attempting local documents

app.py

@@ -1,32 +1,14 @@
 import streamlit as st
 from haystack.nodes.connector import Crawler
-from haystack.nodes import TransformersSummarizer
+from haystack.utils import fetch_archive_from_http, clean_wiki_text, convert_files_to_docs
+from haystack.document_stores import InMemoryDocumentStore
+from haystack.pipelines import ExtractiveQAPipeline
+from haystack.nodes import FARMReader, TfidfRetriever
 import validators
 import json
 
-output_dir = "crawled_files"
-crawler = Crawler(output_dir=output_dir)
+doc_dir = './article_txt_got'
+document_store = InMemoryDocumentStore()
+docs = convert_files_to_docs(dir_path=doc_dir, clean_func=clean_wiki_text, split_paragraphs=True)
 
-summarizer = TransformersSummarizer(model_name_or_path="google/pegasus-xsum")
-
-documents = []
-
-def crawl_url_and_write_content(url):
-    docs = crawler.crawl(urls=['https://www.deepset.ai/blog/haystack-node-for-information-extraction'], crawler_depth=0, overwrite_existing_files=True)
-    for doc in docs:
-        jsonObject = json.load(doc.open())
-        documents[0] = jsonObject
-# Streamlit App
-
-st.title('Summarizer Demo with Haystack Summarizer')
-    
-url_text = st.text_input("Please Enter a url here",value="https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2022/mr-22-12.html")
-
-if validators.url(url_text):
-    crawl_url_and_write_content(url_text)
-
-summarize = st.button('Summarize')
-
-if summarize:
-    summary = summarizer.predict(documents=documents)
-    st.write(summary)
+st.write(docs[1])

article_txt_got/0_Game_of_Thrones__season_8_.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,662 @@
+
+ 
+
+
+
+The eighth and final season of the fantasy drama television series ''Game of Thrones'', produced by HBO, premiered on April 14, 2019, and concluded on May 19, 2019. Unlike the first six seasons, which consisted of ten episodes each, and the seventh season, which consisted of seven episodes, the eighth season consists of only six episodes.
+
+The final season depicts the culmination of the series' two primary conflicts: the Great War against the Army of the Dead, and the Last War for control of the Iron Throne. The first half of the season involves many of the main characters converging at Winterfell with their armies in an effort to repel the Night King and his army of White Walkers and wights. The second half of the season resumes the war for the throne as Daenerys Targaryen assaults King's Landing in an attempt to unseat Cersei Lannister as the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.
+
+The season was filmed from October 2017 to July 2018 and largely consists of original content not found in George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, while also incorporating material that Martin has revealed to showrunners about the upcoming novels in the series, ''The Winds of Winter'' and ''A Dream of Spring''. The season was adapted for television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
+
+The season received mixed reviews from critics, in contrast to critical acclaim of previous seasons, and is the lowest-rated of the series on the website Rotten Tomatoes. Criticism was mainly directed at the condensed story and shorter runtime of the season, as well as numerous creative decisions made by the showrunners, though the acting, directing, production, and musical score were highly praised.
+
+The season received 32 nominations at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, the most for a single season of television in history. It won for Outstanding Drama Series and Peter Dinklage won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
+
+==Episodes==
+
+
+
+
+==Cast==
+
+
+===Main cast===
+
+
+
+* Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
+* Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister
+* Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister
+* Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen
+* Kit Harington as Jon Snow
+* Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark
+* Maisie Williams as Arya Stark
+* Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth
+* Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei
+* Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy
+* John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
+* Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark
+* Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
+* Conleth Hill as Varys
+* Rory McCann as Sandor "The Hound" Clegane
+* Jerome Flynn as Bronn
+* Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane
+* Joe Dempsie as Gendry
+* Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm
+* Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont
+* Hannah Murray as Gilly
+* Carice van Houten as Melisandre
+
+
+===Recurring cast===
+The recurring actors listed here are those who appeared in season 8. They are listed by the region in which they first appear.
+
+
+
+====In the North====
+* Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion
+* Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett
+* Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne
+* Rupert Vansittart as Yohn Royce
+* Bella Ramsey as Lyanna Mormont
+* Megan Parkinson as Alys Karstark
+* Richard Rycroft as Maester Wolkan
+* Harry Grasby as Ned Umber
+* Staz Nair as Qhono
+* Vladimir Furdik as the Night King
+
+
+====In King's Landing====
+* Pilou Asbæk as Euron Greyjoy
+* Anton Lesser as Qyburn
+* Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane
+* Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy
+* Marc Rissmann as Harry Strickland
+* Tobias Menzies as Edmure Tully
+* Lino Facioli as Robin Arryn
+
+
+==Production==
+===Development===
+HBO announced the eighth and final season of the fantasy drama television series ''Game of Thrones'' in July 2016. Like the previous season, it largely consists of original content not found in George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series. As Benioff had verified in March 2015, the creators have talked with Martin about the end of the series, and they "know where things are heading." He explained that the ends of both the television and the book series would unavoidably be thematically similar, although Martin could still make some changes to surprise the readers. When asked about why the television series is coming to an end, he said, "this is where the story ends."
+
+===Crew===
+Series creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss serve as showrunners for the eighth season. The directors for the eighth season were announced in September 2017. Miguel Sapochnik, who previously directed "The Gift" and "Hardhome" in the fifth season, as well as "Battle of the Bastards" and "The Winds of Winter" in the sixth season, returned to direct two episodes. David Nutter, who had directed two episodes each in the second, third, and fifth seasons, including "The Rains of Castamere" and "Mother's Mercy", directed three episodes for the eighth season. The final episode of the series was directed by Benioff and Weiss, who have previously co-directed two episodes, taking credit for one episode each.
+
+At the series' South by Southwest panel on March 12, 2017, Benioff and Weiss announced the writers for the series to be Dave Hill (episode 1) and Bryan Cogman (episode 2). The showrunners divided up the screenplay for the remaining four episodes amongst themselves.
+
+===Writing===
+Writing for the eighth season started with a 140-page outline. Benioff said that the divvying up process and who should write what section became more difficult because "this would be the last time that they would be doing this."
+
+===Filming===
+In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', HBO programming president Casey Bloys said that instead of the series finale's being a feature film, the final season would be "six one-hour movies" on television. He continued, "The show has proven that TV is every bit as impressive and in many cases more so, than film. What they're doing is monumental." Filming officially began on October 23, 2017 and concluded in July 2018. Many exterior scenes were filmed in Northern Ireland and a few in Dubrovnik, Croatia; Paint Hall Studios in Belfast were used for interior filming. The direwolf scenes were filmed in Alberta, Canada.
+
+===Casting===
+The eighth season saw the return of Tobias Menzies as Edmure Tully and Lino Facioli as Robin Arryn in the final episode, neither of whom appeared in the seventh season. Marc Rissmann was cast as Harry Strickland, the commander of the Golden Company.
+
+===Content===
+Co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss have said that the seventh and eighth seasons would likely comprise fewer episodes, saying that after the sixth season, they were "down to our final 13 episodes after this season. We're heading into the final lap". Benioff and Weiss said that they were unable to produce 10 episodes in the series' usual 12 to 14-month timeframe, as Weiss explained, "It's crossing out of a television schedule into more of a mid-range movie schedule." HBO confirmed in July 2016 that the seventh season would consist of seven episodes and would premiere later than usual in mid-2017 because of the later filming schedule. Benioff and Weiss later confirmed that the eighth season would consist of six episodes and would premiere later than usual for the same reason.
+
+Benioff and Weiss said about the end of the series: "From the beginning, we've wanted to tell a 70-hour movie. It will turn out to be a 73-hour movie, but it's stayed relatively the same of having the beginning, middle, and now we're coming to the end. It would have been really tough if we lost any core cast members along the way; I'm very happy we've kept everyone and we get to finish it the way we want to." The first two episodes are, respectively, 54 and 58 minutes long, while the final four episodes of the series are all more than an hour in length—episode three is 82 minutes (making it the longest episode of the series), episodes four and five are each 78 minutes, and the final episode is 80 minutes.
+
+A two-hour documentary, ''Game of Thrones: The Last Watch'', which documents the making of the eighth season, aired on May 26, the week after the series finale.
+
+===Music===
+
+Ramin Djawadi returned as the series' composer for the eighth season. The soundtrack album for the season was released digitally on May 19, 2019 and was released on CD on July 19, 2019.
+
+==Release==
+===Broadcast===
+The season premiered on April 14, 2019 in the United States on HBO.
+
+===Marketing===
+On December 6, 2018, HBO released the first official teaser trailer for the eighth season. A second teaser trailer was released on January 13, 2019, which announced the premiere date as April 14, 2019. The trailer was directed by David Nutter. HBO released a promotional advertisement with Bud Light on February 3, 2019 during Super Bowl LIII. Later, first-look photos of several main characters were released on February 6, 2019. On February 28, posters of many of the main characters sitting upon the Iron Throne were released. The official full trailer was released on March 5, 2019.
+
+===Illegal distribution===
+The season premiere was reportedly pirated by nearly 55 million people within the first 24 hours of release. Of these numbers, 9.5 million downloads came from India, 5.2 million came from China, and 4 million came from the U.S. On April 21, 2019, it was reported that the second episode of the season was illegally leaked online hours before it aired due to being streamed early on Amazon Prime Germany. On May 5, 2019, it was reported that the fourth episode of the season was leaked online, with footage from the episode circulating on social media.
+
+===Home media===
+The season will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on December 3, 2019.
+
+==Reception==
+===Critical response===
+The season received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 56% based on 13 reviews with an average rating of 6.32/10. It is the lowest-rated season of the series on the website. The website's critical consensus reads: "''Game of Thrones'' final season shortchanges the women of Westeros, sacrificing satisfying character arcs for spectacular set-pieces in its mad dash to the finish line". On Metacritic, the eighth-season premiere garnered a score of 74 out of 100 based on 12 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews."
+
+The first two episodes were met with mostly positive feedback. "The Long Night" was praised for the cinematography and grand scale of the battle between the living and the dead, but was criticized for its lack of catharsis, logic, disorienting lighting, and the anticlimactic ending of the White Walker storyline that had been built up for seven seasons. "The Last of the Starks" and "The Bells" were criticized for their rushed pacing, writing, logic, and deviation from character development, with "The Last of the Starks" being labeled as "anticlimactic" and "a huge letdown." "The Iron Throne" was described as "divisive," and according to Rotten Tomatoes, the series finale represents "a modest rebound" but it "went out with a whimper." "The Bells" and "The Iron Throne" are the worst-reviewed episodes of the entire series on the website, with an approval of 49% and 48% respectively, while the last four episodes of the season "plunged to record low scores."
+
+
+
+David Sims of ''The Atlantic'' wrote that the final season "has been the same story over and over again: a lot of tin-eared writing trying to justify some of the most drastic story developments imaginable, as quickly as possible. As usual, the actors did their best with what was on the page." Lucy Mangan of ''The Guardian'' wrote that the final season "has been a rushed business. It has wasted opportunities, squandered goodwill, and failed to do justice to its characters or its actors." Zack Beauchamp of ''Vox'' wrote that the final season "dispensed almost entirely with trying to make sense of its characters' internal motivations — let alone the complex political reality that its psychological realism initially helped create." 
+
+Kelly Lawler of ''USA Today'' wrote that the series ultimately betrayed its "identity" of "tragedy and injustice" with a "pandering" ending. Judy Berman of ''Time'' wrote that the series failed to complete the answer to "conflicting ideas about freedom, justice and leadership"; these were themes that previously brought depth to the series. Ellen Gray of the ''Philadelphia Inquirer'' and Darren Franich of ''Entertainment Weekly'' agreed that the final season was not as complex as previous seasons. Franich gave the final season, featuring "big-huge set pieces," a 'C' rating. The final season's "broseph mentality shined through," shunting the interaction between female characters. Additionally, Franich criticized Cersei doing nothing this season, as well as the ultimate focus "on Jon Snow, the least complicated main character."
+
+Huw Fullerton of ''Radio Times'' wrote that the eighth season was not "Thrones at its best" but still had "some sort of ending for the characters." For Fullerton, the season was "like the finale — some bits I liked, one or two I loved, an awful lot that leaves me scratching my head."
+
+===Ratings===
+
+
+
+===Audience response===
+A petition to HBO for "competent writers" to remake the eighth season of ''Game of Thrones'' in a manner "that makes sense" was started on Change.org after "The Last of the Starks" aired, but went viral after "The Bells" aired. The petition described showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss as "woefully incompetent writers". As of September 6, 2019, it has amassed over 1.73 million signatures. ''Digital Spy'' reported that fans of the series criticized the season for the way it handled several character arcs and the "rushed" pacing. The petition's creator stated that he never expected HBO to remake the season, but saw the petition as a message "of frustration and disappointment at its core". 
+
+The petition was labelled as "disrespectful to the crew and the filmmakers" by actress Sophie Turner (who plays Sansa Stark), "ridiculous", "weird, juvenile" by actor Isaac Hempstead Wright (who plays Bran Stark), and "rude" by actor Jacob Anderson (who plays Grey Worm). Emilia Clarke (who plays Daenerys Targaryen) indicated she was previously unaware of the petition, but gave a warmer response when she was asked what she would want to see happen if the eighth season were redone: "I can only speak to my own character, and the people that I interact with on the show. But I would've loved some more scenes with me and Missandei. I would've loved some more scenes with me and Cersei".
+
+Richard Roeper, writing for the ''Chicago Sun Times'', wrote: "Over the last 25+ years, I've reviewed thousands of movies and dozens of TV shows, and I don't think I've ever seen the level of fan (and to a lesser degree, critical) vitriol leveled at this show in recent weeks". However, Roeper noted that social media was not yet widely used during much of this time period.
+
+Lenika Cruz, writing for ''The Atlantic'', wrote that with the end of the series, "there are folks who don't feel as though the hours and hours they've devoted to this show have been wasted", but "there are many others" who felt the opposite. Kelly Lawler of ''USA Today'' wrote that the ultimate ending of the series was not what fans "signed up for".
+
+CBS News has described several plot points that fans are dissatisfied with: the character arcs of Daenerys and Jaime; the manner of death for Jaime, Missandei, Rhaegal, and the Night King; the Battle of Winterfell being visually too dark; the "basic existence of Euron Greyjoy"; and "Jon's treatment of Ghost".
+
+===Cast response===
+In an interview published just as the final season premiered, Kit Harington said, "whatever critic spends half an hour writing about this season and makes their negative judgement on it, in my head they can go fuck themselves. ... I know how much work was put into this ... Now if people feel let down by this final season, I don't give a fuck—because everyone working on the series tried their hardest. That's how I feel. In the end, no one's bigger fans of the show than we are, and we're kind of doing it for ourselves."
+
+In an interview with ''The New Yorker'', Emilia Clarke said she had to hold back her innermost anxiety from Beyoncé: "I was just, like, Oh, my God, my absolute idol in life is saying that she likes me, and I know for a fact that by the end of this season she's going to hate me. ... All I wanted to scream was 'Please, please still like me even though my character turns into a mass-killing dictator! Please still think that I'm representing women in a really fabulous way.'"
+
+Nathalie Emmanuel, who played Missandei, was heartbroken when she read her character's sudden demise: "...I think the fact that she died in chains when she was a slave her whole life, that for me was a pungent cut for that character, that felt so painful". Emmanuel, who was the only woman of color who was a regular on the series for the last several seasons, said, "It's safe to say that ''Game of Thrones'' has been under criticism for their lack of representation, and the truth of it is that Missandei and Grey Worm have represented so many people because there's only two of them."
+
+Conleth Hill, who played Varys, told ''Entertainment Weekly'' that the seventh and eighth seasons were "kind of frustrating" and not his "favorite", noting that Varys "kind of dropped off the edge". Hill reacted with "dismay" to Varys apparently "losing his knowledge": "If he was such an intelligent man and he had such resources, how come he didn't know about things?" After being "very bummed to not have a final scene with Littlefinger", Hill was "bummed not to have any reaction to Littlefinger dying, if he was Varys' nemesis". Also, once the series ran out of book material as a source, Hill noted that "special niche interest in weirdos wasn't as effective as it had been". However, Hill was "not dissatisfied on the whole" regarding the series.
+
+Lena Headey had a "mixed" initial reaction to the manner of death of Cersei Lannister, the character she played. Headey would rather have Cersei die by "some big piece or fight with somebody". Eventually, fellow actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau persuaded Headey on how to appreciate the scene, and she said her eventual belief that "it seemed like the perfect end for" Cersei because Cersei and Jaime "came into the world together and now they leave together".
+
+===Accolades===
+
+With 32 nominations, ''Game of Thrones'' broke the record of the most nominations received by a regular TV show in a single year.
+
+
+
+
+
+ Award
+
+ Category
+
+ Nominee(s)
+
+ Result
+
+ 
+
+
+
+71st Primetime Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Drama Series
+
+David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, David Nutter, Miguel Sapochnik, Vince Gerardis, Guymon Casady, George R. R. Martin, Bryan Cogman, Chris Newman,Greg Spence, Lisa McAtackney, and Duncan Muggoch
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
+
+ Kit Harington (for "The Iron Throne")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
+
+ Emilia Clarke (for "The Last of the Starks")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
+
+ Alfie Allen (for "The Long Night")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (for "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Peter Dinklage (for "The Iron Throne")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
+
+ Gwendoline Christie (for "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Lena Headey (for "The Bells")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Sophie Turner  (for "Winterfell")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Maisie Williams (for "The Long Night")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
+
+David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "The Iron Throne")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+David Nutter (for "The Last of the Starks")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Miguel Sapochnik (for "The Long Night")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
+
+David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "The Iron Throne")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
+
+Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series
+
+Nina Gold, Robert Sterne, and Carla Stronge
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series
+
+Jonathan Freeman (for "The Iron Throne")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media within a Scripted Program
+
+"Fight for the Living: Beyond the Wall Virtual Reality Experience"
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes
+
+Michele Clapton, Emma O'Loughlin, and Kate O'Farrell (for "The Bells")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
+
+Carice van Houten (for "The Long Night")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series
+
+Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Nicola Mount, and Rosalia Culora (for "The Long Night")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Outstanding Main Title Design
+
+Angus Wall, Kirk Shintani, Shahana Khan, Ian Ruhfass, and Rustam Hasanov
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)
+
+Jane Walker, Kay Bilk, Marianna Kyriacou, Nicola Mathews, and Pamela Smyth (for "The Long Night")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
+
+Ramin Djawadi (for "The Long Night")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More)
+
+Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, and Rob Cameron (for "The Bells")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or Special
+
+Emma Faulkes, Paul Spateri, Chloe Muton-Phillips, Duncan Jarman, Patt Foad, John Eldred-Tooby, Barrie Gower, and Sarah Gower (for "The Long Night")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series
+
+Katie Weiland (for "The Iron Throne")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Tim Porter (for "The Long Night")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Crispin Green (for "Winterfell")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)
+
+Tim Kimmel, Tim Hands, Paula Fairfield, Bradley C. Katona, Paul Bercovitch, John Matter, David Klotz, Brett Voss, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and Dylan T. Wilhoit (for "The Long Night")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)
+
+Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Simon Kerr, Danny Crowley, and Ronan Hill (for "The Long Night")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Outstanding Special Visual Effects
+
+Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Adam Chazen, Sam Conway, Mohsen Mousavi, Martin Hill, Ted Rae, Patrick Tiberius Gehlen, and Thomas Schelesny (for "The Bells")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series or Movie
+
+Rowley Irlam
+
+ 
+
+
+
+17th Gold Derby Awards
+
+Best Drama Series
+
+''Game of Thrones''
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+Best Drama Episode
+
+"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms"
+
+ 
+
+
+
+"The Long Night"
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Best Drama Actor
+
+Kit Harington
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Best Drama Actress
+
+Emilia Clarke
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Best Drama Supporting Actor
+
+Alfie Allen
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Peter Dinklage
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Best Drama Supporting Actress
+
+Gwendoline Christie
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Lena Headey
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Maisie Williams
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Best Drama Guest Actress
+
+ Carice van Houten
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Best Ensemble
+
+ The cast of ''Game of Thrones''
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 45th Saturn Awards
+
+ Best Fantasy Television Series
+
+ ''Game of Thrones''
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Best Actor on a Television Series 
+
+ Kit Harington
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Best Actress on a Television Series
+
+ Emilia Clarke
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Best Supporting Actor on a Television Series
+
+ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Peter Dinklage 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Best Supporting Actress on a Television Series
+
+ Gwendoline Christie
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Lena Headey
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Sophie Turner
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Best Performance by a Younger Actor on a Television Series 
+
+ Maisie Williams
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 35th TCA Awards
+
+ Program of the Year
+
+ ''Game of Thrones''
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards
+
+ Best Show
+
+ ''Game of Thrones''
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Best Performance in a Show
+
+ Emilia Clarke
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Best Hero
+
+ Maisie Williams
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Best Fight
+
+ Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) vs. White Walkers
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+==Notes==
+
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+
+*  – official US site
+*  – official UK site
+*  ''Game of Thrones'' – The Viewers Guide onHBO
+* 
+* 
+*  Making ''Game of Thrones'' on HBO
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/101_Titties_and_Dragons.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+
+
+'''"Titties and Dragons"''' is the ninth episode in the seventeenth season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 246th episode of the series overall, it premiered on Comedy Central in the United States on December 4, 2013. It is the conclusion of a three-episode story arc that began with "Black Friday", and continued with "A Song of Ass and Fire". The story centers upon the children of South Park, role-playing as characters from ''Game of Thrones'', split into two factions over whether to collectively purchase bargain-priced Xbox One or PlayStation 4 video game consoles at an upcoming Black Friday sale at the local mall, where Randy Marsh has been made the Captain of mall security. The episode received critical acclaim.
+
+==Plot==
+In the conclusion of a three-part storyline, the children of South Park are split into two factions over whether to purchase bargain-priced Microsoft Xbox Ones or Sony PlayStation 4s at an upcoming Black Friday sale at the South Park Mall, a schism that sees best friends Stan Marsh (PS4) and Kyle Broflovski (Xbox) on opposite sides.
+
+As the PS4 faction turn their attention to the Red Robin restaurant, which serves as a side entrance into the mall, the Xbox One faction arrives to announce they wish to join the PS4 ranks. Though Stan does not trust them, Cartman and Kyle say they have a way to monopolize the Red Robin: by renting it out for a wedding party.
+
+Cartman and Stan, who are having a private talk in the "Garden of Andros", are interrupted by the elderly owner, who informs Stan of the true intentions of the Xbox faction: they have merely feigned surrender in order to lock the PS4 faction in the Red Robin while they retrieve their consoles. Stan is further angered to be told that this was Kyle's idea. To prevent Stan from informing his allies of this, Cartman defecates in the old man's yard and frames Stan for it, resulting in Stan being grounded. When Kyle learns of this, he tries to explain his actions to Stan but he is promptly sent away.
+
+As Randy Marsh's mall security guards deal with the increasing shopper violence, George R. R. Martin arrives at the mall to cut the ribbon that will open the mall for the Black Friday sale. However, he stalls by regaling the agitated crowd with musings on his penis. An impatient shopper charges forward, slices off Martin's penis, and cuts the ribbon, allowing the crowd into the mall, leading to mass deaths.
+
+In the Red Robin, Kyle, Kenny and their allies turn on Cartman and his faction, revealing that they are no longer Xbox supporters. The standoff is then interrupted by Bill Gates and the head of Sony. The Sony executive is brutally killed by Gates, who announces that Xbox is victorious. The children journey through the blood-and-corpse-covered mall to purchase their Xbox Ones. While playing with his new console, Cartman realizes that he wishes to play outside, saying that their improvised ''Game of Thrones'' role-playing over the past few weeks has been filled with so much the drama, action and romance that they do not need Microsoft or Sony to have fun.
+
+==Production==
+As with the previous episode, the show's opening title sequence is modified to depict the characters in their role-playing garb, while the soundtrack has been altered to include the penis-themed chorus singing to the ''Game of Thrones'' opening theme introduced in the previous episode. Series co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone said that they experimented with different styles of opening sequences before settling on the penis-themed chorus version; a Japanese Princess Kenny opening sequence was one of the original ideas.
+
+==Reception==
+"Titties and Dragons" received widespread critical acclaim. Max Nicholson of IGN gave the episode a score of 9.0 out of 10, writing, "The final chapter of ''South Park''s Black Friday trilogy finished strong, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, subtle commentary and genius satire. There were a few nitpicks—most of which were negligible—but overall, this week's episode proved that Matt and Trey can still dish out a satisfying multipart  arc, with style." 
+
+Marcus Gilmer of ''The A.V. Club'' gave the episode an A− rating, praising the "Red Robin Wedding", and said, "The show’s ability to inject a bit of soul is one of the best tricks the writers have pulled off regularly throughout the show's run. Beneath all the crude jokes and the potty humor, there's legitimate heart that manages to be genuine and self-aware without ever straying into the maudlin."
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+* "Titties and Dragons". South Park Studios.
+*
+*
+*
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/102_The_Princess_and_the_Queen.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+
+
+
+'''''The Princess and the Queen, or, the Blacks and the Greens''''' is a novella by George R. R. Martin, published in the 2013 Tor Books anthology ''Dangerous Women''. Set in the Westeros of Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, 200 years before the events of ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), it chronicles the "continent-burning warfare" (called the "Dance of Dragons") that explodes between Targaryen Princess Rhaenyra and her stepmother, Queen Alicent.
+
+The work is presented as the writing of the fictional Archmaester Gyldayn, also the "author" of Martin's 2014 novella ''The Rogue Prince'', a direct prequel to ''The Princess and the Queen''.
+
+==Plot==
+When King Viserys I Targaryen dies, his widow Queen Alicent has their eldest son Prince Aegon crowned King Aegon II before Viserys' daughter Rhaenyra, the only surviving child of his first marriage, can claim the Iron Throne herself. Though Rhaenyra is the king's oldest child and had been named his successor years before, Alicent and her supporters declare Rhaenyra unfit to rule and argue that, as a woman, Rhaenyra should be placed after Alicent's own male children in the line of succession. After Rhaenyra declares herself Queen at the Targaryen ancestral seat of Dragonstone, her middle son Lucerys Velaryon and King Aegon's younger brother Aemond take their dragons to seek the support of Lord Borros Baratheon of Storm's End. However, Lucerys and his dragon are killed there. Rhaenyra's husband Prince Daemon has Aegon II's son and heir Jaehaerys murdered in revenge. Soon both branches of the Targaryen royal line are at war, with dragons on both sides. The people of King's Landing, tired of the constant conflict and fear of dragon's destroying their city, storm the Dragonkeep, destroying it and a large portion of the dragon population in Westeros. Eventually all of Rhaenyra's children except for Aegon and Viserys are killed and she herself is captured by Aegon II and fed to his dragon, Sunfyre, though the war continues.
+
+==Development==
+The story was to be included in the companion book ''The World of Ice & Fire'' but was removed because the book was becoming too long for the original concept of a fully illustrated book. It and several other stories appeared in abridged versions in other anthologies.
+
+==Reception==
+''Entertainment Weekly'' called the 35,000-word novella "a great demonstration of Martin's ability to dramatize the slippery complexities of power: how evil begets heroism, how heroes become villains". ''The Princess and the Queen'' was nominated for a 2014 Locus Award.
+
+==References==
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/10_Beyond_the_Wall__Game_of_Thrones_.txt

