Author: stevenattewell

Apart from the fact that it was a Bolton screwjob, would sacking Duskendale have been a sound move strategically for Robb?

No. At a time when Robb was trying to strategically retrench by retaking the North and trying to hold the line in the Riverlands, an offensive action that risks valuable manpower would require some major upside to justify it. But Duskendale doesn’t have any upside – it’s not a vital strongpoint in the theater, it doesn’t allow them to threaten King’s Landing, it doesn’t allow them to degrade the effectiveness of the Tyrell/Lannister army, etc.

Are nobles and peers the same thing?

Sort of. To take the UK as our example, peerage is a subset of the nobility, with privileges such as membership in the House of Lords. Only dukes/duchesses, marquesses/marchionesses, earls and countesses, viscounts and viscountesses, and barons and baronesses are considered peers. However, the nobility also includes baronets, knights and dames if one is using the stricter definition, and esquires, landed gentlemen, and other “argimerous families,” if one is using the looser definition. 

It’s further complicated because the peerage traditionally only passed to the heir of the title, so the younger siblings would be considered noble or aristocratic but not peers. 

During the Siege of Storm’s End, Mace Tyrell’s army feasted in front of the walls instead of trying to take the castle by storm in an attempt to demoralize the defenders, apparently for over a year. Were there any similar siege developments in history? If so, were they any successful?

Oh absolutely. As I’ve talked about before, most sieges ended because of treachery or starvation rather than assault. So conspicuously eating in front of the enemy, promising food to the besieged if they surrendered, etc. were common and useful tactics. In fact, George Orwell writes about their effectiveness during the Spanish Civil War in Homage to Catalonia.

When foot archers had to fight close up, what do they do with their bows? Would they throw them away or did they have some where to hold it so it wouldnt get in the way? Likewise how did heavy horse archers carry both a lance and a bow?

They’d usually drop them at their feet, because longbows are incredibly awkward to carry –  and stringing it across one’s back as in the movies is a great way to get yourself snagged on something.

Horse archers tended to have much smaller bows, and holsters that hang off the saddle.  

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As for how they transported the lances, see here. 

How was it decided who become a Regent if there’s multiple people vying for it? If there’s no will, would Jon Arryn just declare who he wanted as he was Robert’s Hand?

Well, that’s the crux of the matter: the Hand might have one opinion, but the Queen Mother might have a different one and if she’s got possession of the king that’s hugely influential, the king’s will might have some sway, the king’s surviving relatives might have another opinion, etc. 

Were there any tourneys in the North, Iron Islands, or Dorne? What other kinds of sporting events, concerts or other “pop culture” would you expect to see in those regions?

The North prefers melees to jousts.

Dorne definitely has tourneys, as several Dornish characters – Oberyn Martell, Arthur Dayne, Lady Lance – are skilled jousters.

The Iron Islands probably doesn’t have enough horses or open land for jousting to be a big deal, and prefers its own traditional sports like the finger-dance.