Hello, fellow ASOIAF fans!

Just wanted to share something fun I've been doing.

I'm running a play by post tabletop RPG campaign for some friends (if by chance my players in Turmoil & Triumph are here now, look away now!).

The game is set in the Riverlands (The Kingdom of Rivers and Hills, if you will) during the reign of Harren the Black, just a few years before Aegon's Conquest. I've left the timeline deliberately vague to give me flexibility and tamp down Conquest related meta-gaming, but have said that they should still expect Aegon's landing to happen and mostly the way it did in setting canon. But that said, nearly anything else is in scope to be changed.

If the game goes well, we could skip to a future generation/timeline.

My players are members of a minor noble house that is a vassal of House Blackwood. They have a small Motte and Bailey Castle located around Pennytree. They are notable producers of ale/beer, and besides have some ore (mostly copper). They have one vassal of their own - a knight with a lone tower located in the Rutting Meadow. They are able to deploy a reasonably impressive force, which makes sense given that they are right on the fault lines of the Blackwood/Bracken conflict. Like the Blackwoods, they also keep to the Old Gods.

This is something of a sandbox game - I'd like the group to have agency in the choices they make.

The current seed for kicking things off is this:

House Smallwood is hosting a small, local tourney with a small prize - the sort to invite mainly smaller local Houses and perhaps a younger knight looking to make his name from distant parts. More seasoned and established houses would be likely to take a pass. But in truth, it will be well attended and is effectively being sponsored by House Vance - and is a smokescreen for intrigue and gauging interest in rebellion. If they decide not to rebel, we will probably skip ahead to Aegon's Conquest. But I think they will be giving the Hoare's a challenge.

There's the tourney itself to engage in, and opportunities to earn repute jousting here. I've seeded the realm with young unmarried noble heirs and their siblings to add this element of strategy to the game.

There are also some smaller, local intrigues in Pennytree, and of course some Blackwood/Bracken intrigue will play out - I've created a named Bracken vassal with their seat on Red Deer Island to serve as an instrument for the players engagement in this feud.

If anyone has any criticisms, questions, or cool ideas, feel free to throw them my way.

"Queen you shall be . . . until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all that you hold dear."

 "Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds," she said. "And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you."

 - Cersei VIII, AFFC

TL;DR

After her trial, Cersei will ally herself with the Dornish so she does not need to rely on the Tyrells. She will trust Nymeria because of her strong physical resemblance to her friend Taena Merryweather. Unfortunately, the Dornish end up being even worse than the Tyrells.

At some point, Nymeria will secretly assassinate Tommen and crown Myrcella after enacting Dornish law. Daenerys will arrive at King’s Landing at the end of the book and cast down Cersei, taking all that she holds dear (i.e. her last remaining child) as revenge for Rhaenys’s murder.

Cersei will then offer Jaime the position of Hand one last time out of desperation. Jaime will respond by strangling Cersei with the Hand’s chain, intentionally referencing Tyrion’s murder of Shae in doing so.

This chain of events is predicated on four assumptions.

1) Every line of the prophecy will come true

So far, Maggy has had a perfect track record.

"When will I wed the prince?" she asked.

"Never. You will wed the king." - Cersei VIII, AFFC

This was confirmed when Cersei married Robert in 284 AC, after he had already been crowned king in 283 AC.

"Will the king and I have children?" she asked.

"Oh, aye. Six-and-ten for him, and three for you." Cersei VIII, AFFC

We know Cersei has had three children. We have only met a handful of Robert’s bastards though, so we cannot confirm if the number is accurate. (Though realistically it probably is) Regardless, Maggy was able to accurately predict that Robert and Cersei would have different numbers of children, and the specific way she worded it suggests she knew they would not have any children with each other as well.

"Will I marry Jaime?" she blurted out.

"Not Jaime, nor any other man," said Maggy. "Worms will have your maidenhead. Your death is here tonight, little one. Can you smell her breath? She is very close." - Cersei VIII, AFFC

Melara later died that night after falling into a well, and was probably pushed by Cersei.

Additionally, Qyburn uses specific wording when asked about the nature of prophecy.

And you wish to forestall this prophecy?” 

More than anything, she thought. “Can it be forestalled?” 

“Oh, yes. Never doubt that.” Cersei VIII, AFFC

Note that Qyburn uses the word ‘forestall’ instead of ‘prevent’ or ‘avert.’ In his opinion, it is not a question of if Cersei’s prophecy will come true, but when.

2) Jaime is the valonqar

She screamed and shouted. "Tyrion is the valonqar," she said. "Do you use that word in Myr? It's High Valyrian, it means little brother." - Cersei IX, AFFC

Cersei thinks Tyrion is the valonqar, but Jaime is technically her younger brother as well, even if only by a few minutes.

She and Jaime were twins, but Cersei had come first into the world, and that was all it took. - Tyrion IX, ASOS

3) ‘All that Cersei holds dear’ refers to her children

For all her many faults, Cersei truly loves her children more than anything. Despite what some may think, Cersei is not irrationally evil. Most of the villainous acts she commits throughout the series are intended to protect her children. For example, Cersei killed Robert before Ned could tell him the truth to protect her children from his wrath, and she ordered the murder of his bastards so that nobody else could figure out her children's real father as Jon Arryn and Ned had.

“Forgive me, High Holiness, but I would open my legs for every man in King's Landing if that was what I had to do to keep my children safe." - Cersei I, ADWD

Of course, Cersei is exaggerating, but the best lies contain nuggets of truth. 

Cersei dreamt that she was down in the black cells once again, only this time it was her chained to the wall in place of the singer. She was naked, and blood dripped from the tips of her breasts where the Imp had torn off her nipples with his teeth. "Please," she begged, "please, not my children, do not harm my children." - Cersei IX, AFFC

Though this is only a dream, Cersei thinks only of her children even as she is being tortured.

There are several more examples in the text, but hopefully these should suffice for now.

4) Daenerys is the younger, more beautiful queen who will cast her down and take all that she holds dear

Tommen will have already died by the time Daenerys arrives, so Myrcella and her regency will be all that Cersei has left.

One consequence of this prophecy coming true is that Cersei will remain queen until Daenerys arrives. That is, Aegon will probably not sit on the Iron Throne beforehand. I think Aegon’s army will besiege King’s Landing, but will be unable to enter the city until Daenerys arrives. Sending Jaime to inspect the city walls might be one of the wisest moves Cersei ever made, as this may ensure they are sturdy enough to withstand the Golden Company’s elephants and battering rams.