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+
+
+
+"'''Beyond the Wall'''" is the sixth and penultimate episode of the seventh season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 66th overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alan Taylor. At 70 minutes, it was the series' longest episode until the airing of the season's finale.
+
+The episode's main plot focuses on Jon Snow's raiding party as they journey north of the Wall; they successfully capture a wight to prove the threat, though Thoros is killed. Daenerys rescues the group from the Army of the Dead, and the Night King kills and reanimates Viserion. Jon is separately rescued by Benjen, who sacrifices himself, and Jon acknowledges Daenerys as Queen. Meanwhile, at Winterfell, tension builds between Sansa and Arya.
+
+The title of the episode is taken from the namesake lands where most of the episode takes place. "Beyond the Wall" received mostly positive praise from critics, who listed the epic scale and special effects of the battle between the White Walkers and the dragons, the interactions between the northern raiding party, and Jon swearing fealty to Daenerys as highlights of the episode, though some reviewers criticized the episode for "defying logic" and its rushed storytelling. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 10.24 million in its initial broadcast.
+
+This episode marks the final appearances of Joseph Mawle (Benjen Stark) and Paul Kaye (Thoros of Myr).
+
+==Plot==
+===At Winterfell===
+Arya confronts Sansa about the letter Sansa wrote to persuade Robb to bend the knee to Joffrey. Arya accuses Sansa of mainly being concerned that she will lose face with the Northern lords if the letter is made public. Sansa confides in Littlefinger, who suggests that Brienne, sworn to serve both sisters, would intervene if Arya acted against Sansa. However, when Cersei invites Sansa to King's Landing to parley, Sansa sends Brienne as her representative. Sansa searches Arya's room and finds Arya's faces. Arya discovers Sansa and explains her training with the Faceless Men. Arya says she could take Sansa's face, seemingly threatening her with the Valyrian steel dagger before instead leaving her with it.
+
+===At Dragonstone===
+Tyrion suspects Cersei will lay a trap when they meet, but counsels Daenerys to not stoop to her level. Daenerys grows frustrated with Tyrion's pragmatism, but he reassures her of his loyalty to her cause. Tyrion further questions how Daenerys, who believes herself infertile, can establish a legacy that will outlive her. She refuses to discuss the succession before ascending to the Iron Throne.
+
+===Beyond the Wall===
+Jon, the Hound, Jorah, Beric, Thoros, and Gendry journey beyond the wall with Tormund and several other Wildlings. Jon offers Longclaw, the ancestral Mormont sword, to Jorah, but Jorah insists Jon keep it.
+
+An undead polar bear attacks the party, and Thoros is savaged saving the Hound. The party continues onwards. Jon and the others ambush and destroy a White Walker accompanied by wights, and all but one of the wights instantly collapse, inanimate. They capture the last wight. A horde of wights approaches, and Gendry is sent alone to Eastwatch to send a raven to Daenerys while the others take refuge on a small island in the middle of a partially frozen lake. The Night King and other White Walkers watch from high ground. Beric suggests that destroying the Night King will in turn destroy the other White Walkers and the wights. Thoros succumbs to his wounds and the others cremate him.
+
+Gendry arrives at Eastwatch, and Davos has the raven sent to Daenerys. Daenerys flies her dragons north, having received the raven and having rejected Tyrion's advice to "do nothing."
+
+The wights attack Jon's group when the water refreezes. Daenerys arrives and the dragons burn many wights. The men try to evacuate on Drogon but the wights continue their attack; using an ice javelin, the Night King kills Viserion. Jon stays on the ground to cover the others' departure, but is pulled into the water. Jon is saved by Benjen Stark, who gives Jon his horse to ride to Eastwatch while sacrificing himself to hold off the wights.
+
+Jon recovers aboard a ship. He apologizes to Daenerys for Viserion's death; she tearfully accepts the loss as the cost of her learning the truth, and she vows to fight the Night King with Jon. He calls her "my Queen" and believes the Northern lords will come to accept her leadership.
+
+Beyond the wall, the Night King reanimates Viserion.
+
+==Production==
+===Writing===
+The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
+"Beyond the Wall" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. In the "Inside the Episode" featurette published by HBO following the airing of the episode, David Benioff indicated that the death of the dragon Viserion was something that he and the writers had been working towards for a long time, and added "The whole path of the show in some way has been trying to map out all of the episode end points, and with this one, it was the dragon opening its blue eye, and realizing that the Night King has finally gotten his own weapon of mass destruction." Weiss also stated that the most enjoyable part in writing the sequence was to make it seem as though all of the "good guys" were going to "get out the other side more or less scot-free," and knew that subsequently killing the dragon would have "a tremendous emotional impact," due to its importance to Daenerys. He continued by saying that they knew it would be important for the Night King to seize on the opportunity to kill a dragon, and that they intended for the scene to be a "one-two punch" by having the viewer witness "the horror" involved with seeing "one of these three amazing beings like this in the world going under the water and not coming up again, and processing that," but also "processing something that's even worse," by having the dragon pulled out of the water and becoming a part of the Night King's army.
+
+Regarding the inclusion of the wight polar bear attack, Benioff and Weiss stated that they had wanted to have a wight polar bear for "about four seasons," but never made it onto the screen due to opposition from the special effects team. Weiss recalled being told that they were not able to afford the special effect, but felt that it made "perfect sense that you could have one of these things out there, and we really put our four feet down and said goddamnit, we want a zombie polar bear," and thus wrote it into the episode.
+
+Weiss also spoke about the concluding Winterfell sequence, saying that once Sansa finds Arya's collection of faces and is confronted, Sansa was intended to start to see Arya as "a real, physical danger to her," and that they wanted to translate that fear to the subsequent episode, in "The Dragon and the Wolf".
+
+===Filming===
+"Beyond the Wall" was directed by Alan Taylor. This was Taylor's seventh episode as a director for the series, but it was his first episode since the second season, where he directed that season's finale episode, "Valar Morghulis". He was also a director for two episodes in the first season, "Baelor" and "Fire and Blood", as well as four other episodes in the second season. Since his hiatus from the series, Taylor was a director for several big budget Hollywood films, including ''Thor: The Dark World'' and ''Terminator Genisys''. In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', Taylor spoke about the differences between his earlier stint with the series, and his return for the show's seventh season, saying he was previously told to avoid using green screen, and thus special effects, due to the budgetary constraints that the series had in its earlier seasons. However, with "Beyond the Wall", he was able to fully utilize visual effects to create the large environment, dragons and armies due to the increased budget. He also described the experience as "going full circle," having witnessed the evolution of characters such as Sophie Turner as Sansa and Maisie Williams as Arya Stark, who he directed when they were children, and that they have since grown up.
+
+Alan Taylor returned to the series after a hiatus, last directing "Valar Morghulis" in the series' second season.
+Many of the scenes leading up to the battle with the White Walker army were filmed in Iceland, but the majority of the episode's battle sequence was filmed in a quarry in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Taylor had expected to film the sequence entirely in Iceland, but quickly realized that it was not feasible due to the amount of production that was required. In filming the wight polar bear attack, Taylor noted that the bear was designed by the New Zealand-based Weta Digital, which previously worked on ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy. Richard Dormer, who portrays Beric Dondarrion, described filming the scene in a separate interview, saying "It was very cold, wet and physical. Hot as well, running around imagining a 12-foot flaming polar bear. It’s pretty weird, but it was fun." Dormer also noted the difficulty of filming a flaming sword, revealing that the sword could only burn for two minutes at a time, and could not be swung too quickly, requiring Dormer to slow down his movement. He also said that the sword he was using weighed approximately three times more than a normal sword. Though the actors were dressed warmly for the scenes beyond the Wall, their suits contained a "tube system through which cold water can be circulated between shots using a portable pump to keep them from getting overheated," due to the actual warmth of filming on a fake set in Northern Ireland. This was also essential due to the possibility of Rory McCann's, who portrays Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, prosthetic makeup melting off his face.
+
+In another interview with ''The Hollywood Reporter'', Taylor also spoke about the process of interacting with the lake and water, saying "every moment of interaction with water had to be a multiple stage process where we filmed the action on our 360 degree set and landscape, and then restage it against green screen with elements we shot in a dunk tank rig, and all of those elements get married together to form something as simple as a guy falling into the ice and plopping into the water." Four to five different shots were needed in order to accomplish this portion of the battle. Taylor described working with Vladimir Furdik, who portrays the Night King, noting that Furdik is completely covered in prosthetics, and saying "He's just delightful. There's nothing he can't do. He's a full-on actor in that role, aside from being able to do all of the action and all of the horse work. He has a beautiful face — although you lose some of that behind the Night King prosthetics." Taylor revealed that he had worked with Furdik previously, as Furdik was also a stunt performer on ''Thor: The Dark World''.
+
+To film the death of the dragon, Viserion, Taylor said that he "provided the shots where we knew the dragon was going to be impaled and crash," for special effects supervisor Joe Bauer to use later. But Taylor also filmed reaction shots "all along the way" while the dragon fell to its death, utilizing a tennis ball on a stick in order for the actors to understand where the dragon was in the scene, as well as a "pre-viz" and storyboards for them to understand what the final product would look like. Taylor praised Emilia Clarke's performance as Daenerys Targaryen in the scene, and he was also grateful that he was chosen to direct the dragon's death, due to his self-proclaimed past with directing pivotal death scenes in several series, including the death of Ned Stark in season one, as well as major deaths in ''Rome'', ''Deadwood'' and ''The Sopranos''.
+
+Taylor also spoke about the amount of time that was intended to pass between the approach of the White Walker army, and Daenerys's arrival, saying that they were being intentionally vague, "We did a few things, like getting deliberately hazy about how much time is passing, because it's so dark in the frozen lake and you don't know how many days or nights you may have witnessed. We tried to make it a little ambiguous and give it some wiggle room on that end. We were aware that we were asking for people's suspended disbelief — plausible impossibilities is what you're aiming for."
+
+==Reception==
+
+===Ratings===
+"Beyond the Wall" was viewed by 10.24 million viewers on its initial viewing on HBO, which was less than the previous week's rating of 10.72 million viewers for the episode "Eastwatch". The episode also acquired a 4.7 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 3.18 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week on its channel. It also received 0.98 million timeshift viewers.
+
+===Critical reception===
+"Beyond the Wall" received mostly positive reviews from critics who listed the epic scale and special effects of the battle between the White Walkers and the dragons, the interactions between the northern raiding party and Jon swearing fealty to Daenerys as highlights of the episode, although some reviewers criticized the episode for " logic." It has received an 84% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 43 reviews, with an average score of 8.3 out of 10. The site's consensus reads ""Beyond The Wall" delivered the epic battles and plot twists that are expected from the penultimate episode of a ''Game of Thrones'' season – although sometimes in ways that defied logic."
+
+Some reviews were more negative. Terri Schwartz of IGN wrote in her review of the episode, "''Game of Thrones'' has long set the precedent that its penultimate episodes of its seasons would be the biggest in terms of scale and, oftentimes, loss, in everything from "Baelor" to "The Rains of Castamere". In that way, "Beyond the Wall" was no different, as it arguably featured the greatest loss the series has faced to date: a dragon killed by the Night King, and even worse, resurrected by him." However, Schwartz also criticized the episode saying that it suffered "more than any other episode to date from the rushed, truncated storytelling in Season 7." Schwartz went on to also praise the interactions between the northern raiding party on their journey to find the White Walkers, and ultimately gave the episode a 6.9 out of 10. Daniel D'Addario of ''Time Magazine'' wrote in his review of the episode "This episode, occupying the penultimate-in-the-season slot that has historically been the spot where the biggest moments occur, was ever-so-slightly less a barnburner than last year's "Battle of the Bastards," for instance. But that's in part due to the increasing obviousness of the stakes." Myles McNutt of ''The A.V. Club'' spoke similarly in his comparison of the episode to the previous season's penultimate episode, questioning some of the reasoning behind the battle, writing "we have a situation here where a series of events engineered for action and suspense effectively sells out the characters involved." He also praised the episode, however, by saying "On the level of spectacle, "Beyond The Wall" is another series high point, with stellar work from returning director Alan Taylor, capturing the visceral battles that the seven men and several Red Shirts encounter on their journey. And I was charmed by the series of "walk and talks" that punctuate their travels, brief vignettes of characters like Sandor and Tormund interacting for the first time while marching toward their potential dooms." He gave the episode a B. Steve Greene of IndieWire wrote in his review, ""Beyond the Wall" might not be the best episode of the season, but it's more assuredly the most important. By bringing the season-long promise of terror and triumph in rapid succession, the series turned this vital episode into a horror story to remember."
+
+===Accolades===
+
+
+
+
+
+ Year
+
+ Award
+
+ Category
+
+ Nominee(s)
+
+ Result
+
+ 
+
+
+
+2018
+
+ American Cinema Editors Awards
+
+ Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television
+
+ Tim Porter
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Annie Awards
+
+ Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Live Action Production
+
+ Paul Story, Todd Labonte, Matthew Muntean, Cajun Hylton, Georgy Arevshatov
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Cinema Audio Society Awards
+
+ Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour
+
+ Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Brett Voss (for "Beyond the Wall")
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Directors Guild of America Awards
+
+ Dramatic Series
+
+ Alan Taylor
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Visual Effects Society Awards
+
+ Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode
+
+ Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Chris Baird, David Ramos, Sam Conway
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Animated Character in an Episode or Real-Time Project
+
+ Paul Story, Todd Labonte, Matthew Muntean, Nicholas Wilson – "Zombie Polar Bear"
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project
+
+ Daniel Villalba, Antonio Lado, José Luis Barreiro, Isaac de la Pompa – "Frozen Lake"
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project
+
+ Manuel Ramírez, Óscar Márquez, Pablo Hernández, David Gacituaga – "Frozen Lake"
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode
+
+ Óscar Perea, Santiago Martos, David Esteve, Michael Crane  – "Frozen Lake"
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Golden Reel Awards
+
+ Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Music
+
+ David Klotz
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ British Academy Television Awards
+
+ Must-See Moment
+
+ "Viserion is Killed by the Night King" 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2018 Gold Derby Awards
+
+ Best Drama Episode
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Primetime Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
+
+ Alan Taylor
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes
+
+ Michele Clapton, Alexander Fordham, Emma O'Loughlin, Kate O'Farrell
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series
+
+ Tim Porter
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Series
+
+ Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Richard Dyer, Ronan Hill
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Special Visual Effects
+
+ Steve Kullback, Joe Bauer, Adam Chazen, Michelle Blok, Sam Conway, Ted Rae, David Ramos, Wayne Stables, Derek Spears
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+==Leak==
+Similar to the fourth episode of the season, "The Spoils of War", the episode was leaked before it was set to air, on August 20, 2017. Four days before its official broadcast, HBO Spain and HBO Nordic accidentally allowed "Beyond the Wall" to be available for on-demand viewing for one hour before being removed.
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+*  "Beyond the Wall" at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/118_Dark_Wings__Dark_Words.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+
+"'''Dark Wings, Dark Words'''" is the second episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 22nd episode of the series. Written by Vanessa Taylor, and directed by Daniel Minahan, it aired on April 7, 2013.
+
+The title is an in-universe old saying about messenger ravens, referring to the fact that such urgently delivered messages are often bad news. In the episode, Robb Stark receives news of the death of Hoster Tully as well as the sack of Winterfell and the disappearances of Bran and Rickon.
+
+==Plot==
+===In King's Landing===
+Margaery and her grandmother Lady Olenna persuade Sansa to tell them the truth of King Joffrey's cruelty.
+
+After discussing his bride-to-be with Cersei, Joffrey invites Margaery to his chamber and questions her about her last husband, Renly Baratheon, and shows off his new crossbow.
+
+Shae warns Tyrion that Lord Baelish has taken an interest in Sansa.
+
+===Beyond the Wall===
+Mance Rayder continues to be distrustful of Jon, and speaks with Orell, a 'warg' capable of seeing through the eyes of animals, who tells him that he has seen the aftermath of the battle at the Fist of the First Men.
+
+Marching to the Wall, Sam falls from exhaustion, and Jeor Mormont orders Rast, who had been taunting Sam, to ensure he reaches the Wall alive.
+
+===In the North===
+Heading north with Hodor, Osha, and Rickon, Bran has another strange dream. While Hodor and Rickon are away, Osha suspects someone is following them and leaves to investigate. Bran is confronted by Jojen Reed, the boy from his dream and a seer like Bran. Accompanied by his sister, Meera, Jojen says they have been searching for Bran.
+
+===In an unknown location===
+Theon Greyjoy has been taken captive, and despite answering all questions truthfully, is continued to be tortured. A boy who claims to be sent by Yara promises to aid Theon.
+
+===In the Riverlands===
+Robb receives news of the death of his grandfather, Lord Hoster Tully, and that Winterfell has been razed by the Iron Islanders but Bran and Rickon have not been found. He and Catelyn depart for Riverrun for her father's funeral; Lord Karstark voices his displeasure with the funeral distraction. Catelyn discusses her children with Talisa, and admits that she feels responsible for what is happening to them all.
+
+Traveling north, Arya, Gendry, and Hot Pie are brought to an inn by a group led by Thoros of Myr, fighting for the Brotherhood without Banners. Another Brotherhood party arrive with a captive Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, who recognizes Arya and announces her true identity.
+
+A farmer warns Brienne and Jaime of the danger in traveling the Kingsroad. Jaime warns Brienne that the farmer must be killed, but she refuses. While crossing a bridge, Jaime seizes one of Brienne's swords, but she gains the upper hand. They are taken captive by Locke, a bannerman of Lord Roose Bolton, aided by the farmer who had recognized Jaime.
+
+==Production==
+
+===Writing===
+"Dark Wings, Dark Words" was written by co-writer Vanessa Taylor, who had previously written the episodes "Garden of Bones" and "The Old Gods and the New" for Season Two. This episode adapts the following chapters from George R. R. Martin's ''A Storm of Swords'': Bran I, Sansa I, Jon II, Arya I,II and V and Jaime II and III.
+
+===Casting===
+With this episode, Joe Dempsie (Gendry) is promoted to series regular, after guest starring in the first and second season. This episode also marks the first appearances of Diana Rigg (as Lady Olenna Tyrell), Mackenzie Crook (as Orell), Paul Kaye (as Thoros of Myr), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (as Jojen Reed), Ellie Kendrick (as Meera Reed), Philip McGinley (as Anguy), Noah Taylor (as Locke), and Iwan Rheon (as the cleaning boy attending Theon).
+
+==Reception==
+
+===Ratings===
+"Dark Wings, Dark Words"'s first airing was seen by 4.27 million viewers. Taking into account the viewers of the later repeat, the figures rose to 5.54 million. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 0.988 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's second highest-rated broadcast that week.
+
+===Critical reception===
+"Dark Wings, Dark Words" received very positive reviews from television critics, with review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveying 21 reviews of the episode and judging 90% of them to be positive with an average score of 7.7 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Burdened with character and plot reintroductions, 'Dark Wings, Dark Words' starts slow before revving up and delving into the real intrigues of the season." IGN's Matt Fowler gave the episode an 8.5/10, writing "Not many big moments in this week's Game of Thrones, but a lot of new characters came into play." David Sims, reviewing for The A.V. Club, rated the episode with a B+ for newbies. Emily VanDerWerff, rating for experts, also gave the episode a B+.
+
+== References ==
+
+
+== External links ==
+
+*  "Dark Wings, Dark Words" at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/119_Walk_of_Punishment.txt

