustering barely a thousand men to cover the three hundred miles of the Wall, and its manpower is now made up of murderers and criminals who chose the Wall over execution or imprisonment. Some time after Jon's arrival, Benjen vanishes whilst on a ranging beyond the Wall.

Jon and many of the other younger men are remorselessly bullied by the master-at-arms, [[Alliser Thorne]], but Jon concocts a plan for them to stand up to him. Jon wins the friendship of [[Samwell Tarly]], a [[w:coward|craven]] but intelligent boy from [[the Reach]], and also that of [[Maester Aemon]]. Jon is startled to learn that Aemon is a member of House Targaryen, the grand-uncle of the now-deposed Mad King Aerys II, and the oldest man alive in Westeros.

The Lord Commander of the Watch, [[Jeor Mormont]], is attacked by a corpse which suddenly comes back to life. Jon burns the [[Wight#Wights|wight]], saving Mormont's life. Shaken, Mormont resolves to lead the Watch beyond the Wall in strength to test Mance Rayder's strength. Although news of his father's death and brother's war causes Jon to doubt his calling, he decides his place is with the Watch.

===In the East===

In the [[Pentos|Free City of Pentos]], [[Illyrio Mopatis|Magister Illyrio Mopatis]] and the exiled [[Viserys Targaryen|Prince Viserys Targaryen]] conspire to marry Viserys' thirteen-year-old sister [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]] to [[Khal Drogo]] of the [[Dothraki]]. Drogo commands a horde of forty thousand mounted warriors whom Viserys plans to use to reclaim his homeland from the usurper [[Robert Baratheon]]. Among the wedding gifts are three petrified [[dragon]] eggs from Illyrio. Unexpectedly, Daenerys and Drogo find love as they journey east into the vast grasslands of the [[Dothraki Sea]], and Daenerys becomes pregnant with a son, to be named [[Rhaego]] after her dead brother. [[Jorah Mormont|Ser Jorah Mormont]], son of the [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch]] and a [[knight]] exiled from [[Westeros]] for dealing in slaves, joins Viserys' entourage as an adviser on the current state of the [[Seven Kingdoms]].

Viserys becomes angry about how long he must wait before Drogo decides to invade Westeros and, in a drunken rage, insults Drogo grievously. Drogo decides to crown him on the spot — with molten gold. Daenerys picks up her brother's quest to reclaim the [[Iron Throne]], but Drogo is just as obstinate with the moon of his life as he was with the [[Viserys Targaryen|Beggar King]]. The tables turn when a Westerosi assassin, in the pay of King Robert, nearly kills her and their unborn child; a furious Drogo agrees to invade Westeros. However, during a raid on the peaceful [[Lhazareen]] to fund their invasion, Drogo takes a wound fighting a [[Ogo|rival khal]]. Daenerys loses both Drogo and her unborn son to the machinations of a [[Mirri Maz Duur|Lhazareen witch]], and has the witch burned in Drogo's funeral pyre. Daenerys had previously felt the eggs and found them warm to her touch, but not to others'. Before she had placed them in a small fire and thought that the flames made something in the eggs alive. While the witch was being burned she placed the eggs in the blazing fire. Incredibly, the eggs hatch, and Daenerys Targaryen, the Stormborn, becomes mother to the first three [[dragon|dragons]] seen in the world for one hundred and sixty years.

==Viewpoint Characters==

All of the novels in the series use a system for the books where by each chapter concentrates on one character in a [[w:point of view (literature)|third person limited point of view]]. Thus, the chapter list for each book would read something like: "Bran", "Eddard", "Catelyn", "Eddard", "Tyrion", "Catelyn" etc, with the story flipping back and forth between the main characters.

The tale of ''A Game of Thrones'' is told through the eyes of 8 POV characters and a one-off prologue POV.

*Prologue: [[Will]], a man of the [[Night's Watch]].
*Lord [[Eddard Stark]], Lord of [[Winterfell]], [[Warden of the North]], and [[Hand of the King]].
*Lady [[Catelyn Stark]], of [[House Tully]], wife of Eddard Stark.
*[[Sansa Stark]], eldest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
*[[Arya Stark]], youngest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
*[[Bran Stark]], middle of three sons of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
*[[Jon Snow]], bastard son of Eddard Stark.
*[[Tyrion Lannister]], a dwarf, son of Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] and [[Cersei Lannister|Queen Cersei]]'s brother.
*[[Daenerys Targaryen]], Stormborn, the Princess of Dragonstone and heiress to the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] throne through her older brother [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]].

==Allusions/references to other works==

One of Martin's earliest attempts at writing a fantasy story was 'Dark Gods of Kor-Yuban', which was never published. The two heroes of the short story are the exiled 'Prince R'hllor of Raugg' and his boisterous, swaggering companion 'Argilac the Arrogant'. In an abandoned sequel Argilac teams up with Barron, the Bloody Blade of the Dothrak Empire, to slay the winged demons who killed Barron's grandfather Barristan the Bold. Most of these names reoccur in ''A Game of Thrones'': R'hllor is the red god worshiped in the east (although not specifically named until ''A Clash of Kings''); Argilac the Arrogant was the last Storm King thrown down by the Targaryens; the Dothrak Empire became the Dothraki horse-riders of the eastern plains; and Barristan the Bold was recast as Ser Barristan Selmy of the Kingsguard. Martin covers the origin of these characters and names in his essay 'The Heirs of Turtle Castle' in ''[[w:Dreamsongs:A Retrospective|Dreamsongs: A Retrospective]]''.