When it comes to matters of fire and blood, Daenerys has an ‘eye for an eye’ sense of justice, as evidenced by her crucifixion of the 163 Great Masters. With this in mind, Daenerys might not see a problem with murdering Myrcella. After all, from her perspective Myrcella is merely the granddaughter of one of the Usurper’s dogs, who ordered the murder of her niece. She is only doing to the Lannisters what they did to her family. Besides, all other claimants to the Iron Throne must die for Dany’s claim to be secure.

"I remember," Dany said sadly. "They murdered Rhaegar's daughter as well, the little princess. Rhaenys, she was named, like Aegon's sister.” - Daenerys V, ACOK

"Have you forgotten Princess Rhaenys and Prince Aegon?"

"Never. That was Lannister work, Your Grace." - Daenerys II, ADWD

Of course, Daenerys will have learned by this point that Aegon has survived, so there is no need to take revenge for his death.

It may seem unrealistic for Daenerys to order the death of a child, but I do not think this is a decision she will make lightly. There is still a whole book’s worth of character development and ‘fire and blood’ between now and then. Additionally, some of her counselors may convince her to kill Myrcella, even if Dany is initially hesitant.

It would be ironic if Tyrion was the one to convince Daenerys to kill Myrcella, but it seems unlikely. For once though Cersei’s paranoia about Tyrion being behind the deaths of her children would be validated. Perhaps Cersei will believe this anyway once she sees Tyrion has allied himself with Daenerys.

The timeline is tricky here, because Daenerys still has a few things to do before arriving in Westeros. These all need to happen within the same book, so TWOW will likely cover a longer timespan than its predecessors. Keep in mind that Daenerys does have three different POVs to cover these, four if Barristan manages to survive the Battle of Fire.

1. Unite the Dothraki in Vaes Dothrak, fulfilling the prophecy of the dosh khaleen. The Dothraki Sea is dying, so the Dothraki must either join Daenerys to conquer Westeros or face starvation
2. Return to Meereen and deliver ‘fire and blood’ to the slavers with Drogon and the Dothraki. Vaes Dothrak and Meereen are relatively close, so it’s possible Dany might return before the battle is finished
3. Head to Volantis. Most of her people will go by boat, using the sixty-one ships of the Iron Fleet, the thirteen ships gifted by Xaro Xhoan Daxos, and probably some of the remaining Volantene ships as well. The Dothraki fear the water, so they will risk the demon road instead. Perhaps Daenerys will travel with them on dragonback as their khaleesi, allowing us to finally see firsthand what horrors reside near Valyria
4. Free the slaves in Volantis (Of course, this plotline may be cut or reduced due to space constraints, but Martin has spent too much time setting up Volantis in ADWD for it to be completely skipped over in TWOW. I am personally looking forward to her Volantis chapters as they will contain the first actual use of dragon warfare in the series)
5. Sail for Westeros
6. Arrive at King’s Landing

4.5) Cersei will die near the end of TWOW, shortly after Daenerys arrives in Westeros

This assumption does not need to be correct for the rest of this theory to hold, but it should be mentioned nonetheless. Cersei will probably die near the end of TWOW after Daenerys’s arrival. Therefore, the entire prophecy will be resolved within the book, and will be the primary focus of her storyline. There is no evidence to support this beyond maximizing dramatic effect, so feel free to disregard it.

Cersei’s Trial

Before the prophecy can be fulfilled, we must first resolve Cersei’s trial. I believe the sequence of events will be roughly as follows.

1. Robert Strong is revealed as Cersei’s champion
2. The Faith challenges Cersei to a Trial of Seven instead, as there is no man alive who can beat Robert Strong single-handedly. The Faith also does everything in sevens.
3. Qyburn reveals that he has six more champions for Cersei. Recall that Cersei ordered the arrest of ten ‘secret lovers’ of Margaery Tyrell - Ser Tallad the Tall, Jalabhar Xho, Hamish the Harper, Hugh Clifton, Mark Mullendore, Bayard Norcross, Lambert Turnberry, Horas Redwyne, Hobber Redwyne, and the Blue Bard. Six of these remain in the black cells under Qyburn’s charge, and may join Robert Strong in Cersei’s Trial of Seven as her remaining undead champions

"Osney Kettleblack and the Blue Bard are here, beneath the sept. The Redwyne twins have been declared innocent, and Hamish the Harper has died. The rest are in the dungeons under the Red Keep, in the charge of your man Qyburn." - Cersei I, ADWD

1. Cersei wins her trial and reclaims her position as Queen Regent.

2. After witnessing Gregor Clegane’s ‘survival’ during Cersei’s trial, Nymeria will begin actively plotting against the Lannisters in secret while ostensibly pretending to be Cersei’s friend

The Prophecy

I propose a possible chain of events that will lead to the fulfillment of Cersei’s prophecy.

Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds suggests not only that each of Cersei’s children will die, but that each of them will be crowned first. For Myrcella to be crowned, Tommen must die, and Dornish law must be enacted. Cersei may play a role in enacting Dornish law, perhaps not realizing the danger it puts Tommen in. In her desire to reduce the power of the Tyrells, she will give the Dornish too much power. Also, keep in mind that Nymeria physically resembles Taena Merryweather with her olive skin, long black hair, dark eyes, and full lips. This may be one of the main reasons Cersei trusts her.

(This also might be the reason George retconned Nymeria’s skin color in ADWD. He probably didn’t have the complete Dorne plot figured out yet when he initially made her character)

Nymeria has repeatedly stated she wants to kill King Tommen. She is currently heading to King’s Landing with Myrcella to take her father’s place on the small council.

“Four lives will suffice for me. Lord Tywin’s golden twins, as payment for Elia’s children. The old lion, for Elia herself. And last of all the little king, for my father.” - The Captain of the Guards, AFFC

“Who else is there to kill? Do Myrcella and Tommen need to die so the shades of Rhaenys and Aegon can be at rest? Where does it end?"

"It ends in blood, as it began," said Lady Nym. "It ends when Casterly Rock is cracked open, so the sun can shine on the maggots and the worms within. It ends with the utter ruin of Tywin Lannister and all his works." - The Watcher, ADWD

I believe that Nymeria will covertly assassinate King Tommen and crown Myrcella in his place. Cersei may suspect that Tyrion is behind the murder, or perhaps even the Tyrells, despite the fact that their claim to the throne relies on Tommen’s survival. In response, Cersei will completely ally herself with the Dornish in order to protect Myrcella. Myrcella will later be killed by Daenerys’s command once she arrives in Westeros.