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+
+
+"'''Walk of Punishment'''" is the third episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 23rd episode of the series. Written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Benioff, it aired on April 14, 2013.
+
+The title of the episode alludes to a place called "The Walk of Punishment" in the series, a road where slaves are crucified and displayed as examples to the slaves who thought of disobeying their masters.
+
+The episode received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Series at the 65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
+
+==Plot==
+===In King's Landing===
+Tywin plans to have Baelish wed Lysa Arryn to deprive Robb of allies, and names Tyrion the new Master of Coin. Tyrion rewards Podrick with prostitutes, later learning they refused payment. Discovering that as treasurer Baelish borrowed millions in gold from Tywin and tens of millions from the Iron Bank of Braavos, Tyrion fears Tywin will not forgive the debt and the Iron Bank may fund the Crown's enemies.
+
+===In the North===
+Freed by the cleaning boy, Theon rides east to Yara at Deepwood Motte, but is caught by his captors. Their leader prepares to rape him, but the boy arrives, slaying the soldiers and accompanying Theon onward.
+
+===At Dragonstone===
+As Melisandre prepares to sail for an unknown destination, Stannis begs her to give him another son, but she says he does not have the strength and her magic requires king's blood, which must be acquired from others who share Stannis' blood.
+
+===In Astapor===
+Daenerys negotiates with slaver Kraznys mo Nakloz, offering her largest dragon in exchange for all 8,000 Unsullied and boys in training, and Kraznys's slave translator Missandei.
+
+===Beyond the Wall===
+The wildling army finds decapitated horses arranged in a spiral by the White Walkers, and Rayder tells Jon the dead Night's Watch have become wights. Ordering Tormund to take a party, including Jon, to climb the Wall, Rayder says he will signal them with a fire to attack the Night's Watch.
+
+The remaining Night's Watch take refuge at Craster's Keep, where Sam witnesses Gilly give birth to a boy.
+
+===At Riverrun===
+At the ship burial of Lord Hoster Tully, his son Edmure is shamed by his uncle, Brynden "the Blackfish”. In conference with Robb, Edmure is chastised for engaging Ser Gregor Clegane. Catelyn discusses her pain with Brynden, and Talisa tends to Tywin's captured nephews, Martyn and Willem Lannister.
+
+===In the Riverlands===
+Props from the episode: Jaime Lannister's severed hand, his shackles and Locke's cleaver.
+Arya confronts the Hound for killing her friend Mycah, but he is taken away. Arya and Gendry bid farewell to Hot Pie, who has been left to the inn as payment by the Brotherhood after proving his skill as a cook.
+
+En route to Harrenhal, Jaime convinces Locke that Brienne's father is rich, and Locke stops his men from raping her. Jaime promises that Tywin will reward Locke if Jaime is returned; Locke feigns acceptance but is actually offended, and severs Jaime's sword hand.
+
+==Production==
+"Walk of Punishment" was written and directed by producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff.
+
+===Writing===
+"Walk of Punishment" was written by the show creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on material from George R. R. Martin's novel ''A Storm of Swords''. The episode adapts parts of chapters 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 28, 32, 34 and 36 of the book (Catelyn II, Jon II, Arya III, Tyrion III, Jaime III, Daenerys II, Daenerys III, Jaime IV, Samwell II and Catelyn IV). The writers also included original storylines including Theon's flight, Tyrion bringing Podrick to a brothel, and Melisandre departing Dragonstone.
+
+In the scene at the brothel, Tyrion claims that the last prostitute he introduces is one of the few women in the world able to perform "the Meereenese Knot". This is an inside joke referring to the name that Martin gave (after the legendary Gordian Knot) to a complicated structural problem that he had to face while writing the fifth book of the series, ''A Dance with Dragons''. This book had to synchronize the arrival of several characters in the city of Meereen while keeping the chronology and causations in line and informing the reader of events happening in places where no point-of-view character was present. Martin worked on solving "the Meereenese Knot" from 2005 to 2011, and it was one of the main causes behind the late delivery of the book.
+
+===Directing===
+The episode was directed by the writing team itself, although to comply with the rules of the Directors Guild of America only Benioff is credited for directing. For both Benioff and Weiss, it was their first direction experience though the former had previously directed an experimental short film "When the Nines Roll Over".
+
+===Casting===
+"Walk of Punishment" introduces the Tully family at Riverrun, marking the first appearances of Lady Catelyn's uncle Brynden Tully, played by Clive Russell, and her brother Edmure, played by Tobias Menzies. Edmure Tully is depicted in the show more harshly than in the books. Talking about his character, Menzies described him as "as comic as ''Game of Thrones'' gets ... He's a little flawed, really."
+Dean-Charles Chapman first appears in the role of Martyn Lannister in this episode. In Season 4, however, Chapman returns portraying a different character: Tommen Baratheon, who was played by Callum Wharry in previous seasons.
+
+===Filming locations===
+The river Quoile was used to depict the surroundings of the Riverrun castle
+The interiors of the episode were filmed at the Paint Hall Studios in Belfast, the show's base of operations. For the exterior shots the production used many other locations across Northern Ireland: the Redhall State (County Antrim) for the Inn at the Crossroads, the Clandeboye Estate (County Down) for Craster's Keep, Downhill Strand (County Londonderry) as the coast of Dragonstone, and the River Quoile (County Down) as the setting of Lord Hoster Tully's funeral.
+
+The storylines led by Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen continued to be filmed in Iceland and in the Moroccan city of Essaouira respectively.
+
+===Music===
+
+The band of Locke's men sing "The Bear and the Maiden Fair", heard for the first time in the series with music composed by Ramin Djawadi. The song, a very popular song in Westeros both among the commoners and the nobility, appears often in the original novels. Singing at the head of the group is Snow Patrol's frontman Gary Lightbody, in a cameo appearance.
+
+The closing credits reprise the song in a new version recorded specifically for the series by the indie band The Hold Steady. The group, one of Benioff and Weiss's favourite bands, was chosen because they wanted the rendition "to be bawdy and a little sloppy – drunken musicians getting up on the table and jamming while the rowdy party continues around them".
+
+The decision to place the song at the end of the episode, right after the amputation of Jaime's hand, was made to reinforce the surprise of the viewers: “It’s such a shocking ending and when we read the scene in the books it was so shocking to us. To really hammer home the shock of that moment you need something unexpected. There’s no version of a traditional score that would keep you as off balance as we wanted that scene to leaving you feeling.”
+
+==Reception==
+
+===Ratings===
+"Walk of Punishment"'s first airing was seen by 4.7 million viewers, setting a new viewership record for the show. Taking into account the viewers of the later repeat the figures rose to 5.8 million. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 1.173 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week.
+
+===Critical reception===
+The episode was praised by critics; review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 21 reviews of the episode and judged 95% of them to be positive with an average score of 8.3 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A bit of well-placed levity perfectly compliments the shocking final scenes of 'Walk of Punishment', adding up to hands down the most thrilling episode of the season so far—minus one hand." Matt Fowler, writing for IGN, rated the episode 8.8/10, writing "A shocking chop and a rollicking rock song led us out of a strong Thrones episode." Writing for the A.V. Club, David Sims rated the episode an A-. Also at The A.V. Club Emily VanDerWerff gave the episode another A-, praising its quickening of narrative pace. Time magazine reviewer James Poniewozik praised the episode, writing "...one thing I love about it – as a fan of fantasy fiction since I was a kid – is that it has a level of ugly realism missing from much of the genre."
+
+== References ==
+
+
+== External links ==
+
+*  "Walk of Punishment" at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/11_The_Dragon_and_the_Wolf.txt

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+
+
+"'''The Dragon and the Wolf'''" is the seventh and final episode of the seventh season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 67th episode overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa.
+
+The episode's plot includes a negotiation between Cersei and Daenerys, and a rift between Cersei and Jaime; Theon rededicates himself to Yara; Sansa and Arya unite against Littlefinger; Jon Snow is revealed to be the child of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen; Jon and Daenerys's romantic relationship comes to fruition; and the Army of the Dead penetrates the Wall. "The Dragon and the Wolf" received a positive reception from critics, who listed the meeting at the Dragonpit, the full revelation of Jon Snow's lineage, Cersei's lack of cooperation to defeat the White Walkers, Aidan Gillen's final performance as Littlefinger, and the demolition of the Wall as highlights of the episode. The pacing, however, was met with mixed reviews, and criticism was also leveled at the resemblance of Rhaegar Targaryen to his brother Viserys Targaryen.
+
+In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 12.07 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode of the series. Furthermore, it received eight nominations at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards – making it the most Emmy Award-nominated episode of the series to date –, including for its writing, Podeswa's direction, Djawadi's music and was submitted by Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey to support their nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor and Outstanding Supporting Actress respectively, with Djawadi and Dinklage winning in their categories. The title of the episode refers to the sigils of House Targaryen (the Dragon) and House Stark (the Wolf) and their newfound alliance. 
+
+This episode marks the final appearance of Aidan Gillen (Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish).
+
+==Plot==
+===In King's Landing===
+Cersei, Daenerys, and their entourages meet. The Hound and Jon successfully use the captured wight to prove the existence of the threat posed by the White Walkers. Cersei agrees to help against the dead on the condition that Jon remains neutral between the queens, but retracts her support when Jon affirms he has already sworn himself to Daenerys. Tyrion goes alone to confront Cersei. He explains to Cersei that Daenerys wanted to destroy King's Landing until Tyrion persuaded her not to. During their conversation, he realizes Cersei is pregnant. Cersei returns to the parley and agrees to send her entire army north to fight the White Walkers.
+
+Jaime prepares to mobilize the army, but Cersei reveals she lied and will not join Daenerys and Jon's cause. Euron leaves for Essos to transport the Golden Company, with which she will fight the presumably weakened faction that wins the Great War. Jaime is disgusted and refuses to break his word. Cersei contemplates assassinating Jamie but refuses out of love. He abandons her and rides north alone as snow begins to fall on King's Landing.
+
+===On Dragonstone===
+Daenerys's party returns and plans to travel to Winterfell. Jorah advises Daenerys to fly a dragon there to avoid any potential assassination attempts, but she decides to travel by sea and land with Jon, in hopes of garnering popular support. Theon seeks guidance from Jon, who declares they both preserve Ned's legacy. Theon decides to save Yara. He defeats the leader of the remaining Ironborn in a brutal fight and the others join Theon.
+
+===At Winterfell===
+Sansa and Littlefinger discuss Arya's actions. Littlefinger advises Sansa to always assume others have the worst possible motive. Sansa summons Arya before the lords of the North and Vale, then stuns Littlefinger by accusing him of murder and treason, which Bran corroborates. Finding no allies in the crowd, Littlefinger begs for mercy, but Arya executes him.
+
+Sam arrives at Winterfell with his family. Bran tells him that Jon's real parents were Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Sam reveals information from the High Septon's journal: in secret, Rhaegar's marriage to Elia Martell was annulled and he married Lyanna. Bran determines that, as Rhaegar's legitimate son, Jon is the heir to the Iron Throne.
+
+===In the Narrow Sea===
+Tyrion witnesses Jon Snow entering Daenerys's cabin. Jon and Daenerys give in to their feelings for each other and have sex.
+
+===At Eastwatch-by-the-sea===
+The undead army arrives at Eastwatch. When the Night King appears, riding Viserion, Tormund orders the defenders to evacuate. Breathing blue fire, Viserion destroys Eastwatch and a section of the Wall, allowing the White Walkers to finally invade the Seven Kingdoms to put an end to mankind.
+
+==Production==
+===Writing===
+The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
+"The Dragon and the Wolf" was written by the series' co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. In the "Inside the Episode" featurette published by HBO following the airing of the episode, they described the meeting at the dragon pit as one of the most challenging scenes in the episode to write, as they felt it was important to give each character their due. Weiss described the many different interactions between various characters as "deceptively difficult", and the necessity for the actors to be "playing off the person they're supposed to be playing off of" for the scene to be properly translated during the filming process.
+
+For the culmination of the Winterfell storyline, and the death of Littlefinger, Benioff and Weiss stressed the importance of the scenes leading up to the finale, which they described as a realistic threat of harm between Arya and Sansa, with Benioff saying "It's one of the benefits of working on a show like this, where over the years so many beloved characters have been killed, and so many characters make decisions you wish they hadn't that you can believe Sansa might conspire against Arya, or that Arya might decide that Sansa has betrayed the family and deserves to die." Benioff continued by revealing his excitement in seeing Aiden Gillan's performance as Littlefinger, as it was the first time that they had written a scene in which the character was caught unaware, saying "He's imagined every conceivable eventuality except this one." Isaac Hemsptead Wright, who portrays Bran, described a scene that was originally written between his character and Sansa, but it was later removed from the episode.
+
+Another challenge involved with writing the episode involved the presentation of the information regarding Jon Snow's lineage, as it mostly consisted of details that had already been revealed in prior scenes. As such, the inclusion of a montage, of Rhaegar and Lyanna, and Jon and Daenerys, was one of the ways that Benioff and Weiss stated they were able to go about this problem. Weiss noted that it was important to make it clear "that this was almost like an information bomb that Jon was heading towards." Benioff continued by describing Jon and Daenery's intimacy as a complication "on a political level," and "on a personal level," due to the two being related, with Weiss adding "Just as we're seeing these two people come together we’re hearing the information that will inevitably, if not tear them apart at least cause real problems in their relationship."
+
+In writing the final interaction between Jaime and Cersei, Benioff felt it was important to convey Cersei's refusal to confide her plan to abandon the agreement to fight the White Walkers and subsequent alignment with Euron and the Iron Bank, and its effect on Jaime, saying "He's realizing that his loyalty to her is not reflected in her loyalty to him. I think that's absolutely what informs his decision to leave King's Landing."
+
+Leading up to the seventh-season finale, Benioff and Weiss revealed that it was always planned for the penultimate season to end with the destruction of the Wall, and the White Walker army crossing into the Seven Kingdoms. Weiss noted, "The wall's kept these things out for eight thousand years and there's no real reason it can't keep doing that unless something puts a hole in the Wall. There's one thing on the board from the beginning that is now big enough to do that and that's a dragon." They also felt it was essential for the seventh-season finale to contrast well with previous season finale episodes, particularly the sixth-season finale, "The Winds of Winter", which Benioff stated had a more "triumphant ending" as opposed to something "much more horrific" with the conclusion of "The Dragon and the Wolf".
+
+===Filming===
+"The Dragon and the Wolf" was directed by Jeremy Podeswa. He joined the series as a director in the fifth season, his first episode being "Kill the Boy", which was followed by "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. He further directed two more episodes in the series' sixth season, and also directed the seventh season's premiere episode, "Dragonstone". This would be Podeswa's final episode as a director for the series, as he would later reveal that he would not be returning for the series' final season.
+
+The Roman amphitheatre at Italica stood in as the dragon pit in King's Landing.
+In an interview with ''Variety'', Podeswa described the tone in filming the scene at the dragon pit as "laden with tension," and that he was very excited to film the sequence due to several characters meeting for the first time and others reuniting after a long absence from each other. According to a separate interview with ''USA Today'', shooting of the dragon pit scene took place over the course of six days, and was first rehearsed in Belfast, and later on set in Spain. The Italica ruins near Seville, Spain stood in for the dragon pit. Podeswa revealed that the sequence was "40 to 50 pages" in the script, which he felt was a lot of material to work with, saying he had to "make sure everything landed," and that "every look in that script and every moment that needed to be there was actually going to end up on screen."
+
+"The Dragon and the Wolf" marks Aidan Gillen's final appearance as Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish.
+In an interview with ''The Hollywood Reporter'', Podeswa described filming the death of Littlefinger and Aidan Gillen's performance, saying "It was moving and difficult to see somebody get to the end of their role on the show, but it was an amazing scene to go out on. The mood when we were shooting it was incredible, actually. Aidan's performance was so, so passionate, and so surprising in a way." The filming of the scene took place over the course of an entire day, with the conclusion being filmed later, with Podeswa noting, "We didn't really shoot the end until a certain point, and  was very ready at that point."
+
+Podeswa also described the process behind filming the sexual intimacy between Jon and Daenerys, saying, "In the script, it described the fact that they were love-making, but it didn't go into great detail in terms of what was going on between them as characters in that moment." He went on to state that he "built in a moment between" Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke, who portray Jon and Daenerys respectively, where they "stop for a moment and look into each other's eyes." He continued, "The intention from my point of view, and their point of view too, is that they're driven by passion into this. They don't even fully understand what it's all about and what the consequences of it are. They really can't stop themselves. It's almost destiny that's bringing them together." In regards to the similarity between the appearance of Rhaegar and Viserys Targaryen, Podeswa stated that the brothers were meant to look similar.
+
+Podeswa's first reaction to the final scene of the episode, with the destruction of a portion of the Wall, was "This is an enormous, spectacular sequence. How are we actually going to pull it off?" In order to piece together the sequence, Podeswa was required to work with several different departments, including Benioff and Weiss, the visual effects department, storyboard artist, the set designers, stuntmen, the cinematographer, and the actors themselves. All of the scenes that were filmed on top of the Wall, with Kristofer Hivju and Richard Dormer as Tormund and Beric respectively, were on an actual set in Belfast, along with filming of the stuntmen falling, which would be later transposed by visual effects. He continued by describing the process of creating the non-practical shots by saying, "All of the more panoramic spectacular shots are visual effects, but they're designed by me working with the visual effects department from storyboards that I created with storyboard artists." There were also several interactive elements involved, which Podeswa noted by saying, "When we were shooting the Wall set, we had the lighting effect on the Wall that was caused by the flame, but we hadn't created the flame yet." He continued by revealing the process that went into Viserion's appearance, saying "Everything comes from a sense of logic, so I guess in this particular instance with Viserion, what were the wounds that he suffered before he died? What happened to him underwater and when he was dragged up? All of those kinds of things folded into the discussion of what he should appear to look like when he's resurrected."
+
+==Reception==
+===Ratings===
+"The Dragon and the Wolf" was viewed by 12.07 million viewers on its initial live broadcast on HBO, and an additional 4.4 million viewers on streaming platforms, for a total 16.5 million viewers. This set a ratings record for ''Game of Thrones'' as the highest rated episode of the series to date, surpassing "Eastwatch", which previously held the record. The episode also acquired a 5.7 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 3.54 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week on its channel. It also received 1.02 million timeshift viewers.
+
+===Critical reception===
+"The Dragon and the Wolf" was praised by critics, who listed the meeting at the Dragonpit, Cersei's lack of cooperation to defeat the White Walkers, Aidan Gillen's performance as Littlefinger, and the demolition of the Wall as highlights of the episode. The episode has received an 87% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 47 reviews, with an average score of 8.7 out of 10. The site's consensus reads "While much slower in pace than the season that preceded it, 'The Dragon and the Wolf' delivered satisfying conclusions to several story arcs, and masterfully set up the series' final season."
+
+The pacing of the episode received mixed reviews, with Matt Fowler of IGN praising its ability at, "Delivering lengthy meaningful scenes filled with dialogue, deception, revelations, twists," and assembly the dragon pit. He gave the episode a 9.3 out of 10. On the other hand, Erik Kain of ''Forbes'' believed the episode to be too rushed, but praised it nonetheless for being one of the most "ultimately satisfying episodes HBO has given us to date." He listed the reveal of Jon Snow's lineage as one of the most important moments of the episode, and praised it for paralleling Jon and Daenerys's intimate sexual encounter.
+
+Myles McNutt of ''The A.V Club'' wrote that the episode returned to the slow pace of the premiere and criticized its pacing and some of the characters motivations, but gave it a B+ overall. Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also gave praise to the episode, albeit with some criticism towards the episode's predictability, stating that while there were "Plenty of enjoyable moments and blue fire-fueled spectacle, and effectively set up next season’s culminating clashes, it didn't offer much in the way of surprise."
+
+Kain and McNutt were also critical that Rhaegar Targaryen bore too great a resemblance to his brother Viserys Targaryen.
+
+===Accolades===
+
+
+
+
+
+ Year
+
+ Award
+
+ Category
+
+ Nominee(s)
+
+ Result
+
+ 
+
+
+
+2017
+
+ Humanitas Prize
+
+ 60 Minute Network or Syndicated Television
+
+ David Benioff, D. B. Weiss
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+2018
+
+ Directors Guild of America Awards
+
+ Dramatic Series
+
+ Jeremy Podeswa
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Visual Effects Society Awards
+
+ Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project
+
+ Thomas Hullin, Dominik Kirouac, Sylvain Nouveau, Nathan Arbuckle – "Wall Destruction"
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Primetime Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
+
+ Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
+
+ Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
+
+ Jeremy Podeswa
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
+
+ David Benioff and D. B. Weiss
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series
+
+ Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Nicola Mount, Rosalia Culora
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)
+
+ Jane Walker, Kay Bilk, Marianna Kyriacou, Pamela Smyth, Kate Thompson, Nicola Mathews
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
+
+ Ramin Djawadi
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series
+
+ Katie Weiland
+
+ 
+
+
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+*  "The Dragon and the Wolf" at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/120_And_Now_His_Watch_Is_Ended.txt

