What happens to the Dothraki?

[JoanDrake]

Does Martin go into any more history about the Dothraki than I see in Book I? They start off the book as the major barbarian baddies, sort of like the Hordes of the Asian Plains (Huns, Turks, Mongols) when Game of Thrones begins, but then rather quickly seem to just drop off once we're introduced to the peoples from Beyond the Wall, becoming more like just a backdrop and starting point for Dany's adventures. Yet in Book I they're like about to become the new Mongols.

What gives, why introduce a major player and then just write them out? It has actually happened, and a lot, that's true, but it's bad storytelling, "If you have an rifle over the mantelpiece when the play begins you better use it by Act III."

Or maybe I'm missing something that happens later on? Tell me if you know, because I've seen the first two seasons and don't intend to see/read, any more except the book version of Volume 1 at this point. Some aspects of the story interest me greatly, but not enough to drag myself through all the other BS Martin seems obsessed with.

 

[Yavannie]

ADWD SPOILERS BELOW!

Brave of you to call the main interest of the GRRM board BS

As the series are not finished, who knows what will happen? Seeing as you don't mind spoilers, here goes (others beware!). There are characters in the books who appear early on, seemingly important to the story, who disappear entirely only to resurface much, much later, a few books down the line. Asha (you may know her as Yara) Greyjoy is one such person. Barriastan Selmy another (he is reintroduced much earlier int he HBO series). There are plenty of loose threads, and I wonder if GRRM will have the time to tie them all together in two books. As for your initial question, the Dothraki are more or less out of the picture (apart from the few who follow Daenerys) for books 2-4, but the very last thing that happens in ADWD is that Daenerys goes off on her own to bond with her favourite dragon, and meets up with Kahl Jaqho who was one of the first to abandon her and Drogo back in book 1 - it's a sort of cliffhanger, we don't know what happens, but probably some sort of showdown is expected.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Spoiler free answer: they are in it later on, it's more a case that Dany has moved to engage the cities on the continent, and as mentioned in book 1 (I believe), the Dothraki only approach them for tribute, when required, but otherwise keep to their homeland plains. However, we are going to see more of them later on.

 

[juleska]

Yeah I wouldn't really equate the Dothraki to the Mongols or the Huns. They are interested in conquest but not in empire building. In other words, they don't hold what they conquer. All of that is established in the first book and doesn't really change from what we've seen so far. In fact that's the reason Drogo initially denied Dany's desire to cross "the poison sea". Whatever spoils are on the other side of that ocean, the Dothraki as a people are not interested.

 

[The Imp]

Does Martin go into any more history about the Dothraki than I see in Book I? They start off the book as the major barbarian baddies, sort of like the Hordes of the Asian Plains (Huns, Turks, Mongols) when Game of Thrones begins, but then rather quickly seem to just drop off once we're introduced to the peoples from Beyond the Wall, becoming more like just a backdrop and starting point for Dany's adventures. Yet in Book I they're like about to become the new Mongols.

What gives, why introduce a major player and then just write them out? It has actually happened, and a lot, that's true, but it's bad storytelling, "If you have an rifle over the mantelpiece when the play begins you better use it by Act III."

Or maybe I'm missing something that happens later on? Tell me if you know, because I've seen the first two seasons and don't intend to see/read, any more except the book version of Volume 1 at this point. Some aspects of the story interest me greatly, but not enough to drag myself through all the other BS Martin seems obsessed with.

All due respect, your opinion is subjective and based on incomplete information. It'also erroneous, as Dany has a Khalissar and is is constantly referred to as Khaleesi. She also has Bloodriders. I think you also miss the important point that her marriage to Drogo made her Dothraki for life, both in the eyes of the world and in her own eyes. The "rifle over the mantelpiece" has been fired many times. You are completely entitled to your opinion of course, but I can't agree with what you say, including your characterization that GRRM is obsessed with BS.

 

[Werthead]

The Dothraki will have a major part to play in The Winds of Winter, the sixth book in the series, with even some characters from AGoT making a comeback according to the author.

There's also going to be more information about them in The World of Ice and Fire (out late 2014) and there's a map of the Dothraki sea showing the extent of Dothraki power and influence in The Lands of Ice and Fire.

 

[ArstenWhitebeard]

All due respect, your opinion is subjective and based on incomplete information. It'also erroneous, as Dany has a Khalissar and is is constantly referred to as Khaleesi. She also has Bloodriders. I think you also miss the important point that her marriage to Drogo made her Dothraki for life, both in the eyes of the world and in her own eyes. The "rifle over the mantelpiece" has been fired many times. You are completely entitled to your opinion of course, but I can't agree with what you say, including your characterization that GRRM is obsessed with BS.

Thank you Imp, You saved me the trouble of saying just this.

I will also add that "Book version of Volume 1" Made me laugh.