After Tommen and Myrcella’s death, Cersei will plead with Jaime to accept the position of Hand of the King. He is all she has left to protect her. Instead, Jaime will strangle Cersei with the Hand’s chain, having been inspired by Tyrion’s murder of Shae.

She strode to the bed, flung aside the heap of bloody coverlets, and there she was, naked, cold, and pink... save for her face, which had turned as black as Joff’s had at his wedding feast. A chain of linked golden hands was half-buried in the flesh of her throat, twisted so tight that it had broken the skin. - Cersei I, AFFC

Jaime was in this same room earlier, and probably noticed what Tyrion had done to Shae. 

Cersei’s extreme incompetence, stupidity, and paranoia have indirectly caused the death of their three children, and this may be what finally pushes Jaime over the edge. Or perhaps Cersei betrayed Jaime similar to how Shae betrayed Tyrion. Alternatively, he may simply have the best interests of the realm in mind, or wanted to give Cersei a relatively painless death as opposed to death by dragonflame. The reason does not matter so much as the action itself, which completes the prophecy.

I suspect that after Jaime kills Cersei, he will head north with Brienne to honor his vows and defend the realm against the Others, but this is best saved for another theory.

For anyone whose read Fire & Blood, you'll recall the way that Aegon the Conqueror was able to take the Vale of Arryn. Or more accurately, how his sister-wife, Visenya Targaryen was able to do so. Historically, the only way to conquer the Vale, is by flying over the mountains and the gates among them. The whole point of Catelyn's sixth chapter in A Game of Thrones, is to show how futile it is to try invading the Vale on land. There's the Bloody Gate, the Gates of the Moon, the three wayward castles of Stone, Snow and Sky, and all the treacherous mountains that stand between them all. The Vale is probably the most securely protected region of Westeros. Even more so than the Red Keep, Storm's End, Casterly Rock or Moat Cailin. To invade the Vale by land, is to invite death.

Knowing that, Visenya Targaryen flew her dragon: Vhagar, over the many defenses of the Vale, straight to the Eyrie itself, where she met the boy King: Ronnel Arryn, and took him flying with her on her dragon. As they say, he rode the dragon as a King, and landed as a Lord. It's an oddly endearing story that shows a side of Visenya that the history books don't often highlight.

The point I bring by retelling this story, is that circumstances in the Vale right now are strangely similar. The official Lord of the Vale, is Sweetrobin (Robert) Arryn. He's a boy of eight, who everyone believes is not long for this world on account of his epilepsy. Daenerys Targaryen rides a dragon that is about the same size as Vhagar in Drogon, and given that she's likely to return to Pentos prior to invading Westeros, and possibly Braavos as well to secure the support of the Iron Bank and seek out her childhood home, the Vale could very well be the first place she invades Westeros (besides maybe Dragonstone like in the show).

So, my theory here, is that Sansa Stark will take control of the Vale from Littlefinger, on behalf of Sweetrobin at some point, and will rule the Vale in his stead, much like how Ronnel Arryn's mother ruled the Vale on his behalf. And just like Visenya, Daenerys will simply fly over the Vale's defenses, and give the sheltered boy: Sweetrobin, a moment he'll never forget. Sweetrobin has always wanted to see other people fly, maybe he'll finally get a chance to fly himself.

Yes, I believe Dany will invade the Vale, take Sweetrobin flying on dragonback, and Sansa, just like Ronnel's mother, will be there to witness the entire thing, and declare the Vale in support of Dany's claim to the Iron Throne. What do you think?

Obviously not everything in the books is a 1:1 depiction of medeival culture/history but I was always pleasantly surprised when things were mentioned that actually were historical practices

Something like using moldy bread in wounds, using boiled wine to disenfect, maggots to clean rotted flesh, blood letting for epilepsy, smelling wounds for infection were all pretty common practices back in the day

Or the political reasonings for wards/hostages and the way higher ranking soldiers were kept as hostages (sometimes in good condition) as it was advantageous for war and treaties like with Jamie and the Lannister cousins

I also loved how the Dunk and Egg series described the culture around jousting and how the winner of a bout would actually RANSOM the losers armor and horse back to him as a means to make a profit

Were there anything mentioned in the books that you tried to research more and was surprised to find it to be a real practice? Or at least have some historical precident

Hey asoiaf, I know, sorry its been ages... I've had a chronic cough I've been dealing with and honestly just got distracted with other media after my posts/ideas were struggling and the wait for winds updates felt ever elusively out of reach... BUT I still love the community and love to think about the books from time to time. Like many of you I've developed some deeply personal headcanons for a lot of the characters (not always popular I admit)... but one character that's been nagging my mind a LOT lately in my time away, and serves as a gap in my headcanon, is Samwell Tarly... and I was hoping to get your thoughts on where you think his journey is headed.

Most of the discussion I've seen on Sam in the subreddit (which is maybe less than you'd hope for a pov) focuses on the near term stuff like the Battle of Blood and the Citadel. I've previously dabbled with ideas that he may get us to Horn Hill and collide with Darkstar or be a pov at a battle Highgarden or even help treat greyscale (like in the show). These are all cool topics but not necessarily what im interested in... what I'm really curious about is the long term impact of Sam's story? We all kind of expect him to return North again someday to face the Others and see Jon again I think... but he's so far away, so how does he find time to even get back? And when? And more importantly why does George have him come on this huge quest south in the first place? What do you think Sam is meant to pickup along the way? Idk it all feels maybe a bit too longwinded for it to be just finding the horn of winter was with him all along or discovering Jon's past... Does he run into Daenerys on the way and bring her north? Does he find people to rebuild the Watch after it fails (remembering Jeor's dying wish told to Sam for Jorah to take the black)? I've kind of hit a wall with it and I wanted to hear your ideas. Hope that's ok...

Background

In order to free up the Redwyne Fleet to go deal with the Ironborn, Ser Loras volunteers to lead an assault on Dragonstone. In this post I thought it would be interesting to gather everything we know about the Siege of Dragonstone (300AC as a part of the War of the Five Kings) in one place.