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+
+"'''And Now His Watch Is Ended'''" is the fourth episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 24th episode of the series. It was written by showrunners and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and directed by Alex Graves, his directorial debut for the series.
+
+The episode's title comes from a chant made by the Night's Watch at the funeral of a fallen brother while at Craster's Keep.
+
+==Plot==
+===In King's Landing===
+Varys tells Tyrion of being made a eunuch by a sorcerer in Myr, before revealing that he has captured the sorcerer and plans to take revenge on him. Ros informs Varys that Baelish may take Sansa when he leaves to wed Lysa Arryn, and Varys warns Olenna that Baelish may seek to control Sansa.
+
+Discussing the missing Jaime and the Tyrells' presence with Tywin, Cersei distrusts Margaery for her ability to manipulate Joffrey. Sansa tells Margaery that Cersei will not allow her to leave King's Landing, and Margaery says she would see Sansa wed to Ser Loras.
+
+===In the North===
+Bran dreams of chasing the three-eyed raven through the woods with Jojen, and climbs a tree in pursuit of the raven, but falls when Catelyn appears.
+
+Arriving at what he believes is Deepwood Motte, Theon explains to his rescuer that he never killed the Stark boys, having Dagmer Cleftjaw burn two orphans instead, and reveals his remorse, declaring Eddard Stark was his true father. Theon then realises he has been taken back to the dungeon from which he escaped and is subdued by the guards, to the boy's amusement.
+
+===In the Riverlands===
+Locke and his men taunt Jaime for the loss of his sword hand, and quickly beat him when he tries to attack. Brienne chastises Jaime for wanting to die, telling him to live and take revenge.
+
+Arya, Gendry, and the Hound are taken to the Brotherhood's leader, Lord Beric Dondarrion. He calls the Hound a murderer, and Arya and the Hound argue over his execution of Mycah. Dondarrion sentences the Hound to face him in trial by combat.
+
+===Beyond the Wall===
+Rast declares the Night's Watch cannot trust Craster, and Sam and Gilly discuss her newborn son. After a funeral for a fallen brother, Karl Tanner challenges Craster over their poor food, and Rast enrages Craster by mentioning his bastard parentage. Craster orders the Night's Watch out, but is goaded by Karl, who stabs Craster when he attacks. When Jeor intervenes, Rast kills him. As a fight erupts, Sam flees with Gilly and her son.
+
+===In Astapor===
+Exchanging the Unsullied army for Daenerys' dragon, Kraznys continues to insult her in Valyrian. Daenerys, in fluent Valyrian, orders her new army to sack Astapor, killing all slavers and freeing every slave, and reclaims her dragon, ordering it to kill Kraznys. After the battle, she offers the Unsullied the choice to remain with her as free men or leave; none choose to leave, and Daenerys and her army depart.
+
+==Production==
+===Writing===
+The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
+"And Now His Watch Is Ended" was written by showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It was based on George Martin's novels, chapters Tyrion X from ''A Clash of Kings'' and Jaime IV, Tyrion II, Samwell II, the first part of Arya VI, and the second half of Daenerys III from ''A Storm of Swords''.
+
+Benioff and Weiss considered this episode one of the "big ones" and a turning point of the series. Weiss said that when he was reading the books he was swept away by Daenerys' final scene, and remembered thinking how he'd be able to put it on screen if he could ever get to film it.
+
+This final scene includes the first instance of the High Valyrian language in the series, apart from short stock phrases, spoken by Daenerys. Up to this point only the Astapori dialect of Low Valyrian, a creolized form of the ancient language of the old Valyrian Empire, had been heard, spoken by the slaver Kraznys. David J. Peterson, the language creator hired by the series, designed both versions of the tongue.
+
+===Casting===
+The episode reintroduces Lord Beric Dondarrion, now played by Richard Dormer. Dondarrion had previously been portrayed by David Michael Scott in his brief appearance in the first season episode "A Golden Crown", where he was entrusted by Lord Eddard Stark with the task of capturing Ser Gregor Clegane. This episode also marks James Cosmo's last appearance in the series, as his character Jeor Mormont is killed by his own men.
+
+===Directing===
+The episode was helmed by director Alex Graves, a newcomer to the production. The producers praised his work, in particular in the handling of the final scene at Astapor: "He took a scene that had us quite nervous – the number of people on set, the size of the action, the amount of the effects work – and had it all done in a few days. A scene that might take a feature eight days; for us it was two or three."
+
+===Filming===
+The interiors of the episode were shot at Belfast's The Paint Hall, including a new set representing the colossal Great Sept of Baelor at King's Landing. For the exteriors, the episode filmed extensively at the forests of Clandeboye Estate, where the sets of Craster's Keep and the encampment of Locke's band were built. The gardens where Olenna and Varys plot are parts of the Trsteno Arboretum, in Croatia.
+
+The scenes with Daenerys were filmed in Morocco. While during the first three episodes the city of Astapor had been represented by the coastal ramparts of Essaouira, the plaza and the walls seen in the episode were sets from Atlas Studios, located five kilometres west of the city of Ouarzazate. The walls had been built to stand in for the city of Jerusalem in the 2005 film ''Kingdom of Heaven''.
+
+==Reception==
+
+===Ratings===
+The ratings of the episode raised to a new record for the series, with a viewership of 4.87 million viewers and a 2.6 share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. The encore was watched by another 1.03 million, totaling 5.90 million viewers for the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 0.992 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's second highest-rated broadcast that week.
+
+===Critical reception===
+The episode received critical acclaim, being consistently rated as the best of the season at the time of its airing. Review aggregator surveyed 21 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 9.2 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "'And Now His Watch is Ended' is an enthralling meditation on betrayal and revenge, bolstered by a mind-blowing surprise for those who would underestimate Daenerys Targarean ." IGN's Matt Fowler rated it with a 9.3/10, highlighting "shocking deaths, brutal double-crosses and a Kingslayer undone made for some mighty fine Thrones". David Simms, writing for The A.V. Club, considered it "an insanely satisfying, shocking episode" and gave it an "A" grade. His colleague Emily VanDerWerff agreed on the score.
+
+The final scene with Daenerys was unanimously praised. At Cultural Learnings, Myles McNutt found that the scene was one of the series' best sequences and considered it an impressive feat to have achieved a climax so satisfying for the viewer with only a relatively small number of scenes building up to it in the first three episodes. VanDerWerff felt that Emilia Clarke's performance Emmy worthy. HitFix's Alan Sepinwall also praised her performance, remarking that "her big moment comes in a (fictional) foreign language, and the subtitles are barely necessary. That's how good she is."
+
+====Awards and nominations====
+
+
+
+
+
+ Year
+
+ Award
+
+ Category
+
+ Nominee(s)
+
+ Result
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2013
+
+ Primetime Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
+
+ Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
+
+ Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series
+
+ Peter Brown, Kira Roessler, Tim Hands, Paul Aulicino, Stephen P. Robinson, Vanessa Lapato, Brett Voss, James Moriana, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and David Klotz
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)
+
+ Matthew Waters, Onnalee Blank, Ronan Hill, and Mervyn Moore
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+== References ==
+
+
+== External links ==
+
+*  "And Now His Watch Is Ended" at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/121_The_Bear_and_the_Maiden_Fair.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+
+
+ 
+"'''The Bear and the Maiden Fair'''" is the seventh episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 27th episode of the series overall. The episode was written by George R. R. Martin, the author of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels on which the series is based, and was directed by Michelle MacLaren, her directorial debut for the series.
+
+The plot of the episode advances the storylines of Daenerys's arrival to the city of Yunkai, the repercussions of the upcoming marriage of Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark, and Brienne's fate at the ruined castle of Harrenhal. The title of the episode refers to "The Bear and the Maiden Fair", a popular song among commoners and noblemen within the series' universe, which had been introduced four episodes earlier. In this episode, it refers to Brienne of Tarth (the maiden fair) facing a real bear.
+
+==Plot==
+
+===In King's Landing===
+Sansa is comforted by Margaery, who has heard of Sansa's betrothal to Tyrion. Elsewhere, Tyrion and Bronn discuss the match and how it will affect Shae. Tywin meets with Joffrey. Joffrey asks what they should do about the rumors of Daenerys and her dragons, but Tywin claims there is no threat.
+
+On Blackwater Bay, Melisandre reveals to Gendry that his father was King Robert Baratheon.
+
+===In the North===
+Jon and the wildling party continue their journey south. Soon after, Orell speaks to Ygritte, confessing his love for her and trying to convince her that Jon is still loyal to the Night's Watch. Later, Jon tells Ygritte that the wildling cause is hopeless, but she remains undaunted.
+
+Theon is freed from his constraints by two young women. They begin pleasuring him. The three are soon interrupted by his tormenter, who had ordered the women to seduce Theon in order to torment him further. The boy mocks Theon's sexual prowess, before ordering his men to restrain Theon as he removes Theon's genitals.
+
+Heading for the Wall, Osha continues to grow suspicious of the Reeds, calling Jojen's visions "black magic". When she says they have to continue to the Wall, Jojen reveals that the three-eyed raven is north of the Wall. Osha refuses to allow them to go north of the Wall, relating to them the story of her husband's death and resurrection as a wight.
+
+===In the Riverlands===
+Robb, his advisors, and his army are delayed by rain in their march toward the Twins for Edmure's wedding to Roslin Frey. Catelyn and the Blackfish discuss their distaste for Walder Frey, who will see their delay and Robb's oath-breaking as slights against his family. Talisa reveals to Robb that she is pregnant.
+
+At the Brotherhood's hideout, Arya berates Beric and Thoros for selling Gendry to Melisandre. When Anguy tells Beric of a Lannister raiding party near them, Beric orders the men to move out in pursuit. Arya calls Beric a liar, as he promised to take her to Riverrun. She runs away and is taken captive by the Hound.
+
+===Outside Yunkai===
+Daenerys, Jorah, Barristan, and the Unsullied reach Yunkai. Daenerys tells Jorah she will take the city to free its 200,000 slaves. An envoy, Razdal mo Eraz, is sent by Yunkai to offer terms of peace, which include chests filled with gold bars and as many ships as Daenerys wants. Daenerys refuses his offer, demanding the slaves of the city be freed and paid for their service.
+
+===At Harrenhal===
+Jaime visits Brienne in her cell. He tells her that he will be leaving for King's Landing the next day. Before Jaime leaves, Brienne makes him swear to uphold his oath to Catelyn and return the Stark girls to their mother. As he leaves, Jaime dryly tells Roose to tell Robb that "the Lannisters send their regards".
+
+When Qyburn informs Jaime that Brienne will not be ransomed by Locke, Jaime manipulates the party leader, Steelshanks, to order their return to Harrenhal. Upon their arrival, Jaime finds that Brienne has been thrown into a pit by Locke and his men, and has been forced to fight a grizzly bear while armed only with a wooden sword. Jaime leaps into the pit to protect her. Jaime boosts Brienne out of the pit, and is then lifted to safety.
+
+==Production==
+
+===Writing===
+George R. R. Martin, author of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels, scripts one episode per season.
+The episode was written by George R. R. Martin, author of the novels of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' saga that the show adapts. "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" is based on material from the third book of his series, ''A Storm of Swords'', adapting chapters 42 to 46 (Jon V, Daenerys IV, Arya VIII, Jaime VI and Catelyn V).
+
+In some of the scenes, Martin had to take into account the changes done by the production to some of his original plots or characters, writing scenes that could never happen in the novels: the books have Talisa's counterpart stay in Riverrun instead of following Robb, Melisandre never interacts with Gendry, and Sansa does not get to confide with Margaery.
+
+Martin initially titled the episode "Autumn Storms", because it was supposed to be raining in many of the scenes. When he was forced to change it because most of the rains had been cut from his script in pre-production, he came up with the title "Chains", that worked both in a literal and metaphorical level. However, later on, the final scene including the bear that had been originally written by showrunners Benioff and Weiss for the next episode was incorporated, and the episode was given its final title.
+
+===Casting===
+To play the part of the bear at Harrenhal, the producers chose the nearly nine-foot-tall Alaskan brown bear Bart the Bear 2 (a.k.a. "Little Bart"), who was born in 2000 and trained by Doug and Lynne Seus (the same trainers of his well-known predecessor, the original Bart the Bear).
+
+===Filming locations===
+The episode introduces Yunkai, based on the Moroccan city of Aït Benhaddou.
+The production continued to use Morocco to depict the Slaver's Bay. While the coastal city of Essaouira had doubled as Astapor, this episode used the city of Aït Benhaddou (near Ouarzazate) to depict Yunkai. Daenerys's camp was built in the nearby location of Little Barrage.
+
+The scenes with Jon Snow and the wildlings were filmed in the forests around Toome, in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The scenes in Northern Ireland were filmed six weeks before the production moved to Iceland to film several scenes for the previous episodes.
+
+Due to the legal restrictions and the difficulties involved in the transport of large animals, the scenes with the bear Little Bart had to be filmed in the USA. Although it was only used for a single scene, this was the fifth country where the production filmed during the season (after Northern Ireland, Morocco, Croatia, and Iceland). The actual bear-pit set was built in Northern Ireland: the bear was filmed where it was living in Los Angeles, interacting with its trainer, and was later digitally added into the footage from the bear pit set in Northern Ireland.
+
+==Reception==
+
+===Ratings===
+4.84 million viewers watched the premiere airing of "The Bear and the Maiden Fair", a decrease of 0.67 million compared to the previous week. This ended the streak set during the four previous episodes, each of which established a new series high in ratings. 1.12 million people watched the second airing, bringing the total viewership of the night to 5.96 million. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 1.023 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week.
+
+===Critical reception===
+The critical reception to the episode was generally favorable, although most commentators agreed that it was not among the best episodes of the third season, or the ones written by Martin. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 21 reviews of the episode and judged 81% of them to be positive with an average score of 8.05 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "'The Bear and the Maiden Fair" feels like a bit of a holding pattern as Game of Thrones moves its pieces into place for the final three episodes." The quality of the dialogue and characterization was widely praised. ''The A.V. Club''s David Sims found that the interactions felt more natural, and Elio Garcia from Westeros.org suggested that the characters "oozed a richer version of themselves". Another aspect that was mentioned as an improvement was the treatment of the romantic relationships.
+
+Many reviews signaled the lack of focus as the main flaw of the episode, although they agreed that the story required preparing the stage for the final part of the season: Emily VanDerWerff wrote at ''The A.V. Club'' that it was a "somewhat disjointed hour, full of characters moving into place for what’s next (...) it nonetheless accomplishes what it sets out to do". According to Myles McNutt from Cultural Learnings, the episode "never evolves into a particularly exciting hour of television, content mostly to sketch out the boundaries of the season’s storylines in preparation for the oncoming climax."
+
+The final scene, where Brienne is forced to fight a bear, was very well received: IGN's Matt Fowler called it "a spectacular moment", HitFix's Alan Sepinwall deemed it "gorgeously staged and executed", and David Sims found it "tense, thrilling television". Other scenes that were highlighted were the parley between Daenerys and the slaver, and the confrontation between Tywin and Joffrey. In the latter, the camera work used by director Michelle MacLaren was lauded.
+
+In contrast, the scene featuring Theon's torture was criticized for what was seen as its gratuitous violence and nudity, and for the repetitiveness of the storyline over the season. Sepinwall declared that he had no need "to witness more of The Passion of the Greyjoy", and Sims considered it "boring and confusing to watch". VanDerWerff concluded: "Endless torture sequences don’t make for terribly exciting fiction, and that’s more or less bearing out here." On the other end of the spectrum, the reviewer for ''Time'', James Poniewozik, considered it "chilling".
+
+== References ==
+
+
+== External links ==
+
+*  "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/126_Kissed_by_Fire.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+
+
+"'''Kissed by Fire'''" is the fifth episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 25th episode of the series. Directed by Alex Graves and written by Bryan Cogman, it aired on April 28, 2013.
+
+The title of the episode refers to the red-haired Wildlings, like Ygritte, who are said to be "kissed by fire". Fire is also a key element in other storylines, with Sandor Clegane's fear of fire being shown, as well as the Mad King's obsession with Wildfire, as told by Jaime Lannister.
+
+The episode won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Make-up for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) at the 65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
+
+==Plot==
+===At Dragonstone===
+Stannis is surprised when his wife, Queen Selyse, encourages his infidelity as service to the Lord of Light. His daughter, Princess Shireen, visits Davos in the dungeons with a book; he admits he is illiterate, and she begins teaching him to read.
+
+===In the Riverlands===
+In trial by combat, the Hound is frightened by Beric's flaming sword, but overcomes his pyrophobia and kills Beric. Gendry stops Arya from killing the Hound, and the three are astounded to find Beric resurrected by Thoros, who frees the Hound.
+
+Gendry tells Arya he intends to stay with the Brotherhood as a smith. Arya talks with Thoros about taking her to Riverrun.
+
+===At Riverrun===
+Captives Martyn and Willem Lannister are slain by Lord Karstark and his men. Despite Talisa, Catelyn, and Edmure entreating Robb to hold Karstark prisoner, he personally executes Karstark.
+
+The Karstark forces abandon the Northern army, and Robb tells Talisa his new plan to attack Casterly Rock, the Lannister ancestral home, and forge an alliance with Lord Frey, whose daughter he was to marry.
+
+===At Harrenhal===
+Locke delivers Jaime and Brienne to Lord Roose Bolton, who frees Brienne and sends Jaime to Qyburn, a former maester who treats Jaime's amputation. At the baths, Jaime tells Brienne of Robert's Rebellion, and the "Mad King" Aerys Targaryen's plot to burn King's Landing with caches of wildfire. Jaime reveals that he slew the Mad King to save the city, its people, and his own father.
+
+===Beyond the Wall===
+Jon lies to Orell and Tormund that a thousand men are guarding the Wall. Ygritte steals Jon's sword and he chases her into a cave, where she convinces him to break his Night's Watch vows and make love with her.
+
+===In Slaver's Bay===
+On the march, Jorah probes Barristan's motives for joining Daenerys, but he appears unaware Jorah was originally a spy for Varys under King Robert. Daenerys’ Unsullied officers select Grey Worm as their leader.
+
+===In King's Landing===
+Cersei asks for Baelish's assistance in ridding King's Landing of the Tyrells. Loras’ squire and lover Olyvar reports to Baelish the Tyrells' plan to marry off Sansa. Baelish meets with Sansa to discuss their journey to the Vale, but she decides to stay in King's Landing.
+
+Tywin tells Tyrion and Cersei his plan to ruin the Tyrell's plot by wedding Tyrion to Sansa and Cersei to Loras, refusing their objections.
+
+==Production==
+
+===Writing===
+Series veteran Bryan Cogman wrote the episode, his third episode of the series.
+"Kissed by Fire" is the third episode in the series written by the co-producer and executive story editor Bryan Cogman, after the first season's "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things" and the second's "What Is Dead May Never Die". Cogman is the member of the writing team entrusted with keeping the show's bible and mapping the story arcs with those of the original books for each season.
+
+The sections of George R. R. Martin's novel ''A Storm of Swords'' adapted in the episode include parts from chapters 20, 21, 27, 32, 35, 38 and 40 (Tyrion III, Catelyn III, Jon III, Jaime IV, Arya VI, Jaime V, and Arya VII).
+
+The scenes with Stannis' wife and daughter were written to present the characters, whose introduction had been delayed in the show since the beginning of season 2. The idea of Queen Selyse conserving the fetuses of her stillborn sons in glass, absent in the original novels, was a notion that Cogman came up with while writing the episode.
+
+Cogman enjoyed that the episode he was assigned to write included several fan-favorite scenes, and involved a lot of material with the child actors: "The kids are always my favorite characters to write... Maybe it’s because I’m so fond of the actors who play them, and I’ve watched them grow up for the past four years." He wrote all the Arya scenes before starting with the other storylines.
+
+Initially the episode did not include any scene with Daenerys, but early in pre-production some scenes originally written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for the next episode were moved into the script. The confrontation between Jon Snow and Orell was written and included by Benioff and Weiss later during production.
+
+===Casting===
+The episode introduces Stannis's family with actresses Tara Fitzgerald and Kerry Ingram as queen Selyse Baratheon and princess Shireen Baratheon, respectively. Selyse had briefly appeared in the first season 2 episode during the burning of the gods at the Dragonstone beach, played by an uncredited extra. Jacob Anderson also debuts playing Grey Worm, the commander of the Unsullied.
+
+===Filming locations===
+
+Most of the episode was shot in the sets built in The Paint Hall studios in Belfast. Also in Northern Ireland, the Pollnagollum cave in Belmore Forest was used to film parts of the hideout of the Brotherhood, and the gardens of Gosford Castle served as the Riverrun exteriors where Lord Karstark was beheaded.
+
+The scenes with Daenerys were filmed in Morocco, and the ones with Jon in Iceland. The Wildlings camp was built by the shores of lake Mývatn, with its distinctive vertical lava formations clearly seen. The nearby grotto where Jon and Ygritte have sex is cave Grjótagjá; however, the cave was used mainly for establishing shot of Jon Snow and Ygritte in the cave, and most of this scene was filmed in the studio. The thermal water pool of the cave is actually used for bathing and is a popular tourist attraction.
+
+Finally, two Croatian exteriors appear in the episode: the conversation between Cersei and Littlefinger takes place at the inner terrace of Fort Lovrijenac, and Littlefinger's later visit to Sansa was filmed at the Trsteno Arboretum.
+
+==Reception==
+
+===Ratings===
+"Kissed by Fire" set a new ratings record for the series, with 5.35 million viewers for its first airing and a 2.8 share of adults aged 18 to 49. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 0.959 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's second highest-rated broadcast that week.
+
+===Critical reception===
+"Kissed by Fire" received positive critical reviews after airing, with particular praise going to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau for his performance. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 21 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 8.8 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Despite lacking the big action reveals of the previous episode, 'Kissed by Fire' is anchored by a devastatingly intimate scene between Brienne and Jaime, and plenty of Lannister intrigue." IGN's Matt Fowler gave "Kissed by Fire" a 9.5/10, his highest rating of the season, writing "No dragons this week, but Game of Thrones still gave us some of its best material ever." Reviewing for ''The A.V. Club'', David Sims gave the episode an "A-", commenting on how despite the lack of shocking moments like those of the last episode, the show delivers quality in its slower, dialogue-driven scenes. Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B+". Sean T. Collins of the ''Rolling Stone'' magazine also gave an overwhelmingly positive review, calling it a "nearly flawless" episode, praising especially Maisie Williams' acting in the scenes with Arya and the Brotherhood.
+
+===Accolades===
+
+
+
+
+
+ Year
+
+ Award
+
+ Category
+
+ Nominee(s)
+
+ Result
+
+
+
+ 2013
+
+ Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)
+
+ Paul Engelen and Melissa Lackersteen
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2014
+
+ Hollywood Post Alliance Awards
+
+ Outstanding Color Grading – Television
+
+ Joe Finley
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ American Society of Cinematographers
+
+ One-Hour Episodic Television Series
+
+ Anette Haellmigk
+
+ 
+
+
+
+== References ==
+
+
+== External links ==
+
+*  "Kissed by Fire" at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/127_The_Climb__Game_of_Thrones_.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+
+
+"'''The Climb'''" is the sixth episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 26th episode of the series. Directed by Alik Sakharov and written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, it aired on May 5, 2013.
+
+The episode's title comes from climbing of the wall by Jon Snow and Ygritte, and also the references from dialogue between Lord Petyr Baelish and Lord Varys.
+
+The episode marks the final appearance of Esmé Bianco.
+
+==Plot==
+===In King's Landing===
+Meeting with Olenna, Tywin threatens to appoint Loras to the Kingsguard, thereby renouncing his right to inheritance and marriage and leaving House Tyrell without a male heir, and Olenna consents to Loras and Cersei's marriage.
+
+Tyrion accuses Cersei of trying to have him killed during the Battle of the Blackwater, but deduces it was Joffrey who ordered his death and Cersei tells him he is not in danger now that Tywin is the Hand. Tyrion informs Sansa that she will not wed Loras, but himself.
+
+Baelish tells Varys he has given Ros to Joffrey to kill for his pleasure. Sansa watches tearfully as Baelish departs by ship, losing her chance at leaving the capital.
+
+===In the Riverlands===
+Arriving at the Brotherhood's hideout, Melisandre is shocked to learn of Beric's six resurrections, and takes Gendry into her custody. Arya unnerves Melisandre, who declares Arya will "shut many eyes forever" and they will meet again.
+
+At Riverrun, Robb and his advisors discuss an alliance with Lame Lothar Frey and Black Walder Rivers. Lord Walder Frey's demands include a formal apology from Robb, the castle Harrenhal, and for Edmure to marry one of his daughters.
+
+===At Harrenhal===
+Roose Bolton agrees to send Jaime to King's Landing if Jaime assures Tywin that Bolton had nothing to do with his maiming, but keeps Brienne under arrest for abetting treason.
+
+===In the North===
+Bran defuses tensions between Osha and Meera, and Jojen tells Bran his vision of Jon surrounded by enemies.
+
+Torturing Theon, the boy threatens to sever his finger if he cannot guess the boy's identity and their location. After his finger is flayed for several wrong guesses, Theon guesses the boy is a Karstark and he is being tortured at the Karhold for betraying Robb. The boy pretends Theon was correct before continuing to flay his finger, admitting his torture is solely for his amusement. Theon finally begs his torturer to remove his finger.
+
+===Beyond the Wall===
+En route to the Wall, Sam shows Gilly the dragonglass dagger he found and tells her about Castle Black.
+
+Ygritte reveals she is aware Jon remains loyal to the Night's Watch, but tells him their loyalty to each other is greater. As Tormund's party climbs the wall, Ygritte inadvertently causes an avalanche that kills some wildlings and leaves her and Jon hanging by their rope. Before Orell cuts the rope, Jon secures himself to the Wall and reaches the top with Ygritte, where they embrace.
+
+==Production==
+The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
+"The Climb" is the sixth episode of the season written by showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and 18th overall. It is based upon George R. R. Martin's novel ''A Storm of Swords'', namely, chapters 30, 35, 37, and 48 (Jon IV, Catelyn IV, Jaime V, and Samwell III).
+
+Gilly's baby, appearing in the fourth episode and in "The Climb"'s first scene, was played by ten months-old Arya Hasson – named after Arya Stark – from the Waterside in Derry.
+
+==Reception==
+
+===Ratings===
+"The Climb" set a new record for ''Game of Thrones'' in ratings, the fourth consecutive episode to establish a new series high. 5.5 million viewers watched the premiere airing, with 1.27 million additional viewers watching the second airing. The episode also set a new series high in viewers aged 18–49, with a rating of 2.9. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 0.926 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week.
+
+===Critical reception===
+"The Climb" was met with positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 21 reviews of the episode and judged 90% of them to be positive with an average score of 7.9 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads "Tywin Lannister and Olenna Tyrell steal the show with their exquisite negotiation as 'The Climb' builds towards the Wildlings' death-defying scaling of The Wall." Writing for IGN, Matt Fowler gave the episode an 8.8/10, writing "This week's Game of Thrones started off slow, but then built to a roaring crescendo." Two reviews were published by The A.V. Club. David Sims gave the episode a "B" rating for people new to the series, while Emily VanDerWerff rated the episode a "B+" for people who have read the novels.
+
+===Awards and nominations===
+
+
+
+
+
+ Year
+
+ Award
+
+ Category
+
+ Nominee(s)
+
+ Result
+
+
+
+ 2013
+
+ Hollywood Post Alliance Awards
+
+ Outstanding Sound – Television
+
+ Paula Fairfield, Brad Katona, Jed Dodge, Onnalee Blank and Mathew Waters
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2014
+
+Visual Effects Society
+
+ Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program
+
+ Kirk Brillon, Steve Gordon, Geoff Sayer, Winston Lee
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Created Environment in a Broadcast Program
+
+ Patrick Zentis, Mayur Patel, Nitin Singh, Tim Alexander
+
+ 
+
+
+
+== References ==
+
+
+== External links ==
+
+*  "The Climb" at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/129_Second_Sons.txt

