Post by danl on Sept 26, 2016 13:43:17 GMT
I actually think the white ravens are very likely bonded to Walgrave.
We are told that the ravens are "pure bred white ravens of the Citadel". They are no "common albinos". In short, they are most assuredly the Citadel's creatures. When we look at some of the descriptions of Walgrave then he kinda sounds like how Haggon (was it Haggon?) described skinchangers that spent too much time in the skin of birds. Guys, Walgrave is a skinchanger. Me nem nessa
The idea that maesters wouldn't know exactly what they are, how they work and how useful they would be is preposterous. Walgrave is being kept around because he can provide the maesters intel that they could otherwise not obtain.
Walgrave is being kept around because he can provide the maesters intel that they could otherwise not obtain.
It's a bit silly to think Bloodraven has the ability to see through the eyes of any raven; in the words of Bilbo Baggins, it would be "like butter scraped over too much toast." If we want to speculate that there are a large number of ravens being skinchanged across vast geographical distances, then we need to allow for the possibility that there are other greenseers out there.
I like where this is going. I resisted this theory because it didn't seem consistent with the Citadel's anti-magic agenda. Everything we know about them seems to be opposed to magic in any form. But the Citadel's primary tool is knowledge and some compromises must be made when conventional means are not available.
If we want to speculate that there are a large number of ravens being skinchanged across vast geographical distances, then we need to allow for the possibility that there are other greenseers out there.
The notion that the white raven at Dragonstone is warged does not imply that there are large numbers of warged ravens. Dragonstone is not accessible to normal means of spying. Varys tells Ilyrio that no information is coming out of Dragonstone. If a greenseer can warg only one raven, Dragonstone may be the best place to send that raven.
But I do agree that we should not assume that BR is the only person in the Seven Kingdoms with this ability. And I agree that it would be silly to assume that BR can use ravens to achieve near omniscience.