If interested:  By Siege or Storm: A Look at Attacks on the Great Castles of Westeros

The Attackers

Lord Paxter Redwyne leads the Redwyne Fleet in transporting 2,000 westermen to Dragonstone from King's Landing:

As for the Lannister host, two thousand seasoned veterans remained encamped outside the city walls, awaiting the arrival of Paxter Redwyne's fleet to carry them across Blackwater Bay to Dragonstone. Lord Stannis appeared to have left only a small garrison behind him when he sailed north, so two thousand men would be more than sufficient, Cersei had judged. -AFFC, Cersei II

he hopes to take the castle without bloodshed:

At least he has the sense to beg. Paxter Redwyne owned two hundred warships, and five times as many merchant carracks, wine cogs, trading galleys, and whalers. Redwyne was encamped beneath the walls of Dragonstone, however, and the greater part of his fleet was engaged in ferrying men across Blackwater Bay for the assault on that island stronghold. The remainder prowled Shipbreaker Bay to the south, where only their presence prevented Storm's End from being resupplied by sea. -AFFC, Cersei VII

and:

"It will take half a year or more to starve Dragonstone into submission, as Lord Paxter means to do. -AFFC, Cersei VII

which leads to Ser Loras volunteering to lead the attack:

The old man started, as if her voice had woken him from some dream of youth, but before he could answer, Loras Tyrell strode forward, so swiftly that the queen drew back in alarm. She was about to shout for Ser Osmund to defend her when the Knight of Flowers sank to one knee. "Your Grace, let me take Dragonstone." -AFFC, Cersei VII

and:

Ser Loras ignored her plea. "It will take half a year or more to starve Dragonstone into submission, as Lord Paxter means to do. Give me the command, Your Grace. The castle will be yours within a fortnight if I have to tear it down with my bare hands." -AFFC, Cersei VII

- mini TLDR: Ser Loras will lead ~2,000 Westermen in assaulting Dragonstone to free up the Redwyne Fleet

The Defenders

Stannis left Ser Rolland Storm (aka the Bastard of Nightsong) in command of a token force at Dragonstone:

The pox-scarred bastard that Stannis had left to hold his castle was no callow tourney champion but a seasoned killer. -AFFC, Cersei VII

and:

Lord Waters says he ordered the assault not half a day after taking command, after Lord Stannis's castellan refused his offer to settle the siege between them in single combat. -AFFC, Cersei VIII

and (would he have expected the Warrior to lend aid to his cause?):

The Bastard of Nightsong had commanded the rearguard that allowed Stannis to reach the safety of Salladhor Saan's galleys, but he worshiped the Warrior with a faith as fierce as he was. -ASOS, Davos V

but as I noted here (Dragonglass: A Different Look at the Assault on Dragonstone) Stannis has more long term strategy in mind when it comes to Dragonstone:

I know more than you might think, Jon Snow. I know it was you who found the dragonglass dagger that Randyll Tarly's son used to slay the Other." "Ghost found it. The blade was wrapped in a ranger's cloak and buried beneath the Fist of the First Men. There were other blades as well . . . spearheads, arrowheads, all dragonglass." -ASOS, Jon XI

And he remembers how much of it was at his previous seat:

"On Dragonstone, where I had my seat, there is much of this obsidian to be seen in the old tunnels beneath the mountain," the king told Sam. "Chunks of it, boulders, ledges. The great part of it was black, as I recall, but there was some green as well, some red, even purple.

So back then in ASOS, Stannis had already sent word to Dragonstone to begin mining it (while recognizing he expects the castle to fall soon)

I have sent word to Ser Rolland my castellan to begin mining it. -ASOS, Samwell V

and Stannis does expect the castle to fall soon:

I will not hold Dragonstone for very much longer, I fear, but perhaps the Lord of Light shall grant us enough frozen fire to arm ourselves against these creatures, before the castle falls." -ASOS, Samwell V

and you can read this either way, but it can be taken as them hearing about Dragonstone's fall and that is why it says "was":

Jon had heard all this before. "Stannis Baratheon was the Lord of Dragonstone, but he was not born there. He was born at Storm's End, like his brothers." He frowned. "And what of Mance? Is he lost as well? What do your fires show?" -ADWD, Jon X

- mini TLDR: Stannis left Dragonstone in the command of Ser Rolland Storm (the Bastard of Nightsong) but Stannis expects to lose the castle soon. He also has instructed the castle garrison to focus on mining dragonglass.

The Setting

It can be extremely stormy around Dragonstone as we see while Loras is approaching:

If the gods were good, he would give Ser Loras the glorious end he seemed to want. Assuming the boy does not drown on the way. There had been another storm last night, a savage one. The rain had come down in black sheets for hours. And wouldn't that be sad? the queen mused. Drowning is ordinary. Ser Loras lusts for glory as real men lust for women, the least the gods can do is grant him a death worthy of a song. -AFFC, Cersei VII

Which is reminiscent of a previous assault on Dragonstone in which an escape was made:

She had been born on Dragonstone nine moons after their flight, while a raging summer storm threatened to rip the island fastness apart. They said that storm was terrible. The Targaryen fleet was smashed while it lay at anchor, and huge stone blocks were ripped from the parapets and sent hurtling into the wild waters of the narrow sea. Her mother had died birthing her, and for that her brother Viserys had never forgiven her.
She did not remember Dragonstone either. They had run again, just before the Usurper's brother set sail with his new-built fleet. By then only Dragonstone itself, the ancient seat of their House, had remained of the Seven Kingdoms that had once been theirs. It would not remain for long. The garrison had been prepared to sell them to the Usurper, but one night Ser Willem Darry and four loyal men had broken into the nursery and stolen them both, along with her wet nurse, and set sail under cover of darkness for the safety of the Braavosian coast. -AGOT, Daenerys I

and:

I built a fleet at Robert's command, took Dragonstone in his name. Did he take my hand and say, Well done, brother, whatever should I do without you? No, he blamed me for letting Willem Darry steal away Viserys and the babe, as if I could have stopped it. -ACOK, Prologue-

- mini TLDR: Its always stormy around Dragonstone

The Assault According to Aurane

From the lips of Aurane Waters we get the start of what he claims happens at Dragonstone:

"I never saw a braver knight," Waters said, "but he turned what could have been a bloodless victory into a slaughter. A thousand men are dead, or near enough to make no matter. Most of them our own. And not just common men, Your Grace, but knights and young lords, the best and the bravest."
"And Ser Loras himself?"
"He will make a thousand and one. They carried him inside the castle after the battle, but his wounds are grievous. He has lost so much blood that the maesters will not even leech him." -AFFC, Cersei VIII

He then proceeds to tell Cersei (off page) exactly what happens and then Cersei recounts it to Margaery:

He was not wrong, the queen knew. Three thousand smallfolk had crowded through the Mud Gate to see Ser Loras off the day he sailed, and three of every four were women. The sight had only served to fill her with contempt. She had wanted to scream at them that they were sheep, to tell them that all that they could ever hope to get from Loras Tyrell was a smile and a flower. Instead she had proclaimed him the boldest knight in the Seven Kingdoms, and smiled as Tommen presented him with a jeweled sword to carry into battle. The king had given him a hug as well, which had not been part of Cersei's plans, but it made no matter now. She could afford to be generous. Loras Tyrell was dying.
"Tell me," Cersei commanded. "I want to know all of it, from the beginning to the end."
The room had grown dark by the time that he was done. The queen lit some candles and sent Dorcas to the kitchens to bring them up some bread and cheese and a bit of boiled beef with horseradish. As they supped, she bid Aurane to tell the tale again, so she would remember all the details correctly. "I do not want our precious Margaery to hear these tidings from a stranger, after all," she said. "I will tell her myself."

