Post by danl on Feb 9, 2020 22:29:30 GMT
It did make me wonder about if the Dothraki had wanted to claim a city or region and keep it for their own, as opposed to just raid and retreat.
A Dothraki-Targ alliance could have been the turn of the Dothraki to holding cities and kingdoms. Of course, given Dany's current position (and given that I don't expect her to be enslaved or killed), maybe that alliance is still a possibility. The Dothraki would still largely maintain their strategy of attack and retreat, used to weaken the enemy and prepare them to fall in the final assault.
I see people around here hunting with compound bows, which uses cables and pulleys. This is certainly not something that we see in the ASOIAF world, unless one might consider a fancy, wound up cross bow.
Yes, I've shot a compound bow a couple times. It has a very different feel than a recurve, which I've used a little. I suspect that some of it's technology is borrowed from a crossbow. I'm not sure, but I think a compound bow might be very difficult to aim without modern site technology. It does help in aiming a compound bow that it does not have to be held with all of the force that the arrow will deliver.
With the Dothraki, I picture a type of recurve bow, something they could fire from a riding position, but that might not travel as far a distance as a long bow, but I don't know that the text really ever indicates any of the specifics of the size of the bows.
I don't think we are given much, but I definitely picture a recurve. One that delivers enough force to be effective in battle would take a lot of strength to fire accurately.
Of course, I don't know how much Moorcock might have influenced GRRM's writing, but there are some things that stand out.
There have been things in ASOIAF fire that reminded me of the Elric saga, primarily Lightbringer and Bloodraven, although there may also be some things that are more subtle. In light of GRRM's tendency to mix it up with his borrowing, if there is a good character with an evil sword, I doubt it will be the one who looks like Elric. But maybe
More later