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+
+"'''Second Sons'''" is the eighth episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 28th episode of the series. The episode was written by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Michelle MacLaren. It aired on .
+
+The episode is centered on the wedding of Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark in King's Landing, Gendry's arrival at Dragonstone and Daenerys's meeting with the mercenary company of the Second Sons before the walls of Yunkai.
+
+==Plot==
+
+===In King's Landing===
+Tyrion visits Sansa to ease her apprehension at the prospect of being his wife. In the Sept of Baelor, Cersei threatens Margaery with the story of House Reyne, former Lannister vassals whom Tywin exterminated when they rebelled against him. After arriving at the Sept, Sansa is walked down the aisle by Joffrey.
+
+At their wedding feast, Tyrion gets drunk. Joffrey, after threatening to rape Sansa, calls for the traditional bedding ceremony to begin, but his plan is thwarted when Tyrion threatens to castrate an outraged Joffrey. Tywin defuses the situation. Tyrion leaves the feast with Sansa, and he tells Sansa he will not share her bed until she wants him to.
+
+===At Dragonstone===
+Melisandre returns to Dragonstone with Gendry and takes him to see Stannis, who recognizes Gendry as one of Robert's bastards. When Gendry is taken to his chamber, Stannis and Melisandre discuss what they intend to do with him.
+
+In the dungeons, Davos continues to learn to read. Stannis visits him to discuss Melisandre's plan to sacrifice Gendry. Davos objects to the plan, but Stannis remains resolved. He then makes Davos swear to never raise his hand to Melisandre again, and frees him.
+
+Later, Melisandre visits Gendry and seduces him, tying him to a bed in the process. She lays three leeches on him to draw his royal blood. Stannis ritually burns the leeches, speaking the names of the usurpers to his throne: Robb Stark, Balon Greyjoy, and Joffrey Baratheon.
+
+===In the Riverlands===
+Arya tries to kill the Hound while he is sleeping, but he is revealed to be awake, and thwarts her attempt on his life. They depart their camp and head for the Twins, where the Hound intends to ransom Arya to Robb.
+
+===At Yunkai===
+Jorah tells Daenerys that Yunkai has employed a mercenary group called the Second Sons. Daenerys meets with Mero, his co-captain Prendahl na Ghezn and his lieutenant Daario Naharis. She attempts to bribe Mero to fight for her, and gives him two days to make a decision.
+
+After nightfall, Daario enters Daenerys' camp, disguised as an Unsullied soldier. He enters her tent and shows her and Missandei the severed heads of Mero and Prendahl, admitting that he is smitten by Daenerys.
+
+===Beyond the Wall===
+Sam and Gilly continue their journey to the Wall. They stop at an abandoned hut for the night. When they hear a murder of crows cawing nearby, Sam leaves the hut to investigate. Soon after, he is attacked by a White Walker. The Walker intents on taking Gilly's son, but Sam stabs it with his dragonglass dagger, causing the Walker to disintegrate.
+
+==Production==
+
+===Writing===
+The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
+"Second Sons" was written by the show creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on material from George R. R. Martin's novel ''A Storm of Swords''. The episode adapts parts of the book's chapters 19, 29, 37, 43, 47 and 48 (Samwell I, Sansa III, Davos IV, Daenerys IV, Samwell III and Arya IX).
+
+===Casting===
+The episode introduced the mercenary captains in service of Yunkai: Mark Killeen was cast as Mero (known as the Titan's Bastard), Ed Skrein the recurring role of Daario Naharis, and Ramon Tikaram the part of Prendahl na Ghezn. Tikaram is mistakenly credited as "Ramon Tikrum" in the closing credits.
+
+===Filming locations===
+Most of the scenes of the episode were shot in the Belfast studios of The Paint Hall, including the wedding of Tyrion and Sansa that was filmed at the huge semicircular set of the Great Sept of Baelor in mid September 2012. For this scene, a few hundred extras were recruited.
+
+==Reception==
+===Ratings===
+The episode received 5.1 million viewers, an increase from the previous week, with an 18-49 demographic of 2.6. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 0.907 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week.
+
+===Critical reception===
+"Second Sons" received critical acclaim. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 20 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 8 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, " 'Second Sons' shines through efficient storytelling -- and a comparatively low number of storylines to keep track of this week." Writing for IGN, Matt Fowler rated the episode a 9.0/10, and wrote "This week's well-crafted and wonderfully acted Game of Thrones gave us a cold wedding, a hot bath and a blood-letting." He especially praised the scenes between Sansa and Tyrion and between Ser Davos and Stannis. David Sims and Emily VanDerWerff, both writing for The A.V. Club, gave the episode "B" ratings. Sims was frustrated by the episode's meandering pace, but praised the end of the episode, with Sam killing the white walker, as "the most crucial, fascinating, electric moment of the night". VanDerWerff praised the use of nudity in the episode, writing "...I actually think Game Of Thrones has gotten quite a bit better at utilizing nudity and sex in the midst of everything else as a method of telling its story. It’s come a long way from the 'sexposition' days of season one, when it sometimes seemed like the series would toss some breasts into the background of a scene just in case we got bored of hearing somebody talk at length."
+
+===Accolades===
+Due to his nomination, Peter Dinklage submitted this episode for consideration for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards.
+
+At the 65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the episode was nominated for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series.
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+
+*  "Second Sons" at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/12_Fire.txt

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+
+
+
+
+
+The fire maps show the locations of actively burning fires around the world on a monthly basis, based on observations from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite. The colors are based on a count of the number (not size) of fires observed within a 1,000-square-kilometer area. White pixels show the high end of the count—as many as 100 fires in a 1,000-square-kilometer area per day. Yellow pixels show as many as 10 fires, orange shows as many as 5 fires, and red areas as few as 1 fire per day.
+
+'''Fire''' is the rapid oxidation of a material in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products.  Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition.
+
+Fire is hot because the conversion of the weak double bond in molecular oxygen, O2, to the stronger bonds in the combustion products carbon dioxide and water releases energy (418 kJ per 32 g of O2); the bond energies of the fuel play only a minor role here.  At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames are produced.  The ''flame'' is the visible portion of the fire. Flames consist primarily of carbon dioxide, water vapor, oxygen and nitrogen.  If hot enough, the gases may become ionized to produce plasma. Depending on the substances alight, and any impurities outside, the color of the flame and the fire's intensity will be different.
+
+Fire in its most common form can result in conflagration, which has the potential to cause physical damage through burning.  Fire is an important process that affects ecological systems around the globe. The positive effects of fire include stimulating growth and maintaining various ecological systems.
+
+The negative effects of fire include hazard to life and property, atmospheric pollution, and water contamination. If fire removes protective vegetation, heavy rainfall may lead to an increase in soil erosion by water. Also, when vegetation is burned, the nitrogen it contains is released into the atmosphere, unlike elements such as potassium and phosphorus which remain in the ash and are quickly recycled into the soil. This loss of nitrogen caused by a fire produces a long-term reduction in the fertility of the soil, which only slowly recovers as nitrogen is "fixed" from the atmosphere by lightning and by leguminous plants such as clover.
+
+Fire has been used by humans in rituals, in agriculture for clearing land, for cooking, generating heat and light, for signaling, propulsion purposes, smelting, forging, incineration of waste, cremation, and as a weapon or mode of destruction.
+
+==Physical properties==
+
+===Chemistry===
+
+The fire tetrahedron
+Fires start when a flammable or a combustible material, in combination with a sufficient quantity of an oxidizer such as oxygen gas or another oxygen-rich compound (though non-oxygen oxidizers exist), is exposed to a source of heat or ambient temperature above the flash point for the fuel/oxidizer mix, and is able to sustain a rate of rapid oxidation that produces a chain reaction. This is commonly called the fire tetrahedron. Fire cannot exist without all of these elements in place and in the right proportions. For example, a flammable liquid will start burning only if the fuel and oxygen are in the right proportions. Some fuel-oxygen mixes may require a catalyst, a substance that is not consumed, when added, in any chemical reaction during combustion, but which enables the reactants to combust more readily.
+
+Once ignited, a chain reaction must take place whereby fires can sustain their own heat by the further release of heat energy in the process of combustion and may propagate, provided there is a continuous supply of an oxidizer and fuel.
+
+If the oxidizer is oxygen from the surrounding air, the presence of a force of gravity, or of some similar force caused by acceleration, is necessary to produce convection, which removes combustion products and brings a supply of oxygen to the fire. Without gravity, a fire rapidly surrounds itself with its own combustion products and non-oxidizing gases from the air, which exclude oxygen and extinguish the fire. Because of this, the risk of fire in a spacecraft is small when it is coasting in inertial flight. This does not apply if oxygen is supplied to the fire by some process other than thermal convection.
+
+Fire can be extinguished by removing any one of the elements of the fire tetrahedron. Consider a natural gas flame, such as from a stove-top burner. The fire can be extinguished by any of the following:
+* turning off the gas supply, which removes the fuel source;
+* covering the flame completely, which smothers the flame as the combustion both uses the available oxidizer (the oxygen in the air) and displaces it from the area around the flame with CO2;
+* application of water, which removes heat from the fire faster than the fire can produce it (similarly, blowing hard on a flame will displace the heat of the currently burning gas from its fuel source, to the same end), or
+* application of a retardant chemical such as Halon to the flame, which retards the chemical reaction itself until the rate of combustion is too slow to maintain the chain reaction.
+
+In contrast, fire is intensified by increasing the overall rate of combustion. Methods to do this include balancing the input of fuel and oxidizer to stoichiometric proportions, increasing fuel and oxidizer input in this balanced mix, increasing the ambient temperature so the fire's own heat is better able to sustain combustion, or providing a catalyst, a non-reactant medium in which the fuel and oxidizer can more readily react.
+
+===Flame===
+
+
+A candle's flame
+Northwest Crown Fire Experiment, Canada
+Photo of a fire taken with a 1/4000th of a second exposure
+ISS
+A flame is a mixture of reacting gases and solids emitting visible, infrared, and sometimes ultraviolet light, the frequency spectrum of which depends on the chemical composition of the burning material and intermediate reaction products. In many cases, such as the burning of organic matter, for example wood, or the incomplete combustion of gas, incandescent solid particles called soot produce the familiar red-orange glow of "fire". This light has a continuous spectrum. Complete combustion of gas has a dim blue color due to the emission of single-wavelength radiation from various electron transitions in the excited molecules formed in the flame. Usually oxygen is involved, but hydrogen burning in chlorine also produces a flame, producing hydrogen chloride (HCl). Other possible combinations producing flames, amongst many, are fluorine and hydrogen, and hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide. Hydrogen and hydrazine/UDMH flames are similarly pale blue, while burning boron and its compounds, evaluated in mid-20th century as a high energy fuel for jet and rocket engines, emits intense green flame, leading to its informal nickname of "Green Dragon".
+
+The glow of a flame is complex. Black-body radiation is emitted from soot, gas, and fuel particles, though the soot particles are too small to behave like perfect blackbodies. There is also photon emission by de-excited atoms and molecules in the gases. Much of the radiation is emitted in the visible and infrared bands. The color depends on temperature for the black-body radiation, and on chemical makeup for the emission spectra. The dominant color in a flame changes with temperature. The photo of the forest fire in Canada is an excellent example of this variation. Near the ground, where most burning is occurring, the fire is white, the hottest color possible for organic material in general, or yellow. Above the yellow region, the color changes to orange, which is cooler, then red, which is cooler still. Above the red region, combustion no longer occurs, and the uncombusted carbon particles are visible as black smoke.
+
+The common distribution of a flame under normal gravity conditions depends on convection, as soot tends to rise to the top of a general flame, as in a candle in normal gravity conditions, making it yellow. In micro gravity or zero gravity, such as an environment in outer space, convection no longer occurs, and the flame becomes spherical, with a tendency to become more blue and more efficient (although it may go out if not moved steadily, as the CO2 from combustion does not disperse as readily in micro gravity, and tends to smother the flame). There are several possible explanations for this difference, of which the most likely is that the temperature is sufficiently evenly distributed that soot is not formed and complete combustion occurs. Experiments by NASA reveal that diffusion flames in micro gravity allow more soot to be completely oxidized after they are produced than diffusion flames on Earth, because of a series of mechanisms that behave differently in micro gravity when compared to normal gravity conditions. These discoveries have potential applications in applied science and industry, especially concerning fuel efficiency.
+
+In combustion engines, various steps are taken to eliminate a flame. The method depends mainly on whether the fuel is oil, wood, or a high-energy fuel such as jet fuel.
+
+===Flame temperatures===
+
+====Temperatures of flames by appearance====
+It is true that objects at specific temperatures do radiate visible light. Objects whose surface is at a temperature above approximately  will glow, emitting light at a color that indicates the temperature of that surface. See the section on red heat for more about this effect. It is a misconception that one can judge the temperature of a fire by the color of its flames or the sparks in the flames. For many reasons, chemically and optically, these colors may not match the red/orange/yellow/white heat temperatures on the chart. Barium nitrate burns a bright green, for instance, and this is not present on the heat chart.
+
+====Typical temperatures of flames====
+
+The "adiabatic flame temperature" of a given fuel and oxidizer pair indicates the temperature at which the gases achieve stable combustion.
+* Oxy–dicyanoacetylene 
+* Oxy–acetylene 
+* Oxyhydrogen 
+* Air–acetylene 
+* Blowtorch (air–MAPP gas) 
+* Bunsen burner (air–natural gas) 
+* Candle (air–paraffin)  
+* Smoldering cigarette:
+** Temperature without drawing: side of the lit portion; ; middle of the lit portion: 
+** Temperature during drawing: middle of the lit portion: 
+** Always hotter in the middle.
+
+==Fire ecology==
+
+Every natural ecosystem has its own fire regime, and the organisms in those ecosystems are adapted to or dependent upon that fire regime. Fire creates a mosaic of different habitat patches, each at a different stage of succession. Different species of plants, animals, and microbes specialize in exploiting a particular stage, and by creating these different types of patches, fire allows a greater number of species to exist within a landscape.
+
+==Fossil record==
+
+
+
+==Human control==
+
+Bushman starting a fire in Namibia
+Process of ignition of a match
+The ability to control fire was a dramatic change in the habits of early humans. Making fire to generate heat and light made it possible for people to cook food, simultaneously increasing the variety and availability of nutrients and reducing disease by killing organisms in the food. The heat produced would also help people stay warm in cold weather, enabling them to live in cooler climates. Fire also kept nocturnal predators at bay. Evidence of cooked food is found from , although there is a theory that fire could have been used in a controlled fashion about 1 million years ago.  Evidence becomes widespread around 50 to 100 thousand years ago, suggesting regular use from this time; resistance to air pollution started to evolve in human populations at a similar point in time.  The use of fire became progressively more sophisticated, with it being used to create charcoal and to control wildlife from tens of thousands of years ago.
+
+Fire has also been used for centuries as a method of torture and execution, as evidenced by death by burning as well as torture devices such as the iron boot, which could be filled with water, oil, or even lead and then heated over an open fire to the agony of the wearer.
+
+By the Neolithic Revolution, during the introduction of grain-based agriculture, people all over the world used fire as a tool in landscape management. These fires were typically controlled burns or "cool fires", as opposed to uncontrolled "hot fires", which damage the soil. Hot fires destroy plants and animals, and endanger communities. This is especially a problem in the forests of today where traditional burning is prevented in order to encourage the growth of timber crops. Cool fires are generally conducted in the spring and autumn. They clear undergrowth, burning up biomass that could trigger a hot fire should it get too dense. They provide a greater variety of environments, which encourages game and plant diversity. For humans, they make dense, impassable forests traversable. Another human use for fire in regards to landscape management is its use to clear land for agriculture. Slash-and-burn agriculture is still common across much of tropical Africa, Asia and South America. "For small farmers, it is a convenient way to clear overgrown areas and release nutrients from standing vegetation back into the soil", said Miguel Pinedo-Vasquez, an ecologist at the  Earth Institute’s Center for Environmental Research and Conservation. However this useful strategy is also problematic. Growing population, fragmentation of forests and warming climate are making the earth's surface more prone to ever-larger escaped fires. These harm ecosystems and human infrastructure, cause health problems, and send up spirals of carbon and soot that may encourage even more warming of the atmosphere – and thus feed back into more fires. Globally today, as much as 5 million square kilometres – an area more than half the size of the United States – burns in a given year.
+
+There are numerous modern applications of fire. In its broadest sense, fire is used by nearly every human being on earth in a controlled setting every day. Users of internal combustion vehicles employ fire every time they drive. Thermal power stations provide electricity for a large percentage of humanity.
+Hamburg after four fire-bombing raids in July 1943, which killed an estimated 50,000 people
+The use of fire in warfare has a long history. Fire was the basis of all early thermal weapons. Homer detailed the use of fire by Greek soldiers who hid in a wooden horse to burn Troy during the Trojan war. Later the Byzantine fleet used Greek fire to attack ships and men. In the First World War, the first modern flamethrowers were used by infantry, and were successfully mounted on armoured vehicles in the Second World War. In the latter war, incendiary bombs were used by Axis and Allies alike, notably on Tokyo, Rotterdam, London, Hamburg and, notoriously, at Dresden; in the latter two cases firestorms were deliberately caused in which a ring of fire surrounding each city was drawn inward by an updraft caused by a central cluster of fires. The United States Army Air Force also extensively used incendiaries against Japanese targets in the latter months of the war, devastating entire cities constructed primarily of wood and paper houses. The use of napalm was employed in July 1944, towards the end of the Second World War; although its use did not gain public attention until the Vietnam War. Molotov cocktails were also used.
+
+===Use as fuel===
+coal-fired power station in the People's Republic of China
+Disability-adjusted life year for fires per 100,000 inhabitants in 2004
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Setting fuel aflame releases usable energy. Wood was a prehistoric fuel, and is still viable today. The use of fossil fuels, such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal, in power plants supplies the vast majority of the world's electricity today; the International Energy Agency states that nearly 80% of the world's power came from these sources in 2002. The fire in a power station is used to heat water, creating steam that drives turbines. The turbines then spin an electric generator to produce electricity. Fire is also used to provide mechanical work directly, in both external and internal combustion engines.
+
+The unburnable solid remains of a combustible material left after a fire is called ''clinker'' if its melting point is below the flame temperature, so that it fuses and then solidifies as it cools, and ''ash'' if its melting point is above the flame temperature.
+
+==Protection and prevention==
+
+This visualization shows fires detected in the United States from July 2002 through July 2011. Look for fires that reliably burn each year in western states and across the Southeast.
+
+Wildfire prevention programs around the world may employ techniques such as ''wildland fire use'' and ''prescribed or controlled burns''. ''Wildland fire use'' refers to any fire of natural causes that is monitored but allowed to burn. ''Controlled burns'' are fires ignited by government agencies under less dangerous weather conditions.
+
+Fire fighting services are provided in most developed areas to extinguish or contain uncontrolled fires. Trained firefighters use fire apparatus, water supply resources such as water mains and fire hydrants or they might use A and B class foam depending on what is feeding the fire.
+
+Fire prevention is intended to reduce sources of ignition.  Fire prevention also includes education to teach people how to avoid causing fires. Buildings, especially schools and tall buildings, often conduct fire drills to inform and prepare citizens on how to react to a building fire. Purposely starting destructive fires constitutes arson and is a crime in most jurisdictions.
+
+Model building codes require passive fire protection and active fire protection systems to minimize damage resulting from a fire. The most common form of active fire protection is fire sprinklers. To maximize passive fire protection of buildings, building materials and furnishings in most developed countries are tested for fire-resistance, combustibility and flammability. Upholstery, carpeting and plastics used in vehicles and vessels are also tested.
+
+Where fire prevention and fire protection have failed to prevent damage, fire insurance can mitigate the financial impact.
+
+==Restoration==
+Different restoration methods and measures are used depending on the type of fire damage that occurred. Restoration after fire damage can be performed by property management teams, building maintenance personnel, or by the homeowners themselves; however, contacting a certified professional fire damage restoration specialist is often regarded as the safest way to restore fire damaged property due to their training and extensive experience. Most are usually listed under "Fire and Water Restoration" and they can help speed repairs, whether for individual homeowners or for the largest of institutions.
+
+Fire and Water Restoration companies are regulated by the appropriate state's Department of Consumer Affairs – usually the state contractors license board. In California, all Fire and Water Restoration companies must register with the California Contractors State License Board. Presently, the California Contractors State License Board has no specific classification for "water and fire damage restoration." Hence, the Contractor's State License Board requires both an asbestos certification (ASB) as well as a demolition classification (C-21) in order to perform Fire and Water Restoration work.
+
+==See also==
+
+
+* Aodh (given name)
+* Colored fire
+* Control of fire by early humans
+* Deflagration
+* Fire (classical element)
+* Fire investigation
+* Fire lookout
+* Fire lookout tower
+* Fire making
+* Fire pit
+* Fire safety
+* Fire triangle
+* Fire whirl
+* Fire worship
+* Flame test
+* Life Safety Code
+* List of fires
+* List of light sources
+* Phlogiston theory
+* Piano burning
+* Prometheus, the Greek mythological figure who gave mankind fire
+* Pyrokinesis
+* Pyrolysis
+* Pyromania
+* Self-immolation
+* ''The Chemical History of a Candle''
+
+
+==References==
+
+
+==Bibliography==
+* 
+* Haung, Kai. 2009. Population and Building Factors That Impact Residential Fire Rates in Large U.S. Cities. Applied Research Project. Texas State University.  TXstate.edu
+* 
+* Kosman, Admiel:  Sacred fire. In: Thu, January 13, 2011.
+
+==External links==
+
+
+*  How Fire Works at HowStuffWorks
+*  What exactly is fire? from The Straight Dope
+*  On Fire, an Adobe Flash-based science tutorial from the NOVA (TV series)
+*  20 Things You Didn't Know About... Fire from ''Discover'' magazine
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/130_Game_of_Thrones_title_sequence.txt