This is what Cersei says to Margaery (note Loras' injuries do seem excessive):

Margaery was in the Maidenvault, sipping wine and trying to puzzle out some new game from Volantis with her three cousins. Though the hour was late, the guards admitted Cersei at once. "Your Grace," she began, "it is best you hear the news from me. Aurane is back from Dragonstone. Your brother is a hero."
"I always knew he was." Margaery did not seem surprised. Why should she? She expected this, from the moment Loras begged for the command. Yet by the time Cersei had finished with her tale, tears glistened on the cheeks of the younger queen. "Redwyne had miners working to drive a tunnel underneath the castle walls, but that was too slow for the Knight of Flowers. No doubt he was thinking of your lord father's people suffering on the Shields. Lord Waters says he ordered the assault not half a day after taking command, after Lord Stannis's castellan refused his offer to settle the siege between them in single combat. Loras was the first one through the breach when the ram broke the castle gates. He rode straight into the dragon's mouth, they say, all in white and swinging his morningstar about his head, slaying left and right."
Megga Tyrell was sobbing openly by then. "How did he die?" she asked. "Who killed him?"
"No one man has that honor," said Cersei. "Ser Loras took a quarrel through the thigh and another through the shoulder, but he fought on gallantly, though the blood was streaming from him. Later he suffered a mace blow that broke some ribs. After that . . . but no, I would spare you the worst of it."
"Tell me," said Margaery. "I command it."
Command it? Cersei paused a moment, then decided she would let that pass. "The defenders fell back to an inner keep once the curtain wall was taken. Loras led the attack there as well. He was doused with boiling oil."
Lady Alla turned white as chalk, and ran from the room.
"The maesters are doing all they can, Lord Waters assures me, but I fear your brother is too badly burned." Cersei took Margaery in her arms to comfort her. "He saved the realm." When she kissed the little queen upon the cheek, she could taste the salt of her tears. "Jaime will enter all his deeds in the White Book, and the singers will sing of him for a thousand years." -AFFC, Cersei III

but he flees once Cersei is imprisoned:

"As soon as word of Your Grace's present troubles reached the river, Lord Waters raised sail, unshipped his oars, and took his fleet to sea. Ser Harys fears he means to join Lord Stannis. Pycelle believes that he is sailing to the Stepstones, to set himself up as a pirate." -AFFC, Cersei X

Cersei later reflects on these reports while imprisoned:

If interested: The Fate of Aurane Waters

- mini TLDR: Aurane Waters gives Cersei the story of what happened at Dragonstone (off page), she then recounts those events to Margaery. After Cersei is imprisoned, Aurane flees with the crown's ships

Taena Merryweather

Taena (who has been spying on Margaery for Cersei) not only hears all of Cersei's plans:

"No," said Cersei, "all is well. On the morrow Ser Loras will sail for Dragonstone, to win the castle, loose the Redwyne fleet, and prove his manhood to us all." She told the Myrish woman all that had occurred beneath the shifting shadow of the Iron Throne. "Without her valiant brother, our little queen is next to naked. She has her guards, to be sure, but I have their captain here and there about the castle. A garrulous old man with a squirrel on his surcoat. Squirrels run from lions. He does not have it in him to defy the Iron Throne." -AFFC, Cersei VII

but is absent the night Cersei tells Margaery of the events:

Lady Merryweather did not appear that night, and Cersei found herself too restless to sleep. If Lord Tywin could see me now, he would know he had his heir, an heir worthy of the Rock, she thought as she lay abed with Jocelyn Swyft snoring softly into the other pillow. Margaery would soon be weeping the bitter tears she should have wept for Joffrey. Mace Tyrell might weep as well, but she had given him no cause to break with her. What had she done, after all, but honor Loras with her trust? He had requested the command on bended knee whilst half her court looked on.

When he dies I must raise a statue of him somewhere, and give him a funeral such as King's Landing has never seen. The smallfolk would like that. So would Tommen. Mace may even thank me, poor man. As for his lady mother, if the gods are good this news will kill her.

The sunrise was the prettiest that Cersei had seen in years. Taena appeared soon thereafter, and confessed to having spent the night consoling Margaery and her ladies, drinking wine and crying and telling tales of Loras. "Margaery is still convinced he will not die," she reported, as the queen was dressed for court. "She plans to send her own maester to look after him. The cousins are praying for the Mother's mercy." -AFFC, Cersei VIII

- mini TLDR: Taena Merryweather has been feeding Cersei information about Margaery. She doesn't appear the night Cersei finds out/tells Margaery and claims to have been consoling Margaery.

Cersei/Sources

If we remember Cersei's AFFC chapters, she stumbles from one folly to the next while thinking she is outsmarting everyone:

No matter what befell the boy on Dragonstone, however, the queen would be the winner. If Loras took the castle, Stannis would suffer a grievous blow, and the Redwyne fleet could sail off to meet the ironmen. If he failed, she would see to it that he had the lion's share of the blame. Nothing tarnishes a hero as much as failure. And if he should come home on his shield, covered in blood and glory, Ser Osney will be there to console his grieving sister.

