Author: stevenattewell

RFTIT Tumblr Weekly Roundup!

RFTIT Tumblr Weekly Roundup!

Hello, folks! So Tyrion II’s quotes are put in, and I’ve now assembled all the quotes for the Politics of the Reach. Whether I’ll have a finished essay for Monday, we’ll see…depends on how productive I feel on Thursday through Sunday. But in the mean time, let’s see what we have on the Tumblr: Duskendale and Crownlands pre-Targaryens. Part I Part II The Great Heathen Army and army sizes. comment…

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A cluster of Dothraki questions- 1) Since Drogo was apparently not paying any heed to Dany’s pleas to invade Westeros prior to the wineseller incident, did he ever intend to fulfill his part of the deal Illyrio supposedly brokered ? 2) If the Dothraki consider agriculture a sacrilege against Mother Earth, why is seed a part of the traditional gifts given to the Dosh Khaleen? 3) Would small traders like sausage sellers really profit from a trade expedition to a distant place like Vaes Dothrak?

1. Yes, but in his own time.

2. Wrong kind of seed.

3. Well, Vaes Dothrak gets pretty constant traffic, so I think they do good business.

How do you think the Faith of the Seven is institutionally organized across the Andalized kingdoms? Does the High Septon appoint ‘bishops’ to administer the Faith’s affairs in each region? Could the Most Devout actually just be these bishops in conclave? Do you imagine local rulers exercising a Gallican veto over appointments to ensure local religious authorities support secular power?

These are excellent questions! 

So the Most Devout are a council (or conclave) of the highest ranking Septons. How they are chosen is unclear – so it could be the High Septon appointing, or it could be a more presbyterian system. 

Now, historically, the Most Devout chose the High Septon from among their ranks, although that’s not a necessity. After Jaehaerys’ peace with the Church, the Crown claimed the right to name the High Septon, although this seems to have been carried out by the King nominating a candidate who would always be elected no matter what. 

I find the pre-Targaryen period a fascinating mystery – I can’t imagine the rulers of Dorne or the Stormlands or the Westerlands or the Riverlands being particularly happy with the idea that the head of the Faith is so intimitately connected with House Hightower, even if that doesn’t always mean connected with House Gardener. So I would imagine there would have to be a fairly Galician system, and some very Renaissance lobbying during the choosing of new High Septons. 

What historical and/or structural factors do you think may have contributed to Myr becoming the workshop of the world rather than any of the other Free Cities (not that their economies aren’t impressive, Myr just seems to have a particularly prolific and diversified value-added industrial sector)? Something about its location? Its founding social coalitions (adventuring merchants and maybe Rhoynar vs. Tyrosh and Lys’ military and pleasure purposes)? Or is it just contingency? Thanks in advance!

opinions-about-tiaras:

racefortheironthrone:

I think that’s a bit strong: I wouldn’t call Myr the “workshop of the world.” It’s somewhat more diversified, but not that much more. Yes, they have optics, weaponry, fine woolens, lace, glassworks and tapestries….

But Qohor has metalworking on lockdown, Tyrosh has dyemaking and distillation (which suggests chemistry) and competes with Myr on armaments, Lys is a competitor in the tapestries business and has a better chemicals industry, Norvos is a competitor in the tapestries business, Braavos dominates in finance and is the only place that’s figures out the assembly line and interchangeable parts. 

So I would say that the Free Cities are fairly even when it comes to industrial development. 

So I would say that the Free Cities are fairly even when it comes to industrial development. 

Even Lorath, Volantis, and Pentos? Volantis seems like it relies mostly on being the gateway to the east, and its heavily slaveholding society doesn’t seem well-suited to industrial development. Pentos also seems to mostly get by on trade rather than value-add, and Lorath is just sort of the weird poor northern cousin of the Nine.

Here’s where “fairly” does a lot of work, I’ll admit. But Lorath produces some rather fine velvets, as well as the byproducts of their whaling business. Pentos does seem to be entirely commercial, although they have more agricultural hinterlands than many of the other Free Cities, so that compensates. 

And while Volantis is somewhat technologically stagnant, but they’re on decline from a great height. 

What historical and/or structural factors do you think may have contributed to Myr becoming the workshop of the world rather than any of the other Free Cities (not that their economies aren’t impressive, Myr just seems to have a particularly prolific and diversified value-added industrial sector)? Something about its location? Its founding social coalitions (adventuring merchants and maybe Rhoynar vs. Tyrosh and Lys’ military and pleasure purposes)? Or is it just contingency? Thanks in advance!

I think that’s a bit strong: I wouldn’t call Myr the “workshop of the world.” It’s somewhat more diversified, but not that much more. Yes, they have optics, weaponry, fine woolens, lace, glassworks and tapestries….

But Qohor has metalworking on lockdown, Tyrosh has dyemaking and distillation (which suggests chemistry) and competes with Myr on armaments, Lys is a competitor in the tapestries business and has a better chemicals industry, Norvos is a competitor in the tapestries business, Braavos dominates in finance and is the only place that’s figures out the assembly line and interchangeable parts. 

So I would say that the Free Cities are fairly even when it comes to industrial development.