Yup. Too bad... flawed characters are so much more realistic.
Yes--but the sad puppy face can only reveal so many flaws. They have established Jon as having a chip on his shoulder. But other than that, just lots of sad puppy.
That was after he learned to close his mouth. Before that it was just a whole lot of derping... derpity derp derp derp away.
That was after he learned to close his mouth. Before that it was just a whole lot of derping... derpity derp derp derp away.
He was taking deep breaths so he could eventually sing the song of the earth.
And he is a puppy, after all. They mouth breathe all the time.
All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril. It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors. Oscar Wilde.
Mayhaps Thoros's spells unexpectedly became more effectual because of the Dragons. This might even explain Beric's resurrection. Mayhaps Thor's kiss of death rite became more powerful too?
Well, since it seems like Valyrian steel is supposed to be a living thing, and the flame of the Lord of Light is supposedly living too, and bringing back Beric is also "life" of a sort. . . .the idea that they could all be increasing in magic at the same time. . . .makes sense.
All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril. It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors. Oscar Wilde.
Mayhaps Thoros's spells unexpectedly became more effectual because of the Dragons. This might even explain Beric's resurrection. Mayhaps Thor's kiss of death rite became more powerful too?
Isn't this accepted fact at this point? Not-even-theory? (You know, like RLJ!)
The only conundrum I see is the ole dragon-and-egg question. What made the eggs hatch after all these years? Was that magic? Or are the dragons the prime mover here?
Mayhaps Thoros's spells unexpectedly became more effectual because of the Dragons. This might even explain Beric's resurrection. Mayhaps Thor's kiss of death rite became more powerful too?
Isn't this accepted fact at this point? Not-even-theory? (You know, like RLJ!)
Oh... well I rest my case then. Silly me trying to pull quotes to make a point. Lol
It is certainly debatable. I would argue that Martin has merely swapped the window dressing, and renamed the laws of physics with nomenclature that suggests magic and fantasy.
One ancient wetnurse's dragon comet might be an astrophysicist's solar flare.
I don't think so, but again, it is certainly debatable.
Imo the dragons are very big, flashy results of elder prime forces. Thermodynamics. Rather than "heat" being the only thing that moves, GRRM has also given that energy to the cold end of the spectrum (and perhaps given it even more energy than the hot, as winter comes).
In this series, I believe, the spectrum has been given a song and corporeal representatives.
"I can see it. You have more of the north in you than your brothers."
“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.” ― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
I'm thinking it has to be Beric's blood. Melisandre's blood is hot, black and smoking. Which would make for an interesting physical with you Internist. But it makes it sound like her blood is hot and magical.
Beric is actually raised from the dead--I'm guessing his blood is also hot and very, very magical at this point.
As for the Hound--does the blood of the wielder only bleed for that wielder? And yes, I will wait while you check your secret book of ASOIAF answers that my question presumes you have.
Lol. We actually have some evidence to suggest that Beric's blood does not just set anything it touches on fire. He's been killed 6 times, and there are no stories about things catching on fire at the same time. So presumably, some sort of spell (from Thoros) is required in addition to Beric's blood.
Which is too bad, b/c I was really hoping Lightbringer would be set on fire when Jaime or Brienne kill Lady SH and get her hot blood on it. But that would be the exact scenario of the Hound killing Beric, and the Hound's sword didn't catch fire, so...