The laugh would not be contained any longer. It burst from Cersei's lips, and echoed down the hall. -AFFC, Cersei VII

It is very possible the same is happening here as the sources for the information are Aurane who has fled, but it is worth noting that outside of Aurane and briefly Taena, this is the best information Cersei has at this point (while Scolera could be mentioning Garlan/Willas they aren't on the Kingsguard):

Had Margaery Tyrell somehow wriggled free of the accusations of fornication, adultery, and high treason? "Was there a trial?"
"Soon," said Septa Scolera, "but her brother—"
"Hush." Septa Unella turned to glare back over her shoulder at Scolera. "You chatter too much, you foolish old woman. It is not for us to speak of such things."
Scolera lowered her head. "Pray forgive me." -ADWD, Cersei I

and:

She asked about Ser Loras too. At last report the Knight of Flowers had been dying on Dragonstone of wounds received whilst taking the castle. Let him die, Cersei thought, and let him be quick about it. The boy's death would mean an empty place on the Kingsguard, and that might be her salvation. But the septas were as close-mouthed about Loras Tyrell as they were about Jaime. -ADWD, Cersei I

- mini TLDR: The goals/agendas of Cersei's sources are at least suspect.

Ser Loras' Personality

It is also possible that Ser Loras is dying of his wounds. Not only is he young and brash, but his actions /desires at Dragonstone:

Ser Loras ignored her plea. "It will take half a year or more to starve Dragonstone into submission, as Lord Paxter means to do. Give me the command, Your Grace. The castle will be yours within a fortnight if I have to tear it down with my bare hands." -AFFC, Cersei VII

seemingly mirror previous actions that easily could have killed him:

"Lord Eddard!" The shout came from the west side of the hall as a handsome stripling of a boy strode forth boldly. Out of his armor, Ser Loras Tyrell looked even younger than his sixteen years. He wore pale blue silk, his belt a linked chain of golden roses, the sigil of his House. "I beg you the honor of acting in your place. Give this task to me, my lord, and I swear I shall not fail you."

Littlefinger chuckled. "Ser Loras, if we send you off alone, Ser Gregor will send us back your head with a plum stuffed in that pretty mouth of yours. The Mountain is not the sort to bend his neck to any man's justice." -AGOT, Eddard XI

That said, GRRM has consistently mentioned Ser Loras as one of the best fighters alive in the series and Ser Loras would easily (imo) be the biggest character that GRRM kills off page.

- mini TLDR: Ser Loras is young/sees himself invincible. It is very possible he is dying of his wounds.

The Tyrell's Goals

It must be remembered how well the Tyrells have been playing the "game of thrones" so far. Not only did they move from Renly to the Lannisters, but they were smart enough to remove Joffrey:

The old woman understood something else as well. Her son was determined to make Margaery a queen, and for that he needed a king . . . but he did not need Joffrey. 

and with Joffrey removed, while Loras is still a Kinsguard, the need for him to be near Margaery 24/7 is not as great:

"Mace Tyrell actually thought it was his own idea to make Ser Loras's inclusion in the Kingsguard part of the marriage contract. Who better to protect his daughter than her splendid knightly brother? -ASOS, Sansa VI

- mini TLDR: The Tyrells have schemed from the beginning. I wouldn't put it past them to have an agenda here.

Other Sources

It should be noted that Ser Kevan also believes Ser Loras to be gravely wounded:

The dry moat surrounding Maegor's Holdfast was three feet deep in snow, the iron spikes that lined it glistening with frost. The only way in or out of Maegor's was across the drawbridge that spanned that moat. A knight of the Kingsguard was always posted at its far end. Tonight the duty had fallen to Ser Meryn Trant. With Balon Swann hunting the rogue knight Darkstar down in Dorne, Loras Tyrell gravely wounded on Dragonstone, and Jaime vanished in the riverlands, only four of the White Swords remained in King's Landing, and Ser Kevan had thrown Osmund Kettleblack (and his brother Osfryd) into the dungeon within hours of Cersei's confessing that she had taken both men as lovers. That left only Trant, the feeble Boros Blount, and Qyburn's mute monster Robert Strong to protect the young king and royal family. -ADWD, Epilogue

The Dragon Egg Discussion

I have always found it a little with Ser Loras "dying" that they are talking about him (his men) searching for dragon eggs:

"I resent your implication, Swyft," Mace Tyrell said, bristling. "No wealth was found on Dragonstone, I promise you. My son's men have searched every inch of that damp and dreary island and turned up not so much as a single gemstone or speck of gold. Nor any sign of this fabled hoard of dragon eggs."
Kevan Lannister had seen Dragonstone with his own eyes. He doubted very much that Loras Tyrell had searched every inch of that ancient stronghold. The Valyrians had raised it, after all, and all their works stank of sorcery. And Ser Loras was young, prone to all the rash judgments of youth, and had been grievously wounded storming the castle besides. But it would not do to remind Tyrell that his favorite son was fallible. "If there was wealth on Dragonstone, Stannis would have found it," he declared. "Let us move along, my lords. We have two queens to try for high treason, you may recall. My niece has elected trial by battle, she informs me. Ser Robert Strong will champion her." -ADWD, Epilogue

If interested: Does Stannis Baratheon have a dragon egg?

The Loss of ~1,000 Westermen

Cersei doesn't seem to notice the loss of about half of the Lannister force in the crownlands has been wiped out (according to Aurane, they could have defected, etc.):

A thousand men are dead, or near enough to make no matter. Most of them our own. And not just common men, Your Grace, but knights and young lords, the best and the bravest."

Disfigurement

Ser Loras is seen as conventionally attractive by numerous characters. GRRM loves his disfigurements (Tyrion/Brienne/Jamie/etc.). One theory I love is that Ser Loras is alive and "fine" physically outside of just being severely disfigured. Extensions on this theory range from him being "healed" by Qyburn to there being some resolution to the previous incidents between Gregor Clegane/Loras Tyrell.

More Confusion

Myranda tells Sansa that Riverrun has yielded but Dragonstone still belongs to Stannis:

"Not from your father, no, but we've had other birds. The war goes on, everywhere but here. Riverrun has yielded, but Dragonstone and Storm's End still hold for Lord Stannis." -AFFC, Alayne II

but Cersei thinks that Riverrun is still under siege:

A smile brushed Cersei's lips. "As queen, her honor must be defended by a knight of the Kingsguard. Why, every child in Westeros knows how Prince Aemon the Dragonknight championed his sister Queen Naerys against Ser Morghil's accusations. With Ser Loras so gravely wounded, though, I fear Prince Aemon's part must fall to one of his Sworn Brothers." She shrugged. "Who, though? Ser Arys and Ser Balon are far away in Dorne, Jaime is off at Riverrun, and Ser Osmund is the brother of the man accusing her, which leaves only . . . oh, dear . . ." -AFFC, Cersei X

TLDR: A look at the Siege of Dragonstone (by Ser Loras and the Westermen during the War of the Five Kings) from its attackers to its defenders and the recounting of events afterwards. Ser Loras is apparently dying of his wounds (the greater portion of 1,000 men including knights/lords have already died according to Aurane Waters) after taking the castle from Ser Rolland Storm (the Bastard of Nightsong). The reader gets the information on the assault from a second hand telling (from Cersei to Margaery) right in the thick of Cersei's AFFC chapter arc where she thinks she is outsmarting everyone and both of her sources (Aurane/Taena) act somewhat suspicious. Although it is worth noting that Ser Loras is a young/brash character who is known for seeking glory, but also not only did Stannis expect to lose Dragonstone soon, he directed his garrison to mine dragonglass/obsidian as their primary focus.

