What about the Ironborn?

[YOSSARIAN]

What's up folks! I've been checking out this forum for several days and I've really enjoyed all the discussions. Very entertaining and insightful!

What do you all think of the campaign of the ironborn? Do you think the powers that be in King's Landing have made a big mistake by ignoring the invaders from the Islands?

 

[ChasenFate]

I think they have made a mistake of ignoring the ironborn. Of course there hasn't been anybody competent in power to make a decision that amounts to anything. You have had the queen acting like she was a leader when she is nothing more than a dreamer and a wisher.

Victorian may be a force to reckoned with and he did say he would find Dany.

 

[Transplanted Steeler]

I get the feeling that the Ironborn are luring that Highgarden fleet up the Mander into some sort of ambush or something.

How strong are the Ironborn without Victarion's Iron Fleet?

 

[Winters_Sorrow]

I don't think Victarion took the whole fleet with him to Dany, merely his own longboat.

Personally, I think the Ironborn will come apart before long - too many competing power interests - Asha, Victarion & Damphair only grugdingly follow Euron. And is Theon dead? Either way, I fully expect to Ironborn to consume themselves after the next book & a half. Damphair for one, is a fanatic who will not stomach an 'unbeliever' on the Seastone throne

 

[YOSSARIAN]

I agree that it seems that the Ironborn are bound to fall apart. However, I can't understand why so much of Feast is dedicated to them if they don't become a major factor in the outcome of the game (so to speak).

As far as Theon being dead: I don't count on anyone's death unless it is shown firsthand is someone's POV, and it has to happen far away from fire-breathing priests.

 

[Raven]

WS: actually, Damphair and Asha don't follow Euron at all, if you read carefully. Victarion does so reluctantly, it's true. I'm fairly sure he has taken the whole fleet with him, by the way.

The Ironborn have been obviously key players since Dany's vision in ACOK. This strongly suggests that one of her husbands will be a Greyjoy. Given the possession of the horn, one suspects that to be Euron.

Though it's interesting that the Reader subtly questions the provenance of the horn...

 

[Dolorous Edd]

WS: actually, Damphair and Asha don't follow Euron at all, if you read carefully. Victarion does so reluctantly, it's true. I'm fairly sure he has taken the whole fleet with him, by the way.

The Ironborn have been obviously key players since Dany's vision in ACOK. This strongly suggests that one of her husbands will be a Greyjoy. Given the possession of the horn, one suspects that to be Euron.

Though it's interesting that the Reader subtly questions the provenance of the horn...

Refresh my memory, waht exactly did she see that points to the greyjoy's and euron?

 

[Raven]

She sees a corpse on a ship, with grey lips, smiling sadly. The ship and the smiling grey lips ('grey joy') suggest a Greyjoy. The corpse suggests someone dead or considered dead, which may indicate Theon or even Aeron (he's been drowned, after all).

But Euron, as I say, has a horn which allegedly controls dragons and claims to have been to the ruins of Valyria to find it...

 

[Boaz]

I don't agree that the Ironborn are going to come apart or tear each other to pieces. They respect and follow strength. Euron has shown that he is strong. He has plans to be stronger still. While he's alive and the Ironborn are not vassals to the Iron Throne, the Ironborn will follow him.

Aeron is delusional, imo. He goes body surfing and then thinks he's strong enough to take on Euron... wrong. He will sulk and perhaps convert a few fools to his cause, but the rest of the Ironborn care more for plunder and the thrill of victory than they do for an uncaring god and his dismal prophet.

On the other hand, if Aeron can show that the Drowned God has killed Euron or that Euron has commited unpardonable blasphemy, then Aeron has a chance to take Euron down. But at his core, I think Aeron is still the indecisive coward he was as a child.

Euron Crow's Eye Greyjoy will, imo, show the Tyrells, Redwynes, Lannisters, Baratheons and Targaryen that he is a real force to reckon with.

As to the number of ships that Victarion took... I don't know. On the one hand, Euron seems to want this mission done quickly, so I'd think that would be a group of three to five ships. But then if Victarion shows up looking unimpressive and weak, Dany may refuse him.

Victarion probably needs at least forty ships to make a good impression on Dany. Forty ships might carry the bulk of her people to Westeros. Forty ships would show the strength of the Ironborn. Forty ships would be enough to see her safely back home.

 

[Culhwch]

I wouldn't count Aeron out so quickly, Boaz. We've seen the power that the Faith has come into on the mainland. With magic flooding back into the world, who knows how the Drowned God may manifest himself. I think that one thing is certain, though, and that's that Aeron is definitely not the boy he was.

 

[Boaz]

Aeron has backbone when he feels connected to his god. Before and after the kingsmoot he felt strong, but when the Drowned God did not strike down Euron in front of the assembled chiefs of the Ironmen... Aeron's faith suffered. I feel that Aeron is confused... self-righteous, judgemental, and belligerent, but confused none the less.