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+The title sequence of the HBO fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'' that introduces every episode serves as a guide to the physical landscape of the world of the series. It changes depending on the locations visited in the particular episode it introduces.  The title sequence was created by Elastic for HBO, and is accompanied by a theme tune composed by Ramin Djawadi.
+
+The sequence depicts a three-dimensional map of the series' fictional world, projected onto a concave earth, and lit by a small sun contained within an armilla (or spherical astrolabe) that metaphorically depicts major events in the history of the fictional world at the sphere's center. As the camera swoops across the map and focuses on the locations in which the episode's events take place, complicated clockwork mechanisms cause buildings and other structures to emerge from the map and unfold. Meanwhile, the names of the principal cast (with the symbols of the characters' families next to the names) and creative staff are displayed. The sequence concludes after about one-and-a-half minutes with the title card and brief opening credits indicating the episode's writers and directors.
+
+Creative director Angus Wall, art director Robert Feng, animator Kirk Shintani and designer Hameed Shaukat received the 2011 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Design for their work on the sequence. The title sequence has been ranked one of the best TV title sequences of all time.
+
+==Description==
+The title sequence consists of a three-dimensional map of the world, with the continents of Westeros and Essos located on the inner surface of a sphere, which is rendered in the style of a fantasy role-playing map used as a game board by participants for their battle plans. The maps used are those of Westeros and Essos that precede the novels in the book series. At the center of the sphere is a heliocentric armillary sphere. The title sequence serves as a guide to the physical landscape of the world of ''Game of Thrones'', and details of the title sequence change each week depending on the locations visited, and new locations may be added in each season.
+
+The sequence of every episode opens with a close-up of the sun and the sphere surrounding it. Relief depictions of the fictional's world's history are visible on the sphere, such as the Doom of Valyria, Aegon's Conquest and the rise of House Baratheon, which appear at varying points in the sequence.  The camera then pans to different parts of the map, on which different locations in the fictional world are shown.  Many of the cities and buildings on these locations appear out of the ground using clockwork mechanisms. Other elements, such as the weirwood tree at Winterfell and the Horse Gate at Vaes Dothrak, are also added at the various locations. The locations shown vary depending on the locations visited in that particular episode, and three or four variations of the title sequence are shown in each season.  However, due to the limitation on time for the title sequence, no more than six locations may be shown in any episode. Also, because of their importance in the show, every episode features King's Landing, Winterfell, The Wall, and wherever Daenerys may be regardless of whether or not any of these locations is featured in that episode.
+
+The sigils of the reigning families are added to each location; for example, the Baratheon stag sigil on King's Landing and the Stark dire wolf at Winterfell. The names of the cast are also shown together with the corresponding sigil of the character they portray. The sigil may change depending on the storyline, for example the flayed man sigil is displayed over Winterfell when it is taken by the Boltons, but it reverts to the dire wolf sigil after it is recaptured by the Starks. Other events in the show are also reflected in the title sequence. For example, after Winterfell is burned, smoke is depicted billowing out from it. The ''Game of Thrones'' logo appears over the armilla at the end.
+
+HBO released an interactive 360-degree video of the title sequence in season 6.
+
+While the locations featured change from episode to episode, the general design and route of the sequence remain roughly similar. However, in the final season, the title sequence received a major revamp to denote the change in season and shift in storyline. In this new version, the first location shown is the breached wall instead of King's Landing, and moves down to the cities south of the wall following the path of the army of the dead. The interiors of two major locations are shown for the first time: the crypts of Winterfell and the Red Keep at King's Landing, as well as the latter's throne room. The appearance of the armilla and the events depicted on it also change to reflect event of the season 7 finale, such as the fall of the Wall.
+
+==Conception and production==
+The title sequence was created by three teams: its design, which forms the bulk of the project, was done by Elastic, the computer graphics by a52, and the title sequence editing by Rock Paper Scissors. Elastic had previously created the title sequences for ''Rome'', ''Big Love'', and ''Carnivale'' for HBO, and they were approached by Carolyn Strauss of HBO, with whom they had worked on these shows, to create the title sequence for ''Game of Thrones''.  Angus Wall, the head of title design firm Elastic, met with Strauss, the showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and producer Greg Spence to discuss the project around a year before the show debut.
+
+When the pilot was first made, it was felt that the geography of the imaginary world of Westeros and Essos might confuse the viewers, and that maps could be useful as navigational guides for the viewers. An early suggestion was to use animated maps as a transition between scenes to orient viewers, but that idea was dropped as it would interrupt the narrative flow. The idea of the map was therefore moved into the title sequence.  For the original pilot, the showrunners Benioff and Weiss initially wrote the title sequence as a crow's flight from King's Landing to Winterfell;  however, the production team at Elastic thought the idea was too flat and devised the idea of using 3-D models within a sphere that represents the world of the show. The sphere was used to obviate the question of what might lie beyond the horizon of the map, and the whole sphere is lit by the sun in the middle. According to Angus Wall, the title sequence had "a concrete function in the world of the show, in that it serves as a legend the way the map at the beginning of a fantasy book orients you." The title sequence informs the viewers of the locations of the show relevant to each episode, and changes to reflect the storylines of the show and changes within this world.
+
+On the use of an armillary and models with moving parts, producer Greg Spence explained that Angus Wall at Elastic came up with "a vision of a mad monk, in a tower somewhere," who was somehow keeping track of all this action "and creating as he went. He would then fashion little automatons out of the materials that would be available in his world. They would be stone, or tin, or wood, and everything would feel very hand-crafted." The idea is, therefore, that everything in the title sequence could be created with hammer, saw, and chisel, and operated with gears and cogs. The turning gears and cogs were meant to be reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions.
+
+The design team were given a list of the locations where the action may take place in each episode after the shooting had completed, and they had around 3 months to create title sequences. The concepts, including details such as the machinery used, were first sketched by hand, and the models were then created with computer graphics.
+
+==''Game of Thrones'' theme==
+
+The theme music that accompanies the title sequence was composed by Ramin Djawadi. The production team showed the title sequence they were working on to Djawadi, who was then inspired to create the music for the "''Game of Thrones'' Theme" and finished the theme music three days later. Djawadi said the showrunners Benioff and Weiss wanted the theme music to be about a journey that reflects the variety of locations and characters in the show.
+
+==List of elements==
+The following table lists the locations shown in each episode's title sequence, in the order of their appearance in the sequence as determined by the first episode in which they are shown. The locations King's Landing, Winterfell, and The Wall are featured in every title sequence, as well as the most recent location in Essos (in the first 6 seasons), even if they are not present in that particular episode. It is also noteworthy that the appearance of Winterfell has changed over the seasons: in Seasons 3 and 4 Winterfell was covered in smoke, referencing its burning at the end of Season 2, and in Season 5 the smoke was removed but the Bolton sigil replaced the Stark sigil, reflecting how the Boltons moved to Winterfell during that season. In episode 6.10, the Stark sigil returned, the result of Jon Snow and Sansa Stark's reclaiming Winterfell from the Boltons at the end of the previous episode.
+
+===Summary===
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+ S. 1 
+
+ S. 2 
+
+ S. 3 
+
+ S. 4 
+
+ S. 5 
+
+ S. 6 
+
+ S. 7 
+
+ S. 8 
+
+ Total Count
+
+
+
+
+
+ '''Locations'''
+
+
+
+
+
+ King's Landing
+
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 7 
+
+ 6 
+
+ 73
+
+
+
+
+
+ Winterfell
+
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 7 
+
+ 6 
+
+ 73
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Wall
+
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 7 
+
+ 6 
+
+ 73
+
+
+
+
+
+ Meereen
+
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+  
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 10 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 30
+
+
+
+
+
+ Braavos
+
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 5 
+
+ 9 
+
+ 7 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 21
+
+
+
+
+
+ Dragonstone
+
+
+  
+
+ 3 
+
+ 4 
+
+ 5 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 7 
+
+  
+
+ 19
+
+
+
+
+
+ Pyke
+
+
+  
+
+ 9 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 3 
+
+ 3 
+
+  
+
+ 15
+
+
+
+
+
+ Vaes Dothrak
+
+
+ 9 
+
+ 3 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 3 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 15
+
+
+
+
+
+ Harrenhal
+
+
+  
+
+ 7 
+
+ 8 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 15
+
+
+
+
+
+ Riverrun
+
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+ 6 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 3 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 9
+
+
+
+
+
+ Dorne
+
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 7 
+
+ 2 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 9
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Eyrie
+
+
+ 4 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 2 
+
+ 1 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 7
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Dreadfort
+
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 7 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 7
+
+
+
+
+
+ Qarth
+
+
+  
+
+ 7 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 7
+
+
+
+
+
+ Oldtown
+
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 7 
+
+  
+
+ 7
+
+
+
+
+
+ Yunkai
+
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 6 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 6
+
+
+
+
+
+ Last Hearth
+
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 6 
+
+ 6
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Twins
+
+
+ 1 
+
+  
+
+ 2 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 1 
+
+ 1 
+
+  
+
+ 5
+
+
+
+
+
+ Moat Cailin
+
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 3 
+
+ 1 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 4
+
+
+
+
+
+ Astapor
+
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 4 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 4
+
+
+
+
+
+ Eastwatch
+
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 3 
+
+  
+
+ 3
+
+
+
+
+
+ Pentos
+
+
+ 1 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 1 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 2
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+==Homage==
+''The Simpsons'' episode "Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart" features a homage to the ''Game of Thrones'' title sequence, with famous buildings in the town of Springfield rising through the ground as characters watch on, dressed in ''Game of Thrones''-style costumes. The Wall is replaced by the monolithic "Couch" at the end of the sequence.  A version of the title sequence has also been recreated with Oreo cookies.
+
+==Awards==
+The design team behind the title sequence, Angus Wall, art director Rob Feng, designer Hameed Shaukat, and C.G. supervisor Kirk Shintani, won a Creative Arts Emmy Award on September 10, 2011.
+
+=== Awards and nominations ===
+
+
+
+
+
+ Year
+
+ Award
+
+ Category
+
+ Nominee(s)
+
+ Result
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2011
+
+ 63rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Main Title Design
+
+ Angus Wall, Hameed Shaukat, Kirk Shintani and Robert Feng
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2016
+
+ 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Interactive Program
+
+ Game of Thrones Main Titles 360 Experience
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+==References==
+
+
+== External links ==
+* Perkins, Will; Albinson, Ian (June 29, 2011).  "Game of Thrones (2011)". Art of the Title. May 11, 2011.
+* Appelo, Tim (April 19, 2011).  "Secrets Behind 'Game of Thrones' Opening Credits (Video)". ''The Hollywood Reporter''.
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/131_Mhysa.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+
+
+"'''Mhysa'''" is the third season finale of the American medieval epic fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and its 30th episode overall. Written by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by David Nutter, it originally aired on  on HBO in the United States.
+
+The episode revolves on the aftermath of the events instigated by "The Red Wedding", in which Tywin Lannister is revealed to be the mastermind behind the massacre — with Walder Frey and Roose Bolton having conspired with the Lannisters against the Starks. As a result, House Frey receives the Seat of Riverrun and Roose Bolton is appointed the new "Warden of the North". Elsewhere, House Greyjoy begins a new military campaign. In the North, Maester Aemon sends out ravens to alert the whole of Westeros about the arrival of the White Walkers. And across the narrow sea, the freed slaves of Yunkai hail Daenerys as their "mhysa", the Ghiscari language's word for "mother".
+
+According to Nielsen Media Research, "Mhysa" was seen by 5.4 million household viewers in the United States, a twenty-eight percent increase compared to the second season finale, "Valar Morghulis". After its broadcast, the episode received generally positive reviews from television critics, with some of them addressing its anti-climactic closure of the series' third season, and its establishment of potential storylines for the fourth season, such as through the final scene's "glimmer of hope". The episode received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series at the 65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
+
+==Plot==
+
+
+===In King's Landing===
+Tyrion learns of the deaths of Robb and Catelyn during the Red Wedding. Tyrion tells Tywin that northerners will never forget the role the Lannisters played in the Red Wedding. Varys gives Shae a sack of diamonds to sail for Essos, but she refuses. Jaime, Brienne, and Qyburn arrive in King's Landing.
+
+===At the Twins===
+Sandor and Arya find a group of Frey men. Arya kills one, who claimed to have desecrated Robb's body and Sandor kills others. Walder and Bolton discuss the escape of Brynden and their new oppositions as Lord of Riverrun and Warden of the North.
+
+===In the North===
+Bran and his group arrive at the Nightfort and meet Sam and Gilly. Sam realizes that Bran is Jon's brother. Bran asks Sam to take them north of the Wall. He takes them through the passage and gives them his dragonglass weapons. Sam and Gilly arrive at Castle Black and meet Aemon, who, after hearing of White Walkers, sends all ravens with messages warning the return of White Walkers. Ygritte finds Jon, but before he escapes, Ygritte shoots three arrows into him. Jon arrives at Castle Black, where his wounds are treated. At the Dreadfort, Theon's torturer, revealed to be Bolton's bastard Ramsay Snow, nicknames Theon Reek.
+
+===On the Iron Islands===
+Balon reads letter from Ramsay, demanding to have the Ironborn soldiers withdraw from the North. Balon allows Theon's torture to continue, but Yara takes 50 best Ironborn men to attack the Dreadfort.
+
+===At Dragonstone===
+Stannis informs Davos of Robb's death and Melisandre plans to sacrifice Gendry to the Lord of Light. Davos gives Gendry a boat to escape Dragonstone. Stannis orders Davos’ execution, but after he shows Stannis a letter from the Wall, Melisandre tells Stannis that only he can save the North from the White Walkers and that he will need Davos' help, preventing his execution.
+
+===Outside Yunkai===
+Daenerys frees slaves from Yunkai, who begin to shout mhysa, which Missandei tells Daenerys is Ghiscari for mother.
+
+==Production==
+The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
+
+===Writing===
+"Mhysa" was written by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on George R. R. Martin's original work from his novel ''A Storm of Swords''. Chapters adapted from ''A Storm of Swords'' to the episode were chapters 43, 49, 53 to 55, 57, 63, and 64 (Daenerys IV, Jon VI, Arya XI, Tyrion VI, Davos V, Bran IV, Jaime VII, Davos VI).
+
+===Casting===
+After being absent for the entire second season, Peter Vaughan returns as Maester Aemon and Josef Altin returns as Pypar. This episode also marks the return, after a long absence, of Patrick Malahide as Balon Greyjoy and Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy.
+
+==Reception==
+
+===Ratings===
+In its original American broadcast in HBO, "Mhysa" was seen by an estimated 5.4 million household viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. It marked a year-to-year increase in viewership of 28 percent compared to the second season finale, "Valar Morghulis", which was seen by 4.2 million. The second broadcast of the "Mhysa" during the night was viewed by 900,000 viewers, bringing its total viewership for to 6.30 million. According to analysts, the success of the episode significantly helped ''Game of Thrones'' to surpass ''True Blood'' as the second most-watched series on HBO, after ''The Sopranos''. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.154 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.110 million timeshift viewers.
+
+===Critical reception===
+"Mhysa" received generally positive reviews from television critics, with some of them addressing the finale's anti-climactic closure of the third season and for establishing new storylines for the fourth. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 20 reviews of the episode and deemed 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 8.5 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "'Mhysa' wraps up several of season 3's lingering storylines while subtly setting the table for season 4." James Poniewozik of ''Time'' wrote in his review, "The end of season 3, then, spent some time among the winners and losers in post-Red-Wedding Westeros, giving the audience a chance to soak in the shock, seethe at the winners' glee, and get a reminder of the larger forces – White Walkers, dragons – well beyond the war between the Lannisters and the Starks. If the Red Wedding seemed to kill hope, 'Mhysa' made clear that it didn't end anything. And it weaved together the many, many threads of ''GoTs'' tapestry by returning to a recurring theme: that ''Game of Thrones'' is ultimately about family." Matt Fowler of IGN described that the finale had "nicely set up a lot of cool stuff for Season 4, but it was also lacking some of the power and majesty of previous finales. Especially the ending with Dany, who herself had a better ending back in 'And Now His Watch is Ended' when her dragons torched Astapor and she left with a full army." He also praised the scene where Arya killed a Frey soldier. Writing for ''Today'', Drusilla Moorhouse remarked that "After last week's shocking massacre, most fans braced for more tragic deaths in season three's finale. Instead, the blow was softened with poignant reunions and surprising saves, setting the stage for an explosive fourth season."
+
+In her review for Zap2it, Terri Schwartz wrote that "Nothing can ever quite redeem the deaths of Robb and Catelyn Stark, but at least larger forces are taking shape that are propelling this series into Season 4. Daenerys is as powerful as she's ever been, Jon Snow returns to the Wall while Bran heads north of it and the Greyjoys ready an assault to finally save Theon from his captor. Then there's the fact that Stannis decides to sail north to the Wall to aid the Night's Watch in their fight against the White Walkers, which seems like it's going to end up being the greater, global conflict in the future of 'Game of Thrones'." Writing for ''The A.V. Club'', David Sims gave "Mhysa" an "A-" rating, while Emily VanDerWerff gave it a "B+". Sims, writing for audiences who have not read the novels, described the episode as lacking "a lot of serious plot movement or major twists and may have fans gnashing their teeth a little bit as they wait nine months for season four. The previous season finales have also had that quality, but they each ended on a barnstorming note. 'Mhysa', not quite so much." VanDerWerff, writing for audiences who have read the novels, wrote that "On a plot level, not a lot happens in 'Mhysa'", but praised the episode in addressing the series' "value of one human life is in the face of a kingdom." He also mildly criticized the series' template of when "something terrible happens in Westeros, Dany offers a glimmer of hope over in her story line", referring to it as its "Achilles' heel". Kevin Fitzpatrick of ScreenCrush wrote in his review, "All in all, the air (or blood) of the season had mostly been let out by 'The Rains of Castamere', as even a returning Jaime’s most interesting moments arrived much earlier in the season, but 'Mhysa' gave us a good course-heading for season 4, with some much-needed catharsis along the way."
+
+The episode's final scene, in which Daenerys, "the blondest possible savior figure", appears with "uncharacterized brown people" as "being lifted up as their messiah and praising her for saving them from bondage", was criticized by at least four commentators as having colonialist or even racist undertones. They asked why the series chose to portray the Yunkish as nearly uniformly dark-skinned, rather than as ethnically diverse as in the source novels, to which George R. R. Martin replied that this was because the scene was shot in Morocco with local extras. Commentators also criticized, more broadly, that the series's inclusion of people of color was limited to only a small number of characters.
+
+== References ==
+
+
+==External links==
+
+*  at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/133_Game_of_Thrones__Season_5__soundtrack_.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+
+The soundtrack album of the fifth season of HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', titled '''''Game of Thrones: Season 5''''', was released digitally on June 9, 2015, and on CD on July 17, 2015. The album was composed by Ramin Djawadi.
+
+==Reception==
+The soundtrack received positive reviews from critics.
+
+==Track listing==
+
+
+==Credits and personnel==
+Personnel adapted from the album liner notes.
+
+* David Benioff – liner notes
+* Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer
+* Czech Film Orchestra and Choir – primary artist 
+* Bradley Hanan Carter – featured artist 
+* D.B. Weiss – liner notes 
+
+
+==References==
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/134_Game_of_Thrones__Season_6__soundtrack_.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+
+The soundtrack album of the sixth season of HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', titled '''''Game of Thrones: Season 6''''', was released digitally on June 24, 2016, and later released on CD on July 29, 2016. The album reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard''s Soundtracks chart, and the track from the season finale "Light of the Seven" reached No. 1 on ''Billboard''s Spotify Viral 50 chart. The "Light of the Seven" is the first time piano is used in the music for ''Game of Thrones''. The album was composed by Ramin Djawadi. The soundtrack has received favorable reviews and peaked at #1 on the U.S. Soundtrack Albums chart and #27 on the U.S. Billboard 200. It won an International Film Music Critics Association for "Best Original Score for a Television Series".
+
+==Reception==
+The soundtrack received positive reviews from critics.
+
+==Track listing==
+
+
+
+==Credits and personnel==
+Personnel adapted from the album liner notes.
+
+* David Benioff – liner notes
+* Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer
+* D.B. Weiss – liner notes 
+
+
+==Charts==
+
+
+
+
+
+ Chart (2016)
+
+ Peak position
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)
+
+ 2
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ US Soundtrack Albums (''Billboard'')
+
+ 1
+
+
+
+ US Digital Albums (''Billboard'')
+
+ 5
+
+
+
+ US Top Album Sales (''Billboard'')
+
+ 12
+
+
+
+
+
+==Awards and nominations==
+
+
+
+
+
+ Year
+
+ Award
+
+ Category
+
+ Nominee(s)
+
+ Result
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2016
+
+ International Film Music Critics Association
+
+ Best Original Score for a Television Series
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ World Soundtrack Awards
+
+ Television Composer of the Year
+
+
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+==Notes==
+
+
+==References==
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/135_Game_of_Thrones__Season_7__soundtrack_.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+
+
+The soundtrack album of the seventh season of HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', titled '''''Game of Thrones: Season 7''''', was released digitally on August 25, 2017 on CD on September 29, 2017.
+
+==Track listing==
+
+
+==Credits and personnel==
+Personnel adapted from the album liner notes.
+
+* David Benioff – liner notes
+* Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer
+* D.B. Weiss – liner notes 
+
+
+==Charts==
+
+
+
+
+
+ Chart (2017)
+
+ Peak position
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ)
+
+ 4
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)
+
+ 85
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+==Awards and nominations==
+
+
+
+
+
+ Year
+
+ Award
+
+ Category
+
+ Nominee(s)
+
+ Result
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2018
+
+ 60th Annual Grammy Awards
+
+ Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
+
+ Ramin Djawadi
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 70th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Music Composition for a Series
+
+ Episode: "The Dragon and the Wolf"
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+==References==
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/136_Game_of_Thrones__Season_8__soundtrack_.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+
+
+
+The soundtrack album of the eighth season of HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', titled '''''Game of Thrones: Season 8''''', was released digitally on May 19, 2019, A double CD release was released  July 19, 2019 and a vinyl release is set later in the year.
+
+Ramin Djawadi received his seventh Primetime Emmy Award nomination, for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score), for the season's third episode, "The Long Night" and then won the award, making two consecutive wins for Ramin.
+
+==Background==
+
+"It's been such an honor to be a part of this incredible show for the past eight years", said Ramin Djawadi.
+
+Djawadi says of his track "The Night King": "When I talked to Miguel Sapochnik|Miguel Sapochnik, the director, and when David Benioff|David Benioff and D. B. Weiss|D. B. Weiss came to my studio and we started working on this episode, we all agreed that it had to be a piano piece again, just like 'Light of the Seven'.... It definitely misled the audience because of what they knew from 'Light of the Seven', back in season six. We always treated the music as another character in the show."
+
+== Track listing ==
+
+
+==Charts==
+
+
+
+
+
+ Chart (2019)
+
+ Peakposition
+
+
+
+ Australian Albums (ARIA)
+
+ 75
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ French Albums (SNEP)
+
+ 88
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)
+
+ 51
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)
+
+ 6
+
+
+
+ US ''Billboard'' 200
+
+ 95
+
+
+
+ US Soundtrack Albums (''Billboard'')
+
+ 6
+
+
+
+==References==
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/145_Elio_M._García_Jr._and_Linda_Antonsson.txt