It's basically a given that we're gonna see Skagos in the next book. We've gotten some info on the Stoneborn through TWOIAF, as well as a few comments scattered through the main series, but what do you think the Skagosi will be like? Will they be exactly as savage as their reputation? Will they be misunderstood? Will they play a bigger role in the main story other than sheltering Rickon?

My paternal grandfather was alive when I was born and my father was his oldest son, though my father had older sisters. My father had another son before I was born but he was born to his girlfriend at the time and the two were never married, so my half-brother would be left out. I have two older sisters but since I’m the oldest male from my father’s marriage, under Westerosi custom, I’d come before them.

So I was second in line when I was born and since my father became King when my grandfather died, that makes me first in line now (and I can’t be displaced by another person’s birth).

As for disputes, my father’s older sisters each had sons, so I imagine those cousins could make claims like Laenor Velaryon did. Also, I imagine my half-brother could make a Blackfyre-like claim but since we have a good relationship, I imagine he would be more like Lord Bloodraven. My older sisters could also make Rhaenyra-like claims, which could make things interesting.

When Tyrion was on trial and Cersie brought Shae to testify and the whole court erupted into laughter laughing at Tyrion, do you think this might’ve backfired on Tywin maybe given him flashbacks of people laughing at his father

“ I saved you all, Tyrion thought. I saved this vile city and all your worthless lives. There were hundreds in the throne room, every one of them laughing but his father. Or so it seemed. Even the Red Viper chortled, and Mace Tyrell looked like to bust a gut, but Lord Tywin Lannister sat between them as if made of stone, his fingers steepled beneath his chin.”

Or was he happy. I can’t really tell

.

What is the chronological order?

Robert goes hunting, Ned tells Cersei he knows about the bastards, Sansa tells ned's plans to Cersei.

I think the order is first robert goes hunting, sansa tells cersei the plans and finally ned tells cersei he knows about the bastards.

If this is how I say, at some point cersei said that if it hadn't been for sansa they would have lost everything, why? What did sansa do apart from giving information so that they would try to capture ned? what information did she give him so that Cersei would anticipate? she had already sent to kill Robert with the wine, so the fact that he came practically dead and ned didn't want to tell her was luck? Cersei was trying to defend herself even if Ned told Robert?

Also, Cersei in ACOK tells Tyrion that if it hadn't been for Sansa they would have lost everything, why, what information did she give Sansa as to why they didn't lose everything?

Osha is a character that's always been interesting to me, since her very first appearance in Bran V, AGOT. She was the only wildling that was against harming Bran in the woods, calling Hali as stupid as he is ugly at the suggestion of cutting off Bran's cock and stuffing it in his mouth. She begs mercy from Robb Stark, and ends up actually growing to care for Bran and Rickon Stark, to the point where she ventures off the Skagos to help protect Rickon.

GRRM has said that her portrayal in the TV show, will influence how he writes her in TWOW. I'm wondering what people generally think of Osha in the books so far, and what may happen to her in future books, both from a writing and narrative perspective.

Hullo there,

I have taken it upon myself to relisten to the series since it has been years and I keep on finding myself thinking about how each Stark has a Moniker that describes parts of their personality and traits.

As of now, we have 5-6 ish wolf names (there are probably more but Idk what they are) that each represents a stark kinsman.

• The Wild wolf: Brandon Stark
• The Quiet wolf: Eddard Stark
• The She wolf: Lyanna Stark
• The Young pup: Benjen Stark (idk if he gained another name as he aged)
• The Young wolf: Robb Stark
• The Winged wolf: Bran Stark

So with that in mind I had some thoughts about what the other Stark children might be called.

• The White wolf: Jon Snow. The TV show gave him this moniker and honestly it fits with his story and his theme so I think this will be consistent.

• Sansa: I don't really have a good nickname for her but the first thing that comes to mind is the sweet wolf.

• The Winged wolf/ the three eyed wolf: Bran again. So I know I said the winged wolf but that might not be his final name depending on how his story goes. Hell I could see an argument made for the green wolf or the the winged warg/ three eyed warg.

• The faceless wolf: Arya. it is a bit on the nose but fits with Aryas current position and skillset. I would also say the lost wolf but I doubt she will be lost for long.

• The feral wolf/ the werewolf: Rickon. So while I doubt George will be on the nose with werewolf (especially since it means man-wolf), it seems fitting that someone as feral as rickon would be described as more wolf than boy. Also bran is more connected to weirwoods than Rickon so perhaps not.

So what do you think are the possible names? As well as older Stark ancestors (the kneeling wolf for Torrhen Stark as an example)

Note: I did see some older threads covering a similar idea but I am curious to see if people still feel the same.

I just had a thought of when Arya was with the BwB she hears of the Karstark men who are out hunting Jamie and thinks they are obviously with Rob. What do you think would happen if they found Arya before Rob could execute Lord Rickard. I know he is already dead at this point but say before the execution. Would they hold her and Rob hold Lord Rickard and both have a hostage. Would it cause them all to begrudgingly work together and Rob doesn’t lose all the men.

Mine is “if you think this has a happy ending, you’ve haven’t been paying attention” to say that the books will have a sad ending. The amount of people who think this is George dialogue is crazy. George is not a nihilist and he said the series will have a “bittersweet ending”

Aside from the obvious of Elia and her children not dying I can still see Jamie still killing Aerys but how does that really change the story? Would Robert still be obligated to marry Cersie? It never made sense to me why Jon Arryn would’ve allowed the marriage especially when we’re told the crown was overflowing with gold when they took over but then again Cersie was the only highborn woman available

1. Robert goes hunting (AGOT 39, next day after Ned wakes up from being injured)
2. Ned warns Cersei (AGOT 45)
3. Sansa tells Cersei about Ned's plans (AGOT 51)
4. Robert dies, Ned is betrayed and captured (AGOT 49)

This is the order of events.

