Well, the name similarity would normally suggest that, but in this case, we know differently. House Jordayne is named in honor of the late Robert Jordan, sci-fi and fantasy author – its castle, the Tor, is named after Jordan’s publisher, the current lord’s first name is Robert spelled backwards, its sigil is a pen, etc. 

Absolutely. While individual mercenaries were used for most of recorded history, you start getting organized companies of mercenaries during the 12th century called routiers (bands) operating throughout France, Italy, and the Holy Roman Empire. Usually, they were organized and known from their geographic origins – thus the Genoese crossbowmen at Crecy, the Gascon infantry at Poiters, and so on and so forth. These bands would form the model for the rise of the condottieri in Renaissance Italy. 

Some of the most famous Medieval Companies were the Grand Catalan Company of the 14th century, which saw service in Anatolia argainst the Turks, and in the Balkans against the Byzantines and the Avars, the 14th century Navarrese Company, which fought in Greece, and John Hawkswood’s 14th century White Company, which fought in Italy. 

They tended to be a mix of infantry and cavalry – the White Company had 3,500 cavalry and 2,500 infantry at its peak, the Grand Catalan Company had 1,500 knights and 4,000 Almogavar infantry – often with some form of specialized skill that made them distinct from local soldiery. The Genoese were known for their skilled crossbowmen, the English for their longbowmen, the Swiss for their disciplined pikemen, the Almogavar for extremely fast-moving skirmishers. 

In terms of cost, they could be ruinously expensive. For example, Sienna spent the equivalent of $700,000 a year on mercenaries during the 14th century, badly stressing its fiscal capabilities. 

Equally importantly, the free companies were known for “living off the land,” pillaging widely, and ransoming regions (i.e, forcing people to pay protection money to avoid being pilaged). 

My guess is that House Smallwood is a cadet branch of House Blackwood.

That’s one strategy. The difficulty is that Casterly Rock is honeycombed with tunnels already and is geographically massive, so it’d be hard to pull that off. 

Honestly, if I were going to besiege Casterly Rock, I’d cut off the harbor entrance (sinking a bunch of hulks should do it) to prevent resupply from the sea, and then dig a moat around the entire landward side to starve them out.

But even then, six months is a very optimistic projection. Sieges can take a long long time, even without the absurdly spacious storerooms of the Rock.

joannalannister:

I was thinking about how Tyrion might assault Casterly Rock, and we all know about the drains and cisterns. I think it has to be through the drains because if, like, you were trying to drop down into one of the Rock’s cisterns, via dragonback or s/t idk, you would have to deal with arrows being fired at you, and the Rock’s defenders might be more alert if they suspected that someone had gotten inside, which is why I think the drains are the way to go. 

But once you get inside, I’m trying to think about the most effective thing you can do, because even if you raise the portcullis and let the enemy in through the Lion’s Mouth, they would still have to fight their way up through the unfamiliar tunnels in the dark and the place is huge so rooting out the Lannisters like that would be a bitch, and it would take too much time, and if we ever get to this point, I think the story will be running out of time.

So if I were Tyrion, and I got inside, I think my main objective would be Tommen, similar to what Visenya did at the Eyrie with Ronnel Arryn. And now I can’t stop thinking about this: "But Tommen … why would I harm Tommen? He’s a good lad, and mine own blood.“ Because, unlike Sharra Arryn, I don’t think Cersei would surrender. Ever. :///

Depends on how many defenders are left and how well led they are (after all, given that the history of the Lannisters starts with them taking the Rock through subterfuge, it must be possible). Daven probably took a good deal of the garrison with him to besiege Riverrun, and we don’t know if Ser Damion is any good as a commander. 

Normally, one doesn’t get mines on a flat plain, though. 

Coal, at least in pre-industrial quantities, is probably ubiquitous enough that it doesn’t come from one place in particular. We’ve got coal being used at the Wall, in the Westerlands, in King’s Landing, in Essos, etc. 

Peat is less commonly used, and seems to be used only in parts of the Riverlands, parts of the Vale, and parts of the North.