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+Linda Antonsson and Elio García at Archipelacon on June 28, 2015.
+'''Elio Miguel García Jr.''' (born May 6, 1978) and '''Linda Maria Antonsson''' (born November 18, 1974) are authors known for their contributions and expertise in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series by George R. R. Martin, co-writing in 2014 with Martin ''The World of Ice & Fire'', a companion book for the series. They are also the founders of the fansite Westeros.org, one of the earliest fan websites for ''A Song of Ice and Fire''.
+
+==Career==
+Elio García was attending the University of Miami, while his partner Linda Antonsson was living in Sweden. At that time, in 1996, Antonsson introduced García to the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' book series when it came out on paperback. After the second book, ''A Clash of Kings'', was released, they decided to create a forum for discussion of the series, creating an early iteration of Westeros.org, and later expanded it as the series became more popular. As of 2016, Westeros.org had more than 100,000 registered members.
+
+García and Antonsson have communicated closely with George R. R. Martin, serving sometimes as fact checkers and researchers of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' universe. They first approached Martin when they had the desire to create a game based on the series, seeking his permission, and created Westeros.org as an information source about how to play the game, titled "Blood of Dragons", but it transformed to become more encompassing of the entire series as a whole, with discussion forums, news, and a Wiki.
+
+Around 2000, when ''A Storm of Swords'' was published, García and Antonsson began compiling a concordance of facts and details about Westeros, which they sent to Martin, leading him to state that they knew more about Westeros than he did. During the writing of the series' fourth book, ''A Feast for Crows'', the couple became a regular fact checker for details regarding the series' many characters and locations.
+
+After meeting with Martin in person in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the pair was approached by Martin to co-author a book titled ''The World of Ice & Fire'', a companion book which focuses primarily on the history of the Targaryen family, one of the main families presented in the books. The book is written from the point of view that it is a scholarly work of a maester at the Citadel, the main center of knowledge in the world of Westeros. They work together from their home in Nödinge-Nol, near Gothenburg, Sweden.
+
+Antonsson has stated that they never contribute to the main series of books on a story level, rather about setting details and continuity details. In addition to writing, Antonsson has also done English to Swedish translating, including for ''Game of Thrones''.
+
+The pair provided episode recaps, analysis and video commentary for each episode of Game of Thrones on westeros.org, but as the television series surpassed the book series, they have become critics of many of the show's plot conveniences, in their view, and "clichés"; following the 6th season of the program, Garcia announced that he would no longer be watching the show, after which Antonsson began doing the episode reviews and commentary alone.
+
+==Personal life==
+García and Antonsson met in 1995 while playing a game based on ''The Lord of the Rings'' over the internet. They were married in 2014, the same day that ''The World of Ice & Fire'' was released, 16 years after the couple had become engaged. García moved to Sweden in 1999, where the couple now lives in Nödinge, Ale Municipality.
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+* Westeros.org - Official website
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/146_The_Sons_of_the_Dragon.txt

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+
+
+
+'''''The Sons of the Dragon''''' is a novella by George R. R. Martin, set in the fictional land of Westeros, the setting of Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series. The story commences about 270 years before the start of ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996). It portrays the death of Aegon I, known as "Aegon the Conqueror", and his two sons Aenys I, his successor to the throne, and Maegor I "the Cruel", in their respective successions to the throne thereafter, and the conflicts faced between them.  The story concludes with the death of Maegor, and introduces the groundwork for its sequel, being about the life of his successor and nephew Jaehaerys I "the Conciliator", who reigned 55 years as the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.
+
+==Format==
+As with his previous Westerosi "histories", including ''The World of Ice and Fire'', ''The Rogue Prince'' and ''The Princess and the Queen'', Martin wrote ''The Sons of the Dragon'' from the perspective of a fictional Westerosi scholar, referred to in-universe as some rank of "maester".  Unlike the previous works, attributed to Maester Yandel and Archmaester Gyldayn, the maester of ''The Sons of the Dragon'' remains anonymous throughout the story.  At the conclusion of the novella, the unnamed maester notes that the following history of the Targaryen family, concerning the life of Jaehaerys I, would be a "task for another maester".
+
+==Background==
+Following an early 2017 leak that revealed plans for the novella to be included in the anthology ''The Book of Swords'' (edited by Martin's longtime friend Gardner Dozois), Martin himself confirmed that the anthology was scheduled to be released on October 10, 2017, and confirmed that ''The Sons of the Dragon'' would be included.
+
+The story was derived from previously written lengthier material that Martin had prepared for the companion book ''The World of Ice & Fire'', but was removed because the book was becoming too long for the original concept of a fully illustrated book. It and several other stories appeared in abridged versions in other anthologies. 
+
+The story is included in full in ''Fire & Blood''.
+
+==Publication==
+The novella was released by Bantam Spectra in October 2017 in hardcover, paperback and audiobook formats, all as the final story in ''The Book of Swords'' anthology. The audiobook edition was narrated by Ralph Lister, who previously collaborated with Martin and Dozois as narrator for their 2012 anthology ''Down These Strange Streets''.
+
+==References==
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/148_Game_of_Thrones__Winter_Is_Coming.txt

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+
+'''''Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming''''' is a new videogame published in 2019, based on the ''Game of Thrones'' television series and the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' books.
+
+On 26 March 2019, Chinese studio Yoozoo Games announced the global launch of ''Game of Thrones Winter is Coming'', a real-time strategy browser game officially licensed by Warner Bros, under license from HBO.
+
+The player takes the part of the king of one of the seven kingdoms of Westeros, and he has to try to conquer the other six kingdoms, or to unify them by stopping wars which are current between them.
+
+YouTube advertisements for this game seem to say that game activity includes not only fighting and war, but also increasing food production (cultivating land, herding sheep, fishing, picking fruit), mining metal ore, having weapons made, felling timber and making buildings, and training men.
+
+In the game, a dragon can be obtained, as an egg, which can be hatched, and the hatchling can be raised through its juvenile stage to being big enough to be useful in battle.
+
+The game starts after Eddard Stark dies. It takes some days to play it to completion.
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+* Game of Thrones Winter is Coming Official Website
+*https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/the-official-game-of-thrones-browser-game-wont-fill-that-dragon-shaped-hole-in-your-life/ :: critical review by PCGamer
+* description by Gamewarrior
+* description by bluemoongame
+* on Facebook
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/151_Ellaria_Sand.txt

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+
+'''Ellaria Sand''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of high fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation, ''Game of Thrones''.
+
+Ellaria first appears in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), and while she is only mentioned in ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005), she returns in ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). She is the paramour to Oberyn Martell and mother to several of his bastard daughters, the Sand Snakes. After the death of her lover in a duel at the hands of Ser Gregor Clegane, she is sent into deep mourning, although her subsequent characterization differs between the novels and the television adaptation. In the novels, she sues for peace, seeking an end to the cycle of revenge. In the television adaptation, however, she is portrayed as ruthless and vengeful, willing to do anything to destroy House Lannister, even if it means killing Oberyn's own family in the process.
+
+The character is portrayed by Indira Varma in the HBO television adaptation.
+
+==Character description==
+Ellaria Sand is a bastard from Dorne but is not discriminated against for this, as Dorne's views and customs towards children born out of wedlock differ from those of the rest of Westeros, where bastards are often discriminated against. She is the paramour of Oberyn Martell, as even in Dorne a Prince cannot marry a bastard. She is the mother of the youngest four Sand Snakes (Oberyn's bastard daughters). Like Oberyn, she is bisexual.
+
+In the novels, Ellaria Sand is mostly a background character. She is not a point of view character; rather, her actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Tyrion Lannister, Arianne Martell, and Areo Hotah.
+
+==Storylines==
+Coat of arms of House Martell
+
+====''A Storm of Swords''====
+Ellaria comes with Oberyn to King's Landing, as part of Tyrion Lannister's efforts to win them to the Iron Throne. Oberyn, however, clearly wants revenge for his sister's death, apparently committed on the orders of Tywin Lannister, during King Robert's rebellion. Oberyn wants Ellaria to sit with him at Joffrey Baratheon's wedding, causing trouble when Olenna Tyrell calls her "the serpent's whore". Later, when Tyrion is condemned for poisoning Joffrey Baratheon, Oberyn acts as his champion in a Trial by Combat against Ser Gregor Clegane, who had raped and murdered Oberyn's sister, Elia Martell, during the Sack of King's Landing. Oberyn wounds Gregor with a poisoned spear but is killed by Gregor. Afterwards, Ellaria returns to Dorne.
+
+====''A Dance with Dragons''====
+Gregor Clegane apparently dies of the poison after spending days in agony (Oberyn having treated the poison to work slowly). His skull is sent to Dorne, where Oberyn's brother, Doran Martell, the ruling Prince of Dorne, sees it. Despite Gregor and Tywin's deaths, Oberyn's bastard daughters want revenge. Ellaria argues against revenge, saying all those they want revenge against are dead and the Lannisters they are now targeting took no part in their kin's deaths. She reminds them Oberyn died trying to avenge his sister's death and worries they too will die, if they seek vengeance. Doran sends her back to her father, Lord Harmen Uller of Hellholt with her youngest daughter Loreza Sand.
+
+==TV adaptation==
+English actress Indira Varma portrays Ellaria Sand.
+Ellaria Sand is played by the British actress Indira Varma in the television adaption of the series of books. She won the Empire Hero Award along with the rest of the cast in 2015. She was also nominated, along with the rest of the cast for Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2016.
+
+====Season 4====
+Ellaria Sand's storyline in this season is very similar to her storyline in ''A Storm of Swords''.
+
+====Season 5====
+Ellaria tries to persuade Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne, to avenge his brother's death. However, Doran refuses, as Oberyn's death was via trial by combat, and therefore by Westerosi law, Gregor Clegane did not murder Oberyn. Ellaria soon learns that Jaime Lannister is sailing for Dorne, planning to rescue his daughter Myrcella, betrothed to Doran's son, Trystane. When Jaime arrives at the Water Gardens, the Sand Snakes attack him and Bronn, but the skirmish ends with all arrested by Martell guards. Doran and Jaime reach a deal, Trystane will marry Myrcella, but the two will live in King's Landing and Trystane will be granted a seat on the Small Council. Ellaria is threatened with death by Doran if she ever defies him and she feigns allegiance to him. She kisses Myrcella goodbye at the docks, secretly wearing lipstick coated with a slow-acting poison, which kills Myrcella on the ship headed for King's Landing.
+
+====Season 6====
+After Doran Martell realises that Myrcella has been murdered, Ellaria stabs Doran, while in King's Landing, Obara and Nymeria, who had snuck onto the ship headed to King's Landing, kill Trystane. This makes Ellaria the de facto ruler of Dorne. A while later, Ellaria meets Olenna Tyrell, whose son and grandchildren have been killed by Cersei, the present Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Ellaria then reveals her allegiance to Daenerys Targaryen. Later, Martell and Tyrell ships can be seen in Daenerys' fleet heading for Westeros.
+
+====Season 7====
+Ellaria and the Sand Snakes arrive in Dragonstone to discuss the conquest of Westeros with Daenrys. Yara and Theon Greyjoy return Ellaria and the Sand Snakes to Dorne so they can gather their army. En route, Euron Greyjoy attacks them and burns Yara's fleet. He kills Obara and Nymeria and captures Yara, and takes Ellaria and Tyene to Cersei, as a gift.
+
+In the dungeons Cersei recalls the death of Oberyn Martell and explains how much she loved Myrcella. Then she kisses Tyene using the same poison that Ellaria used to murder Myrcella. She tells Ellaria that she will be watching Tyene die and after Tyene's death, she will be kept alive to watch as her daughter's body rots away.
+
+===Family tree===
+
+
+==References==
+
+
+
+
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+
+
+

