u/cap_detector69

I've always felt like robbs power had been brittle and reliant on victories and results. He was 14-17 and thrust directly into war before he could even begin to consolidate his power in the war and I get that. But I always felt like robb lacked the intense following and reverence men like tywin, robert, randyll, stannis and other military leaders got. Like really, even after humiliating and defeating the lannisters so completely and massacring 3 hosts he was still never respected in the south or by tywin which I dont understand why.

Then the north gets raided by ironborn, his brothers die and winterfell gets captured, karstarks start pulling back and we really see this. How shakey robbs power had always been and that he was not given the deference you'd except for a genius tactician like robb.

Even robert, he had been away from the stormlands and fostering at the vale for quite the while, and his defeat at ashford and storms end getting besieged didnt effect him quite like it effect robb. Tywin lost battle after battle, even at the hands of edmure, westerlands themselves got pillaged by robb and his position never became shakey.

What could be the reason for this? What did robert and tywin have that robb stark lacked?

I've always felt like robbs power had been brittle and reliant on victories and results. He was 14-17 and thrust directly into war before he could even begin to consolidate his power in the war and I get that. But I always felt like robb lacked the intense following and reverence men like tywin, robert, randyll, stannis and other military leaders got. Like really, even after humiliating and defeating the lannisters so completely and massacring 3 hosts he was still never respected in the south or by tywin which I dont understand why.

Then the north gets raided by ironborn, his brothers die and winterfell gets captured, karstarks start pulling back and we really see this. How shakey robbs power had always been and that he was not given the deference you'd except for a genius tactician like robb.

Even robert, he had been away from the stormlands and fostering at the vale for quite the while, and his defeat at ashford and storms end getting besieged didnt effect him quite like it effect robb. Tywin lost battle after battle, even at the hands of edmure, westerlands themselves got pillaged by robb and his position never became shakey.

What could be the reason for this? What did robert and tywin have that robb stark lacked?

“Governance of the realm” gets invoked constantly, but what does that actually mean in day to day terms? We hear that kings, Hands, and small councils are governing all the time, yet the books rarely show what that work looks like beyond war councils, envoys, and major political crises.

This topic has been discussed a few times and basically everyone agrees george didnt mean for us to focus on it and it was intended to just be glossed over, but I cant help it. Like i.e. do you think the king/small council are just listening to street level kings landing disputes all the time or do you think juicy noble petitions and disputes come to the king regularly? Do you think new laws and decrees churning out are common? I would want that to be the case but I know lords pretty much handle disputes and petitions on their own and are iffy about their "rights".

Its fun to speculate about what "governance" most likely looks like since its mentioned a bit and clearly its the offices are important since the lannisters were hated for dominating court and reachmen are so eager to fill in offices.

> It is moreover his command that Lord Slynt be seated immediately upon his small council, to assist in the governance of the realm. So the king has decreed. The small council consents.

> Joff made a show of asking his grandfather to assume governance of the realm, and Lord Tywin solemnly accepted the responsibility, "until Your Grace does come of age."

> And Garlan will soon take Brightwater. Between them the Reach will be in good hands, if it happens that I am needed elsewhere. The governance of the realm must come first, Lord Tywin often said. And I am pleased to bring Your Grace good tidings in that regard. My uncle Garth has agreed to serve as master of coin, as your lord father wished. He is making his way to Oldtown to take ship. His sons will accompany him. Lord Tywin mentioned something about finding places for the two of them as well. Perhaps in the City Watch.

> Tyrell bannermen, the both of them. The whole governance of the realm was being handed to her enemies, Queen Margaery's kith and kin.

> She is to have no further voice in the governance of the realm, nor in Tommen's education. I mean to return her to Casterly Rock after the trial and see that she remains there. Let that suffice.

> The court returned to King's Landing in 268 AC, and governance resumed as before...but it was plain to all that the friendship between the king and his Hand was fraying.

