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In Victarions first chapter in dance, he comments that the Volantenes were doubting between sending 300 or 500 warships to Meereen. Given that Braavos is more powerful, and that it has been made clear that they are particularly efficcient at building warships, how many warships can Braavos throw in a war? 700?

Well, given that Braavos’ Arsenal can build 365 warships in a year, it depends how many years the Arsenal is put into action leading up to a war, how long the ships last (historically, wooden ships tended to last only 20-30 years), their rate of construction vs. loss*, and how much manpower they have available to crew them. 

I would guess 700 at a minimum. 

*this raises another issue: Braavos’ naval might could be not so much how many ships they have but how quickly they can replace them. The Romans, for example, didn’t have the biggest armies and often not the most armies, but they had an ability to raise new armies that no one else could compete with. 

Why is House Oakheart known for their hatred of the Dornish? I get them joining in on wars that the Reach has with Dorne, and an Oakheart died alongside Daeron the Young dragon, but they’re so far north west on the map. Shouldn’t they have a tradition of fighting westermen and defending the Reach from Crakehall invasions and whatnot?

They should indeed. Ironborn too, given the proximity of the Shield Islands. 

But as a principal House of the Reach, they’re going to be first and foremost in the ranks of the Gardener Kings’ lieutenants. So I wouldn’t be surprised if Egderran Oakheart was a general in the armies of Garth the Hammer of the Dornish, Garth Goldenhand, or Garth the Painter, since he seems to have been victorious. Alester Oakheart has a strong Roland vibe to him, so he might have been a leader in Greydon Gardener’s failed invasion, or the invasions of the Reach under Gyles III or Garth Xth. 

Re. the question of A+J=T, Joanna was actually in King’s Landing during the anniversary tourney of 272 AC. Yes, Aerys insulted her and at this point, despite earlier whispers about her as his paramour, there’s no way she sleeps with him willingly. But with his sexual aggression it’s perfectly plausible, although clearly distasteful, that he could have raped her later, which would add another element to Tywin’s attempt to resign the next day. Not saying I believe it but it’s certainly possible

The timing only works if her trip to court happened at least three months into the year, and that’s the one time she was at court. 

But no, I don’t think it’s plausible. Otherwise, Aerys would have been dead the next day. 

Jeor Mormont gave up his lordship so his son could rule. Did medieval lords do that? And why do you think he’s the only one mentioned to have done that? (My totally unsupported headcanon: the Watch invited him.)

It happened very, very, very rarely. The most famous example was that of Charles V of Spain, Burgundy, the Netherlands, Austria, and Holy Roman Emperor, who abdicated his various titles between 1555 and 1556, in part because of his age and health, and in part because he realized that, by gathering too much lands and titles in one person, he’d become a threat to all of Europe and hence the various European powers would keep allying against him lest they be swallowed up by the Hapsborg. 

As for why, I think it was because he thought it was a bad thing to have adult male heirs banging around the place not getting to do anything useful during their prime. 

Based on the discussions of where the relevant people were at the right time, TWOIAF leaves open the physical possibility of A+J=T. I used to be dead-set against Tyrion as a Targaryen bastard but after considering him as a potential dragonrider, his mother-dying-in-childbirth situation he shares with Targs Dany and Jon, and his physical deformities (mixed eyes, stuntedness, Targ history of malformed babies) I concede that it certainly isn’t impossible. Is this a red herring or does it matter?

I’m with joannalannister. A+J != T. 

WOIAF to me actually made it less likely – she was away from court and living in Casterly Rock at the time, he had just publicly humiliated her, etc.