==Literary significance & criticism==

*{{cite web | title=SF Reviews.Net | author=Wagner, T. M. | url=http://www.sfreviews.net/gameofthrones.html }}
*{{cite web | title=SF Site | author=Seidman, James | url=http://www.sfsite.com/09a/game16.htm }}
*{{cite web | title=SFF World | author=Silver, Steven H. | url=http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/martin.html }}

==Awards and nominations==

*[[w:Locus Award|Locus Award]] – Best Novel (Fantasy) (Won) – (1997)
*[[w:World Fantasy Award|World Fantasy Award]] – Best Novel (Nominated) – (1997)
*[[w:Hugo Award|Hugo Award]] – Best Novella for ''Blood of the Dragon'' (Won) – (1997)
*[[w:Nebula Award|Nebula Award]] – Best Novel (Nominated) – (1997)
*Ignotus Award – Best Novel (Foreign) (Won) – (2003)

==Derived works==
:{{Main|Derived works}}

The novel lends its name to several spin-off items based on it, including a [[Game of Thrones|HBO Tv series]], [[A Game of Thrones collectible card game|trading card game]], [[A Game of Thrones (board game)|board game]] a [[A Game of Thrones (game)|roleplaying game]].

==Editions==

<gallery caption="Released editions>
File:AGameOfThrones.jpg |US Hardcover 1996
File:AGameOfThrones2.jpg|Bantam Hardcover 2002 (US)
File:AGameOfThrones3.jpg|Voyager Paperback 1998 (UK)
File:AGameOfThrones4.jpg|Bantam Paperback 2011 (US)
</gallery>


===Foreign language editions===
* [[:fr:A_Game_of_Thrones|French]]: two volumes (hardcover: Pygmalion (1998, 1999); paperback: J'ai Lu (2001)) "Le trône de fer", "Le donjon rouge".
* [[:ru:Игра_Престолов|Russian]]: single volume, AST (2001, 2004, 2007): "Игра престолов". Two volumes, AST (1999): "Игра престолов. Книга 1", "Игра престолов. Книга 2".
* [[:zh:权力的游戏|Chinese: "权力的游戏"]]: pinyin: "Quánlì de Yóuxì"; literally "game of power" (Chongqing Publishing, 2005)

{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%;"
! Additional versions
|-
|
* Bulgarian: "Игра на тронове"
* Catalan: "La mà del rei" (Devir Contenidos, 2006)
* Croatian: "Igra prijestolja"
* Czech: "Hra o trůny"
* Dutch: Luitingh-Sijthoff (1997): "Het spel der tronen"
* Estonian: two volumes, Varrak (2006): "Troonide mäng"
* Finnish: "Valtaistuinpeli" (2003)
* German: single volume, Fantasy Productions (2004): "Eisenthron". Two volumes, Goldmann (1997, 1998): "Die Herren von Winterfell", "Das Erbe von Winterfell"
* Greek: two volumes, Anubis (2004): "Παιχνίδι του στέμματος"
* Hebrew: משחקי הכס
* Hungarian: single volume, Alexandra: "Trónok harca"
* Italian: two volumes, Mondadori (hardcover: 1999, 2000; paperback: 2001): "Il trono di spade" (The Throne of Swords), "Il grande inverno" (The Great Winter); as a single volume titled "Il gioco del trono" in the collection Urania Fantasy — Le grandi saghe (July 2007)
* Japanese: "七王国の玉座" (The Seven Kingdoms's Throne) Hayakawa Publishing 2002 hardcover, 2 volumes; 2006 softcover, 5 volumes.
* Korean: "왕좌의 게임"
* Macedonian: "Игра на тронови"
* Norwegian: "I vargens tid" (2011)
* Polish: Zysk i S-ka (1998): "Gra o tron"
* Portuguese: two volumes: Saída de Emergência (2007): "A Guerra dos Tronos", "A Muralha de Gelo". Partial and pirate edition: Entre Letras Editora (2002): "A Muralha" (1st part only). In Brazil, Editora Leya (2010): "A Guerra dos Tronos: As Crônicas de Gelo e Fogo, Livro Um".
* Romanian: two volumes: "Urzeala tronurilor" (2007)
* Serbian: Laguna (2003): "Igra Prestola"
* Slovak: "Hra o tróny"
* Slovene: "Igra prestolov" (2007)
* Spanish: Gigamesh (2002): "Juego de tronos"
* Swedish: two volumes, Forum: "I vargens tid", "Kampen om järntronen". Single volume, Forum (2005): "Kampen om järntronen"
* Turkish: Buz ve Ateşin Şarkısı Serisi: "Taht Oyunları" (2005)
* Turkish: Buz ve Ateşin Şarkısı I: "Taht Oyunları" (Epsilon Publishing, 2011) (New edition)
* Hungarian: Trónok harca (Clash of Thrones)
|}

{{GRRM works|state = uncollapsed}}
{{ASOIAF|state=collapsed}}

==References and Notes==
{{References|1|refs=
<ref name="WWE-1997">{{cite web |url = http://www.worldswithoutend.com/books_year_index.asp?year=1997 |title = 1997 Award Winners & Nominees |work = Worlds Without End |accessdate=2009-07-25}}</ref>
<ref name="WWE-1998">{{cite web |url = http://www.worldswithoutend.com/books_year_index.asp?year=1998 |title = 1998 Award Winners & Nominees |work = Worlds Without End |accessdate=2009-07-25
}}</ref>
}}
{{EnWP|A Game of Thrones|small=yes}}


[[Category:Books]]


[[fr:A Game of Thrones]]
[[ru:Игра Престолов]]
[[pt:A Guerra dos Tronos]]
[[zh:权力的游戏]]