What do you think would be a better way to get to the top of the Eyrie. Going up by ropes seems very terrifying to me, what is the break! What would you use instead of the usual way the Arryn’s use to get to the top of their castle in the sky?

The only alternative to the pulley or the stairs (people always forget the stairs) would be some form of elevator.

Inspired by the Theon question, if The North American was only able to bring half its strength south with Robb, why then was Theon and the other Iron Born commanders able to make so much inpact against fortified strongholds, which the Iron Born should be numerically and tactically disadvantaged against?

Discussed in my analysis of ACOK. Short version is that the North didn’t mobilize ahead of the invasion and then got distracted and divided by the Hornwood Crisis.

And then the scriptwriters for Westerosi Wrestlemania CCXCIX got a little bit crazy, so Theon fluked the capture of Winterfell and Reek hit Rodrik Cassel’s whole army upside the head with a folding chair while the ref wasn’t looking…

Based on three failed rebellions, Is it safe to say that Bittersteel was an albatross for House Blackfyre? What do you think could have done to prevent House Blackfyre from falling into ruin?

To the contrary, I’m on record as saying that Bittersteel is the only reason a Blackfyre cause survived the First Rebellion.

Do you think that something akin to the Commercial Revolution has already started in Westeros, especially considering the time period after Aegon’s unification? – Thank You, RSAFan.

Maybe, maybe, maybe a little with some of Littlefinger’s vertical integration mishegas.

So, whenever I occasionally read ASOIAF futurefics, sometimes I see Sam as maester of Winterfell. So here’s my question: if Sam took the maester’s vows, could he be sent anywhere the archmaesters wanted? Obviously the Night’s Watch takes precedence since they don’t have a maester and that’s why Sam was sent to the Citadel in the first place but humor me in this?

No, I think the Night’s Watch oath would still be binding in this situation.

If the Night’s King were to win the battle against the Westerosi, are we meant to presume they will eventually conquer Essos and all of Planetos?

The Others are omnicidal demons, so yes.

What are your thoughts on the Injustice games and comics?

Not here for it. Evil Superman has been played out for a long time.

Given that Castamere was destroyed and its mines flooded, could Tywin giving it to Rolph Spicer be seen as a poisoned gift, similar to Harrenhal? Repairing and restoring the surface buildings and mines would probably come at a considerable cost, higher than Rolph or his house could afford easily. Not to mention that there’s an excellent chance that Castamere is now a thin place…

Well, Castamere itself was flooded, but there are working gold mines in the area – we know this because the Greatjon raided them when Robb was invading the West. So the lands have value.

But the castle itself is something of a white elephant.

Is the Tattered Prince supposed to be viewed as a “bad” guy? I guess i’m just confused on his character like he wants political change in Pentos but would that change be harmful to the actual people of Pentos or just the ruling class.

I direct you to @poorquentyn‘s essays on the subject, because either GRRM has consistently mis-written an actually benign character or the Tattered Prince is Mephistopheles.

just something i noticed on a reread, but how do you explain the use (frequent use) of the word “puissant” in the books, even though obviously french isn’t a language in ASOIAF. i know that can probably go for lots of words, but i just think it’s funny that it’s used so often (especially in ACOK i believe) being a word from a language that doesn’t exist on planetos

I explain it by saying that GRRM really likes the word.