Tarth's role

I'd like to add, for your consideration, the Greenmen on the Isle of Faces.

Thank you!

I think I was remembering how the Valyrians never expanded their empire to Westeros, and I believe the WB mentions some old legend about how the doom of man would come from there. The empire existed for 5,000 years and had an outpost as far west as Dragonstone, yet never established themselves on the mainland at all. Why?
The Targs themselves also stayed on their island for 100 years before venturing onto land. When they finally did, they experienced madness, infighting and the loss of their dragons. Within 300 years, their family was practically annihilated.

Maybe dragons generally don't do well on the mainland? Valyria was a peninsula, and so is Asshai. And Dragonstone... Of course all 3 also have volcanoes, which presumably are important...but then why didn't they settle at Winterfell, for example? Surely there are plenty of inland volcanoes they could have lived next to.




Yup, that's exactly what I was suggesting. And if they are, why not the people of Tarth?




Ooooh now that takes it to a whole other level! It's too bad we know almost nothing about them, aside from their presumed strong magical abilities... which would certainly fit with refugees from the East.




Sure, that could work. But as I said a few comments ago, there are surely also volcanoes on the mainland that could be mined.

It might be as simple as islands offering protection for their dragons when they have them chained up. So that nobody can harm them or try to steal them. Rhaenyra lost 5 or 6 dragons in a riot in KL - that wouldn't have happened if she had kept them on DS where they belong. But I would prefer to find a less mundane explanation for the island preference.

I like it. Given that the CotF had obsidian to give the NW each year there must be some sort of volcano/volcanic activity in the North. Another nod to this would be there the hot springs under WF.
We know that Tarth is called the "Sapphire Isle" bc of it's blue water. But considering that sapphires are formed from volcanic processes deep in the earth, it's nickname could be GRRM sneakily hinting about what's under/around the island.

I tried looking at a map and drawing connections between the locations of Tarth, Dragonstone & Starfall but didn't come up with anything more than a triangle. I'm not saying it's important, but Bermuda has one of those. LOL

I like this idea of them keeping the swords--especially the idea of Jaime's getting Widow's Wail.

Given that Ice seems defiled by what happened to it--Mott even says it resists being colored--the idea of reforging it seems. . . odd.

For Jaime and Brienne to keep the broken sword sand turn them back to better usage--that would be really nice.

Though if voice 's idea re: Dawn holds up, I wonder it Dawn will have to be sent back south again. At that point, I could see Brienne giving Oathkeeper back.



YUP!!!

Ice does seem defiled, but I don't think it was ever meant to be Ned's sword. Ice was ridiculously large (compensating for something...) and it made a lot of sense to use the metal for two swords instead of only one. 

I think the unnatural nature of Valyrian steel is what made it resist reforging and recoloring. There were spells and magic woven into the steel, but they weren't Ned's spells and magic. 

We know Jon didn't feel comfortable wielding Longclaw, because it was VS. Mayhaps Ned felt the same way about Ice? He didn't carry it into battle, and had Theon carry it for executions. 



I like that idea too. In one way of looking at it, Jaime was the hero. Arthur Dayne didn't save the realm by killing the Mad King, Jaime did. And Brienne was effectively knighted by that realm-saving hero. 



I think Dawn (the original Ice) will eventually melt like the snow that it is.

So any future would-be wielders will have to purchase a replica. Speaking of which, I want a Dawn replica for christmas. 

Sure

If I'm right about How Ice Became Dawn, then that means the sword Dawn exists because its original owner is still "alive" beyond the curtain of light, up north and north and north.

And if I'm right about Jon being the Weirwood Ghost that represents the re-unification of peoples since divided (Starks and Daynes, Natural Ice and Natural Fire), then that means he might be the one and only person who can provide catharsis.

If he does, then I see it as an inoculation.

---

inoculate (v.) 
mid-15c., "implant a bud into a plant," from Latin inoculatus, past participle of inoculare "graft in, implant a bud or eye of one plant into another," from in- "in" (see in- (2)) + oculus "bud," originally "eye" (see eye (n.)). Meaning "implant germs of a disease to produce immunity" is from inoculation, originally in reference to smallpox, after 1799, often used in sense of "to vaccine inoculate." Related: Inoculated; inoculating.

• verb (used with object), inoculated, inoculating.
  
  1. to implant (a disease agent or antigen) in a person, animal, or plant to produce a disease for study or to stimulate disease resistance.
  
  
  2. to affect or treat (a person, animal, or plant) in this manner.
  
  
  3. to introduce (microorganisms) into surroundings suited to their growth, as a culture medium.
  
  
  4. to imbue (a person), as with ideas.
  
  
  5. Metallurgy. to treat (molten metal) chemically to strengthen the microstructure.
  
  

• verb (used without object), inoculated, inoculating.
  
  6. to perform inoculation.

I think the inoculation will be liquid. Considering that the Wall is also a sword in the darkness (Benjen - "a sword to the east"), and a fire that burns against the cold (like the light of dawn), I could see both the Wall and Dawn melting if their original owner/wielder melted. 

When Samwell stabbed the disarmed Ser Puddles, his armor melted first. So I think the Wall will melt first. Considering that Dawn is actually (imo) the sword of Brandon the Builder when he became Night's King, as the original Ice, it is nothing more than snow. Solidified water. And when the darkness is truly ended, it too will melt.