Maester Steven, given that Lady Whent is described as having let Harrenhal go to wrack and ruin for want of funds to maintain it (not to mention the fact that she submitted quite tamely to Lannister Forces) is it not possible that the reason we nowhere hear of the Host of Harrenhal is quite simply the Human Failure to raise those forces in a timely fashion? (or perhaps a failure to maintain the Personal Relationships so integral to a Feudal Host).

Forgive me if you’ve addressed this contingency before, but is it possible that the Riverlands low troop count relative to population isn’t a function of its underdevelopment, but rather the Riverlords’ systematic holding back troops to defend their lands from each other? That way, the Frey’s, Blackwoods, Bracken’s, etc. all have 3-4k troops, but they only ever send 2k when the Tullys call because there is so little trust among them.

There’s two problems with these headcanons:

First, these thousands of soldiers have to be somewhere. If they’re being kept at home, why don’t we see them in action when Tywin Lannister’s army is marching across the Riverlands attacking those homes? If they’re not, why don’t they show up in any battles or being recruited into various armies?

Second, if they exist, why don’t people know about them? Renly knows his feudal politics, and he immediately pegs the Riverlands at 20,000 men. If the Riverlands actually has 40,000 men available, you’d think Brynden Blackfish or Edmure or Robb or Catelyn would mention something to that effect.