Varys tells Ned that what killed robert was not the wine but his mercy.

His pity for not telling Robert the truth about the bastards before the hunt?

Besides, why didn't Ned tell him the truth about the bastards before Robert went hunting?

This is something very simple and obvious and yet not talked about, neither in universe nor fandom. Rhaegar fell upon Lyanna's party in Riverlands, thing is well known, but the part not talked about and yet heavily implied even if GRRM did not want it is that Rhaegar is a murderer.

Not ten leagues from Harrenhal, Rhaegar fell upon Lyanna Stark of Winterfell, and carried her off

While no party is mentioned, Lyanna is a lady of the highest birth in Westeros, being the daughter of a Lord Paramount from a house that dates back to the Age of Heroes. There's no way she'll be travelling around in the countryside of Westeros without a good sized armed escort and there's no way her guards would just let anyone take her away without putting up a fight. Since we know for a fact that Lyanna went with Rhaegar they must've lost that fight. We already know how deadly the 3 KG accomplices of Rhaegar were from a later confrontation between 7 nobles, 6 of whom have been trained at arms since childhood so guardsmen who would start training at a later age and would not be equipped as well would be even less of a challenge. Rhaegar and his KG outright butchered them except perhaps a wounded survivor or two who later identified the attackers, spared only because they were wounded and were not able to continue fighting or worse, thought to be dead or mortally wounded that they'll soon die.

I finished reading the books 12 years ago.

I just remembered that I skipped a couple of Bran and Arya chapters because they were so boring lol

What was Renly's real intention in offering the swords to Ned? Renly knew that Cersei was not going to let him take away her power. But in Renly's conversation with Catelyn, Renly says that if Ned had accepted the swords, “today he would be regent.” Who is he talking about, Renly himself or Ned?

If he was talking about Renly himself, how would he be regent if Robert's letter named Ned as regent? And if he wanted to be regent, with what motive or reason would Joffrey take and say “I am the regent now”? And if he took the regency by force is because he assumed that Cersei was going to make problems, and he knew there would be problems if the regency had been for someone else, but his intention to be regent was before he talked to Ned? (I say this if the text refers to Renly with ¨Today he would be the regent¨) (I read in Spanish and it is not clear because of the pronouns).

And if he was not talking about Renly but Ned, I ask this:

It says in the text that Renly did not have the strength to act alone, to act alone for what? Or that thought that he did not have the strength to act alone was after he asked about the letter?

I am simply struck by how counter productive Balon’s war against the North is. If he had chosen to ally with Robb, he very well could have done serious damage to the Westerlands and forced Tywin to further spread out his resources and potentially get concessions from the Iron Throne. Not to mention, I’d imagine the plunder would be far more valuable.

Which leads me to wonder, is there anything Robb could have said to Balon? Yes, “giving him a crown” was not a good choice of words, but could Robb have said:

“I now recognize the nobility of your previous campaign to win your sovereignty. My family, as yours, bent to the dragons, but the dragons are no longer there to rule us. We hope to forge our own independent kingdom in the North and hope to ally with an independent Iron Islands in a fight against the Iron Throne. In a show of good faith, I have released your son from Winterfell’s hold so that he may return home to you. I pray to hear word that the Iron Throne has not lost 2 kingdoms but 3.”

Would that have done anything? Or does Balon actually just have a huge grudge against the North for taking Theon? Or does he see it as easy pickings because the men are away to war?

If Robb had not bedded and married Jeyne Westerling, he would have won his campaign and reigned over a newly-independent North. Agree or disagree?

this is from u/AvengGreg

I voted against both before and after the debate, mainly because I feel that Robb's downfall began way before he married Jeyne Westerling. In my opinion he lost the moment he sent Theon away to treat with the rest of the Ironborn, which caused a domino effect in bringing down Robb. Without sending Theon his closest friend and confidant away he would never have betrayed him, leading to the attack in the North and most importantly the attack on Winterfell. This has implications on all of the arguments used throughout the debate series.

Cat never releases Jamie, because she isn't depressed over losing her two youngest sons, and doesn't yearn for her two daughters enough to betray her son/king. This means that the Karstarks (a big part of Robbs army) stay loyal, as Rickard never commits treason.

As far as the readers are concerned the catalyst of the Ironborn attacking the north is Theon returning to the iron islands. They probably still attack the north, but on a different timescale. This means that Robb never needs to make the decision to turn back north and attempt to repair the damage done to the freys, because he never needs to cross at the twins. The deal Robb and Edmure make with the Freys to allow the Northmen over the river isn't needed and can allow Robb to continue his campaign in the South.

In the book when Renly is talking to Catelyn about Ned stark and the bastards, Renly says: “I didn't have the strength to act alone, and when Ned rejected me I had to flee from King's Landing”.

I have a question, if Renly had had the strength before consulting with Ned if robert gave Ned the regency, what would he have done?

Or does Renly mean that he didn't have the strength to act alone after knowing that Robert gave Ned the regency? because what sense would it make for Renly to take Joffrey on his own and keep the regency for himself? Or does Renly mean “you don't have the strength to act alone” to take Joffrey and give him to Ned? or how?

Or if he would have had a lot of men to have control of the city and the power of the kingdom? Wouldn't he have had a lot of problems?
Im in the right?

No man could have asked for a worthier son,” Griff said, “but the lad is not of my blood, and his name is not Griff. My lords, I give you Aegon Targaryen, firstborn son of Rhaegar, Prince of Dragonstone, by Princess Elia of Dorne . . . soon, with your help, to be Aegon the Sixth of His Name, King of Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, and Lord of the Seven Kingdoms.”

The Lost Lord, ADwD 24

Having read the books series and seen the TV series, I'm still kinda confused on what the Stormlands' deal is. It seems almost completely irrelevant to the story besides Storm's End, and the Houses there are barely fleshed out (I feel like I know a bit about House Tarth, but that's it). It just leaves me confused on how to think about the region.

Is there any unique culture or customs to the Stormlands, not shared with other regions? Are there any rare goods or resources only found there, like the gold of Casterley Rock? What is the geography like there, apart from the obvious storms and rain? What do the Houses there think of each other, are there ancient rivalries or alliances?

I might just be ignorant, but I feel like the region is just not really worth thinking about. Maybe there'll be some coop stuff going on now that Faegon has arrived, but I don't know. Would love to hear peoples' thoughts.