What do you think actually entails when they talk about governance? And i dont mean the vague "talking with envoys" and all that, I mean what does the hand and small council do, from speculation?

“Governance of the realm” gets invoked constantly, but what does that actually mean in day to day terms? We hear that kings, Hands, and small councils are governing all the time, yet the books rarely show what that work looks like beyond war councils, envoys, and major political crises.

This topic has been discussed a few times and basically everyone agrees george didnt mean for us to focus on it and it was intended to just be glossed over, but I cant help it. Like i.e. do you think the king/small council are just listening to street level kings landing disputes all the time or do you think juicy noble petitions and disputes come to the king regularly? Do you think new laws and decrees churning out are common? I would want that to be the case but I know lords pretty much handle disputes and petitions on their own and are iffy about their "rights".

Its fun to speculate about what "governance" most likely looks like since its mentioned a bit and clearly its the offices are important since the lannisters were hated for dominating court and reachmen are so eager to fill in offices.

> It is moreover his command that Lord Slynt be seated immediately upon his small council, to assist in the governance of the realm. So the king has decreed. The small council consents.

> Joff made a show of asking his grandfather to assume governance of the realm, and Lord Tywin solemnly accepted the responsibility, "until Your Grace does come of age."

> And Garlan will soon take Brightwater. Between them the Reach will be in good hands, if it happens that I am needed elsewhere. The governance of the realm must come first, Lord Tywin often said. And I am pleased to bring Your Grace good tidings in that regard. My uncle Garth has agreed to serve as master of coin, as your lord father wished. He is making his way to Oldtown to take ship. His sons will accompany him. Lord Tywin mentioned something about finding places for the two of them as well. Perhaps in the City Watch.

> Tyrell bannermen, the both of them. The whole governance of the realm was being handed to her enemies, Queen Margaery's kith and kin.

> She is to have no further voice in the governance of the realm, nor in Tommen's education. I mean to return her to Casterly Rock after the trial and see that she remains there. Let that suffice.

> The court returned to King's Landing in 268 AC, and governance resumed as before...but it was plain to all that the friendship between the king and his Hand was fraying.

What do you think actually entails when they talk about governance? And i dont mean the vague "talking with envoys" and all that, I mean what does the hand and small council do, from speculation?

varys for how smart he is, does seem quite delusional for believing aegon would make a good king and that all the suffering he's caused is justified, just because aegon knows how to fish and all that. Especially when we've seen how aegon really is, far better than most candidates for the iron throne i admit but if he's not even brave enough to fight when his ship is attacked I dont think he'd get far without jon connington.

That said, varys did lure aerys out of the red keep and to harrenhall I believe. Where the plan was to have rhaegar call a great council and overthrow aerys which we know how well that went. Then he tried to convince aerys to surrender to a avoid kings landing being sacked. So when he says everything he does is for the realm, there does seem to be some truth in it.

say robert and cersei had a legitimate first born son, squires for ser barristan, mentored by jon arryn and looks very much the kind of crown prince varys would love. Honestly do you see him abandoning his plans and trying to control the baratheon boy instead or is he still destroying the realm and paving a way for aegon to beco

Both garlan and loras are prodigious level fighters, this is some insane luck for house tyrell. Obviously pretty much all the best fighters are nobles since they have the means, training and capabilities to focus on being the best fighter, unlike most smallfolk who have to focus on surviving.

I know the real answer is that whoever george writes as talented is talented and whoever is average is average. But is there a pattern in the books we can follow? Because there are several houses that consistently produce great fighters.

But can pretty much any noble with a good body and elite training become a high tier fighter? is that how it seems in the books?

Edric storm has the body of robert baratheon and has been undergoing the standard elite noble training. Would he have potential to reach garlan tier?

joffrey is described as tall and strong for his age, if he had a personality transplant and was brave and squired for ser barristan selmy, do you see him reaching the upper echelons of jousting and fighting?