Here's the passage where Arya sees them both using flaming swords
Then the septry erupted, the Mummers boiling out like angry ants. Two Ibbenese rushed through the door with shaggy brown shields held high before them, and behind them came a Dothraki with a great curved arakh and bells in his braid, and behind him three Volantene sellswords covered with fierce tattoos. Others were climbing out windows and leaping to the ground. Arya saw a man take an arrow through the chest with one leg across a windowsill, and heard his scream as he fell. The smoke was thickening. Quarrels and arrows sped back and forth. Watty fell with a grunt, his bow slipping from his hand. Kyle was trying to nock another shaft to his string when a man in black mail flung a spear through his belly. She heard Lord Beric shout. From out of the ditches and trees the rest of his band came pouring, steel in hand. Arya saw Lem’s bright yellow cloak flapping behind him as he rode down the man who’d killed Kyle. Thoros and Lord Beric were everywhere, their swords swirling fire. The red priest hacked at a hide shield until it flew to pieces, while his horse kicked the man in the face. A Dothraki screamed and charged the lightning lord, and the flaming sword leapt out to meet his arakh. The blades kissed and spun and kissed again. Then the Dothraki’s hair was ablaze, and a moment later he was dead. She spied Ned too, fighting at the lightning lord’s side. It’s not fair, he’s only a little older than me, they should have let me fight.
And she doesn't discriminate that Beric's is true fire while Thoros' is wildfire, so I'm guessing they're both using magical fire here.
I suspect any red priest probably could perform the spell or whatever, Thoros just never had the power until recently and therefore used wildfire to compensate. I mean otherwise we kinda have to believe that Beric just decided to wash his blade in his blood while praying to R'hllor one day and it just happened to catch fire out of nowhere. Seems more likely to me it was something Thoros always knew how to do, but never could make it happen as he wasn't strong enough/R'hllor didn't care/whatever, but once his magic got better he decided to try out some other things he'd been taught and this was one of the things that now worked too.
I expect they are definitely both using magical fire- but was it started by Beric's blood in both cases, or can Thoros light swords on fire without Beric's help?
It seems very plausible that spells that didn't work before are now working for Thoros, good point. We have several other examples of this (the pyromancers mentioned by Voice, but also the warlocks in Qarth and Marwyn's glass candle). I just don't know if blood has to be involved. As I said above, the reason I am wondering about these flaming swords is that I am expecting Oathkeeper to be on fire fairly soon, and am trying to speculate on how this might happen..
“In Qohor he is the Black Goat, in Yi Ti the Lion of Night, in Westeros the Stranger. All men must bow to him in the end, no matter if they worship the Seven or the Lord of Light, the Moon Mother or the Drowned God or the Great Shepherd. All mankind belongs to him... else somewhere in the world would be a folk who lived forever. Do you know of any folk who live forever?”
One ancient wetnurse's dragon comet might be an astrophysicist's solar flare.
... or a geneticist's plague ship?
“In Qohor he is the Black Goat, in Yi Ti the Lion of Night, in Westeros the Stranger. All men must bow to him in the end, no matter if they worship the Seven or the Lord of Light, the Moon Mother or the Drowned God or the Great Shepherd. All mankind belongs to him... else somewhere in the world would be a folk who lived forever. Do you know of any folk who live forever?”
Mayhaps the Red Comet has nothing to do with events at all. It seems an easy canvas upon which characters might paint their own meanings.
This is definitely a possibility, though the comet's appearance did coincide with the birth of the dragons to the day. The prophecies also linked a bleeding star with the coming of the long night, which is again eerily accurate. But that doesn't mean it is causing these events, only that its presence coincides with them. The old correlation vs causation dilemma. Do the dragons come with the comet or does the comet bring the dragons?
“In Qohor he is the Black Goat, in Yi Ti the Lion of Night, in Westeros the Stranger. All men must bow to him in the end, no matter if they worship the Seven or the Lord of Light, the Moon Mother or the Drowned God or the Great Shepherd. All mankind belongs to him... else somewhere in the world would be a folk who lived forever. Do you know of any folk who live forever?”
This is definitely a possibility, though the comet's appearance did coincide with the birth of the dragons to the day. The prophecies also linked a bleeding star with the coming of the long night, which is again eerily accurate. But that doesn't mean it is causing these events, only that its presence coincides with them. The old correlation vs causation dilemma. Do the dragons come with the comet or does the comet bring the dragons?
Does seem to be a bit too coincidental to be a coincidence.
I was just playing devil's advocate.
"I can see it. You have more of the north in you than your brothers."