article_txt_got/154_Margaery_Tyrell.txt

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+
+
+'''Margaery Tyrell''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of high fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''.
+
+Margaery is first mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) and first appears in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998). She is a member of the House Tyrell, the second wealthiest and largest of the eight Great Houses in Westeros. She is twin sister to Loras Tyrell and the granddaughter of Olenna Tyrell. She subsequently appeared in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005), and ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). Like her grandmother, she is shrewd, ambitious and adaptable, and uses her beauty, generosity and family influence to secure power for herself. Having wed herself to three different kings over the course of the narrative, she is one of the most influential political figures in Westeros, which often brings her into conflict with her chief rival at court, Cersei Lannister.
+
+Margaery is portrayed by English actress Natalie Dormer in the HBO television adaptation, a role for which she has received critical acclaim.  Margaery is one of the most popular supporting characters in both the books and television show, and is often cited as a prominent example of the story's strong feminist themes.
+
+==Character description==
+Margaery is the only daughter of Alerie Hightower and Mace Tyrell, the Lord of Highgarden in the Reach. Her older brothers are the heir Willas, Garlan and Loras the Knight of Flowers, who is a member of the Kingsguard. One of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Westeros, House Tyrell is actually guided by the willful Lady Olenna, Mace's mother, who has arranged Margaery's marriages and mentors her in politics and court intrigue. Margaery Tyrell is not a point of view character in the novels, so her actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of Sansa Stark and Cersei Lannister.
+
+==Storylines==
+Coat of arms of House Tyrell
+
+Margaery appears in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), having married Renly Baratheon and supporting his claim to the Iron Throne. After Renly's assassination, the Tyrells switch allegiance and Margaery is instead offered to wed King Joffrey Baratheon. In ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), she becomes popular among the citizens of King's Landing through her various charitable activities. Margaery forms an amiable relationship with the King's ex-fiancee Sansa Stark and through Sansa she learns much about Joffrey's true nature. Margaery weds Joffrey, but he is poisoned at their wedding feast. In ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005) Margaery marries Joffrey's younger brother, Tommen, and encourages him to assert himself as king. Margaery's growing influence over Tommen  puts her in a bitter power struggle with his mother Cersei Lannister, which eventually culminates in Cersei framing Margaery for adultery. In ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011), Margaery is released from prison and placed under house arrest, where she awaits trial.
+
+==TV adaptation==
+In HBO's ''Game of Thrones'', Margaery's backstory and plotline in the early seasons remain largely unchanged from the novels, though the character is more prominent in the series and this version of Margaery is an adult as opposed to a teenager. Margaery first appears in the second season, following her marriage to Renly; she is well aware that her marriage is a political one, and displays pragmatism regarding Renly's homosexuality and his relationship with her brother Loras.
+
+===Season 2===
+Margaery, newly married to Renly, reveals that she is aware of his romantic relationship with her brother and is willing to work around his desires to secure their alliance and her position. Following Renly's assassination, Margaery indicates to Petyr Baelish that she is aware that her brother-in-law, Stannis Baratheon, is more likely to be behind the assassination than Brienne of Tarth, the official suspect. She also makes it clear that her ambition is to be the Queen of Westeros, and that she will not settle for anything less.
+
+===Season 3===
+Margaery has relocated to King's Landing and taken up residence in the Red Keep. She swiftly proves that she is one of the few people capable of managing Joffrey, which pleases his grandfather, Tywin Lannister, but makes her an enemy in Cersei. The series also expands on Margaery's friendship with Sansa Stark, though her motives are unclear and Margaery swiftly replaces Sansa as Joffrey's fiancee. Through several shrewd PR moves towards the city's poor and orphaned, Margaery becomes extremely popular with the common people as their future Queen.
+
+===Season 4===
+Margaery Tyrell has been married to Joffrey Baratheon, but she is widowed hours later when he is poisoned at the wedding feast. Soon after, Olenna reveals herself as masterminding the poisoning, but Margaery, now aware that Tyrion Lannister's trial is a farce, keeps quiet. Arrangements are made to wed Margaery to Joffrey's younger brother Tommen, to whom Margaery swiftly ingratiates herself. Cersei and Margaery continue their bitter rivalry; Cersei resents being displaced as Queen and being forced to marry her very young child to the much older Margaery, while Margaery tries to outmaneuver her.
+
+===Season 5===
+Margaery and Tommen wed, and she finally becomes the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. She taunts Cersei over her triumph, and exhorts Tommen to send Cersei away from the capital. Cersei, in a shortsighted attempt to get rid of her rival, consents for the Faith of the Seven to once again bear arms. Cersei intends for the zealously fervent religious order to seize and condemn Loras for his homosexual behavior, thus tricking Margaery into perjuring herself by denying knowledge of his proclivities. Margaery finds herself arrested and awaiting trial, although Cersei is arrested as well for her unrelated charges, ie. her incestuous behaviors.
+
+===Season 6===
+After a period of captivity, Margaery is permitted to visit Loras in his cell. She discovers that he is beginning to break under the Faith's questioning, and that the meeting is a ploy to break her too. Jaime Lannister leads the Tyrell army on the Sept of Baelor to secure Margaery's release, but it is revealed that she has been absolved, by convincing Tommen to forge an alliance between the Faith and the Crown. To placate Cersei, Margaery surreptitiously convinces Olenna to return to Highgarden, subtly indicating that she is still loyal to House Tyrell.
+
+Margaery persuades the High Sparrow, the leader of the Faith, to release Loras if he surrenders his claim as heir of House Tyrell and joins the Faith. However, when Cersei fails to arrive for her trial Margaery deduces Cersei is plotting something. Panicking, she desperately tries to convince the High Sparrow to evacuate the Sept of Baelor, but the High Sparrow refuses and has the Faith Militant bar the exits. Moments later, wildfire set beneath the Sept by Qyburn, on Cersei's orders explodes. Margaery is killed, along with hundreds of others present. Her death, and those of her brother and father, lead Olenna to accept a proposal by the Sand Snakes (who currently lead the Reach's ancient rival, Dorne) in supporting Daenerys Targaryen's invasion of Westeros.
+
+==Family tree of House Tyrell==
+
+
+==Reception==
+
+===''A Song of Ice and Fire''===
+Adam Whitehead of the wertzone feels Margaery's rivalry with Cersei Lannister is a major driving force in ''A Feast for Crows''. Hahn Nguyen of wickedlocal.com feels that Margaery is a background character whose cunning is only addressed subtly. She states that; "In the books, I felt Margaery was just pushed to the background. A pawn," and "Margaery's cunning was hinted at in the books, especially in her lunch with Lady Olenna and Sansa." In a similar vein, Sean T. Collins writing for ''Rolling Stone'' feels that author Martin has been vague about Margaery's ambition and political cunning and describes her as a; "mute mystery whose motives and level of involvement in the game of thrones are unknown by ''A Clash of Kings''" However other writers feel Margaery's political ambition is more obvious. Madeline of Feministing writes; "Margaery is an ambitious politico as well as being a damn good actress – she plays the part of the tragic, virginal twice-widow so well that almost no one suspects that she is dead set on winning the throne. Despite frequently being used as a bartering chip, Margaery uses her womanhood to her advantage, knowing that producing an heir will shoot her to power." Similarly, Danica Liu writing for ''The Duke Chronicle'' describes Margaery as "subtle and graceful" and like most of the women in ''A Song of Ice and Fire,'' deals in the currencies of power.
+
+===''Game of Thrones''===
+Natalie Dormer plays the role of Margaery Tyrell in the television series.
+David Sims writing for ''The A.V. Club'' enjoyed the introduction of Margaery's character in "What Is Dead May Never Die" commenting; "the fun twist to this plot is that Margaery Tyrell is obviously not the blushing maiden she appears to be, but an operator just like everyone else," and "Margaery could just be a cypher, a mostly silent cog in Renly's plans for dominance, but instead she's going to be a lot more." He uses her character to praise the writing of ''Game of Thrones'', stating that it; "rarely traffics in cliched characterization." Jenna Busch of Zap2it calls Margaery a "power player" who will "do anything to stay on the throne." Writer and editor Silvia Moreno Garcia describes Margaery as "a sleeker, more determined player of this game of thrones" when compared to her book characterization and goes on to comment that she is a "shrewd politician," who might give the other good players a run for their money." She also believes she is "older and worldlier than the one in the books." In "Valar Dohaeris", Diana Huang of UC Riverside's ''Highlander News'' appreciated the development of Margaery's character and called her "self aware and quick-witted" and believes she has the power to wreak havoc in King's Landing.
+
+Many commentators notice Margaery's desire and ability to gain the support of the public. Rhiannon of feministfiction writes: "this Margaery is ambitious but kind, clearly sweet and generous, but also a master at working people's emotions in her favor. Graceful, elegant, and aware of how powerful every word can be. She's an expert at the game that Sansa has only just begun, and it is stunning to see her." Tiffany Brown, writing for ''TV After Dark'', states "Margaery has gained the favor and love of the people of King's Landing, and has even garnered the affections of her future king." Natalie Dormer, the actress who plays Margaery, when interviewed by HitFix discussed Margaery's political savviness: Margaery brings this whole new element to the Game that you haven't seen before, which is basically PR. It's quite a modern ethos on PR and courting public affections, hopefully. We've all seen politicians kiss babies. It doesn't mean that she's insincere in her genuine hope to do charitable work and it's just an interesting new comment on how you handle the masses and how you win power that maybe we haven't seen in Westeros before. She also noted that Margaery comes from a matriarchal family and "that she's more cut from the cloth as a protegee of her grandmother, so she knows what it's like for a woman to be in charge."
+For her performance in the show, Natalie Dormer, along with the rest of the ensemble cast, was nominated for four Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively, and the cast was awarded the Empire Hero Award in 2015 by the British film magazine ''Empire''. For her performance in the third season of the show, Dormer won the Ewwy Award for Best Supporting Actress - Drama.
+
+==References==
+
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+

article_txt_got/160_Viserys_Targaryen.txt

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+
+
+'''Viserys Targaryen''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and the first season of the television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''.
+
+Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Viserys and his younger sister, Daenerys are the last confirmed members of House Targaryen who, until fifteen years before the events of the first novel, ruled on the Iron Throne in Westeros for nearly three hundred years. As such, they are hunted by the forces of the new king, Robert Baratheon, and have been forced to flee to the neighboring continent of Essos. Viserys is characterized by his vanity and bitterness, and often behaves cruelly towards his younger sister.
+
+Viserys is portrayed by Harry Lloyd in the HBO television adaptation.
+
+== Character description ==
+Viserys Targaryen is the middle child and younger son of Aerys II Targaryen, also known as The Mad King, and his sister-wife Rhaella Targaryen.
+
+Viserys Targaryen is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of his sister Daenerys.
+
+==Storylines==
+Coat of arms of House Targaryen
+
+====''A Game of Thrones''====
+
+Viserys Targaryen is the second born son of Aerys II Targaryen. Thirteen years before the events of the series, he and his sister Daenerys fled Westeros to escape death at the hands of rebel Robert Baratheon. Viserys is an arrogant, cruel and ambitious man given to violent mood swings. In ''A Game of Thrones'', he sells his sister as a wife to the Dothraki Khal Drogo, as a means to secure the allegiance of Drogo's army toward his goal of reclaiming the throne. Frustrated with Drogo, Viserys demands a crown and threatens Daenerys and her unborn child; Drogo kills him by pouring a pot of molten gold over his head.
+
+Daenerys later names one of her dragons Viserion, after Viserys. She explains that in spite of everything, he was still her brother, and that his draconic namesake will help do what he could not. She also tries to remember him as the good person he was before the stresses of their exile made him violent and bitter, and acknowledges that he at least kept her alive and safe through her childhood.
+
+==TV adaptation==
+Viserys Targaryen is played by British actor Harry Lloyd in the television adaption of the books.
+
+Harry Lloyd on Viserys Targaryen:
+
+As soon as I looked into more of the history of the Targaryen family and actually read the other books, I found out more and pieced together his backstory, and he became sympathetic. I understood more what motivated him, and the fear he had, and the responsibility he had, and his childishness. I mean, he never really had a parent. That changed a lot my view from reading it to playing it.
+
+Lloyd on his character's death scene:
+
+I've never had to die on camera before, let alone in such a grisly way. So you just have to kind of give it everything. You talk to the two actors holding you and say, ‘Let's not pansy around here. I'm gonna absolutely try and get out of this, so don't let me.' Then, you let it rip. It can't be some sort of half-assed whimpering – you've got to really believe the pain and the fear. It's actually quite liberating.
+
+Lloyd has received positive reviews for his role as Viserys in the TV series.
+
+====Season 1====
+Viserys Targaryen is the exiled prince and heir of the Targaryen dynasty and is known as "The Beggar King" for his search for an army to recapture his throne. A narcissist, he is arrogant and self-centered, caring only about himself and looking down on others, especially his sister Daenerys. In exchange for an army to help regain the Iron Throne, Viserys marries off his sister to the powerful Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo in the first episode, "Winter Is Coming", and follows his horde's journey to the Dothraki capital to ensure Drogo will keep his end of the bargain. But as they journey, it becomes evident that Viserys does not have any leadership skills to reclaim the throne as his arrogance and disrespect for the Dothraki does not win him any hearts. Furthermore, Daenerys, whom he has always threatened throughout his life, starts to stand up to him. Seeing that Daenerys is loved by the Dothraki and that her and Drogo's unborn son is prophesied to unite the world, Viserys realizes that it is not he but Daenerys who will reclaim the Iron Throne. In the sixth episode, "A Golden Crown", he gets in a fit of drunken rage, threatens Drogo to give him his army and crown or he will kill his sister and her unborn son. Having had enough of his behavior, Drogo kills Viserys by giving him a "Golden Crown"; molten gold poured over his head. Daenerys watches her brother's agonizing death, proclaiming that he wasn't a true dragon, as "fire cannot kill a dragon".
+
+Daenerys later names one of her dragons Viserion, as a tribute to Viserys, although the reasoning is not explained on-screen.
+
+==Family tree of House Targaryen==
+
+
+== References ==
+
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article_txt_got/191_Gendry.txt

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+'''Gendry''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its HBO television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''.
+
+First appearing in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Gendry is a blacksmith apprentice in King's Landing, and an unacknowledged bastard of King Robert Baratheon.  He subsequently appeared in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) and ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005).  After Queen Cersei Lannister orders the execution of all of King Robert's bastards, Gendry is forced to flee King's Landing alongside Arya Stark under the protection of Yoren, a recruiter for the Night's Watch.  He later joins the outlaw group Brotherhood Without Banners and is knighted by its leader Beric Dondarrion, and becomes a follower of R'hllor.
+
+Gendry is portrayed by English actor Joe Dempsie in the HBO television adaptation.
+
+== Character description ==
+Gendry was conceived and born in King's Landing after Robert's Rebellion ended and is one of sixteen (twenty in the television series) bastard children of King Robert Baratheon,.  He is portrayed as tall and very muscled, having blue eyes and thick black hair, very similar to his biological father Robert and uncle Renly in their youth (Brienne of Tarth once almost mistook him for Renly for a moment).  He is stubborn and easily confused.
+
+Despite being one of the only four surviving biological children of King Robert (along with Mya Stone, Edric Storm and Bella Rivers), Gendry never knew who his father was.  His mother was reported to have been a worker at an alehouse who died when Gendry was still a young boy, and all he remembers of her was that she had blond hair. Later on, Tobho Mott, a master armourer from Qohor, was offered double the customary fee by a "lord" with concealed identity to take Gendry in as a smith apprentice, but accepted him for free after being impressed by the boy's physique.  Gendry turns out to be a talented apprentice, and likes to spend time polishing a bull head helmet that he proudly made for himself, which earned him the nickname "Bull" by Arya Stark.
+
+==Storylines ==
+Coat of arms of House Baratheon
+Gendry is not a point of view character in the novels, and his actions are witnessed and interpreted primarily through the eyes of Arya Stark, as well as some descriptions from Eddard Stark and Brienne of Tarth.  He has the most story arc out of King Robert's children.
+
+====''A Game of Thrones''====
+
+In his investigation about the death of Jon Arryn, Eddard Stark meets several people who had met with Arryn shortly before his death. 
+One of them is Gendry, who was sought by both Jon Arryn and Stannis Baratheon. Eddard immediately recognizes Gendry as Robert Baratheon's bastard child, and tells Tobho Mott that if Gendry ever shows interest in military service, he is to be sent directly to Eddard.  Gendry has shown promise as a blacksmith and made a helmet in the shape of a bull.  Eddard compliments the helmet, offering to purchase it, but Gendry refuses, to the shame of his master.
+
+====''A Clash of Kings''====
+
+After Eddard Stark's political fall and eventual execution, Varys makes arrangements for the Night's Watch recruiter Yoren to take Gendry to the Wall in order to ensure his safety.  Gendry travels north with Yoren and thirty other recruits including Lommy Greenhands, Hot Pie and a disguised Arya Stark.  Not far from King's Landing they are stopped by several gold cloaks from the City Watch, who demand that Yoren give up Gendry as he is wanted by Queen Regent Cersei Lannister.  Yoren refuses, and chases off the gold cloaks with his recruits.
+
+Later, near an abandoned holdfast by the God's Eye, the recruits are attacked by soldiers led by Ser Amory Lorch.  Yoren is killed in the fight, and Gendry along with Arya, Lommy and Hot Pie escape through a secret tunnel. Whilst on a reconnaissance run with Arya, Gendry confronts her about her true gender and identity. He eventually has the truth out of her and is subsequently embarrassed by how crass he had spoken to her when she was in fact highborn.  Gendry is later captured by soldiers led by Ser Gregor Clegane, but is spared from death since a blacksmith is useful as a slave laborer.  After Lannister man at arms, Polliver, kills the injured Lommy, they are taken to Harrenhal, where Gendry works as a smith.  When Arya decides to escape from Harrenhal, however, she persuades Gendry and Hot Pie to join her.
+
+====''A Storm of Swords''====
+
+While wandering around the Riverlands looking for the direction of Riverrun, Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie are captured by the Brotherhood without Banners, led by a resurrected Beric Dondarrion.  At the Peach brothel in Stoney Sept, Gendry declines sleeping with Bella.  Later he argues with Arya, jealous she talked to Beric's squire Edric Dayne, who claims to be Jon Snow's milk brother.  Gendry is later impressed with Thoros of Myr's description of the ideals of the brotherhood, and decides to join them.  He is knighted by Beric, thus becoming Ser Gendry, knight of the hollow hill.
+
+====''A Feast for Crows''====
+
+While questing to find Sansa Stark, Brienne of Tarth encounters Gendry working as a smith at the Inn at the Crossroads along with a group of orphans, and is struck by his resemblance to the late Renly Baratheon. At the inn, Brienne encounters and duels with Rorge, killing him, only to be savaged by Biter;  Gendry saves Brienne by driving a spear through Biter's neck.
+
+==== Family tree of House Baratheon ====
+
+
+==TV adaptation==
+Joe Dempsie plays the role of Gendry in the television series ''Game of Thrones''.
+Gendry is played by Joe Dempsie in the television adaption of the series of books. Explaining how he got cast for the role:
+When I was cast as Gendry, I didn't have any of the physical attributes the part required. I was astounded that I got the role, to be honest. But David and Dan said, "We need to dye ''sic'' his hair black ... and it'd be great you hit the gym before we start filming." So I was told to get in shape.
+
+Dempsie has received positive reviews for his performance as Gendry in the television series. He and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2014.
+
+===Season 1===
+Eddard "Ned" Stark tells the smith to send Gendry to him if he ever shows interest in wielding a sword. Gendry shows promise as a smith and makes a helmet in the shape of a bull's head; Eddard compliments the helmet, offering to purchase it. Gendry refuses, to the shame of the master smith. After Ned's arrest and eventual execution, arrangements are made for Yoren of the Night's Watch to take Gendry to the Wall with him.
+
+===Season 2===
+Gendry travels North with Yoren and other Night's Watch recruits, including Arya Stark (disguised as an orphan boy named 'Arry), Lommy Greenhands, Hot Pie and Jaqen H'ghar. During their journey, they are stopped by the Goldcloaks of the City Watch, who demand that Yoren hand Gendry over to them - King Joffrey has ordered that all of his father Robert's bastards be killed, but Yoren turns the Goldcloaks away. Later, Gendry forces Arya to reveal her true identity, and is surprised to learn she is in fact Ned Stark's daughter. After the Goldcloaks get help from Ser Amory Lorch and his men, they ambush the travelling party. In the chaos, Yoren is killed. Gendry's life is then saved by Arya, who convinces the Goldcloaks that Lommy, who was killed during the attack, was in fact Gendry. Gendry and the rest of the recruits are then escorted to Harrenhal, the ruined castle-turned-prison. Ser Gregor Clegane oversees order here, and arbitrarily has many of the prisoners tortured and killed. Gendry is nearly tortured and killed but is saved by the arrival of Lord Tywin Lannister, who chides Clegane's men for their reckless treatment of the prisoners. Thanks to Jaqen H'ghars help, Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie are able to escape Harrenhal.
+
+===Season 3===
+As they head towards the Riverlands, the group encounters the Brotherhood Without Banners, a group of outlaws who defend the weak. Inspired, he decides to join the Brotherhood but is betrayed by them when they sell him to Lady Melisandre, as ordered by the Lord of Light. Melisandre later reveals to Gendry that the late King Robert was his father, and that she is bringing him to meet his uncle Stannis at Dragonstone. But in truth, Melisandre and Stannis plan to use his blood in a magic ritual to create a death curse on the usurpers to his throne, King Joffrey, the King in the North Robb Stark, and King of the Iron Islands Balon Greyjoy. Before they can sacrifice him, however, Davos Seaworth helps Gendry escape to King's Landing in a rowing boat. Unable to swim or row competently, Gendry is nevertheless convinced that the Red Woman has a surer death in store for him, and returns to Westeros' capital by sea.
+
+===Season 7===
+In the years after his escape from Dragonstone, a series of events result in the deaths of the rest of House Baratheon, leaving Gendry as the only person with Baratheon heritage. Gendry returns to work as a blacksmith in King's Landing, hiding in plain sight from the Lannister soldiers and Goldcloaks. Although he reasons that the Lannisters will not think to look for him in the city, he grates at having to manufacture weapons for their army. Gendry is greeted by Davos, who has returned briefly to the capital to find him. He wants his assistance in the coming war against the White Walkers, and Gendry leaps at the chance of escaping his life armoring his enemies. After meeting King in the North Jon Snow and bonding over their status as the bastards of Robert Baratheon and (allegedly) Ned Stark respectively, they head north to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. He, along with Jon, Tormund Giantsbane, Sandor Clegane, Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr and Jorah Mormont, heads beyond the Wall to retrieve a wight to present as evidence to Cersei Lannister of the impending White Walker invasion, with Davos remaining at Eastwatch. Gendry still resents Beric and Thoros for selling him. The group manages to capture a lone wight, but Jon realizes that the rest of the wights are approaching and orders Gendry to run back to Eastwatch to send a raven to Daenerys Targaryen requesting her assistance. After running through the night, Gendry collapses from exhaustion outside Eastwatch, but is rescued by Davos and a group of wildlings and manages to tell them of Jon's warning.
+
+===Season 8===
+Gendry joins Daenerys' army as they camp at Winterfell in anticipation of the White Walkers' attack. Gendry is tasked with smithing weapons from dragonglass, capable of instantly killing the wights. Reunited with Arya, she bids him create a dual-bladed, dragonglass staff. On the eve of the attack, Gendry gives her the weapon and relates his Baratheon heritage to her. Arya inquires of his past romantic liaisons, then expresses her desire to lose her virginity, should they die tomorrow, and they make love. Gendry survives the Long Night and is legitimised a Baratheon by Daenerys, and given lordship of Storm's End. Gendry professes his love to Arya and proposes, however Arya is uninterested in marriage and declines.
+
+After Jon kills Daenerys, Gendry travels to King's Landing along with Westeros' other nobility to decide the future of the Seven Kingdoms. Tyrion proposes that Bran Stark be crowned king, and Gendry approves, along with the other lords, unanimously.
+
+== References ==
+
+
+==Sources==
+* 
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+"'''Lord Snow'''" is the third episode of the first season of the HBO medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. It first aired on May 1, 2011. It was written by the show creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by series regular Brian Kirk, his directorial debut for the series.
+
+The plot follows Jon Snow's training at The Wall; Eddard's arrival at King's Landing, followed by Catelyn, looking for Bran's would-be murderer; Arya reveals her desire to learn sword fighting to her father; Joffrey is given a lesson in ruling the Kingdom by Cersei, and Robert longs for the glory of his past. Meanwhile, Daenerys learns she is pregnant. The episode was the first to feature Old Nan, played by Margaret John, who died before the series was broadcast; the episode is dedicated to her memory in the final credit.
+
+The title of the episode is the demeaning nickname given to Jon Snow by Ser Alliser Thorne, the sadistic trainer of Night's Watch recruits, referring to the fact that he's highborn, yet ended up at the Wall.
+
+Critical reception was generally positive, with critics praising Maisie Williams for her portrayal of Arya Stark, and her sword lesson scenes, as well as the introduction of the Small Council, and further character development for the series. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 2.4 million in its initial broadcast.
+
+==Plot==
+===In the Dothraki Sea===
+Daenerys gains confidence and earns the respect of Ser Jorah Mormont. After assaulting her, Viserys is nearly killed by one of Danerys's bloodriders. Irri notices that Daenerys is pregnant and Jorah, upon being told, departs for Qohor for supplies. Later, Daenerys reveals to Drogo that their child is a boy.
+
+===In Winterfell===
+With Bran now awake, Robb tells him that he will never walk again. Bran, saying he is unable to remember anything about his fall, wishes he was dead.
+
+===At the Wall===
+Jon easily beats his fellow recruits in combat. Master-at-arms Ser Alliser berates them all for their poor performance, even Jon, nicknaming him "Lord Snow" to mock his bastard heritage. Jon asks Benjen to take him north of the Wall, but he tells Jon that he must earn it.
+
+Jon makes amends by giving his fellow recruits proper sword training. Tyrion is asked to provide more men from Cersei and Jaime for the outnumbered Night's Watch. Though skeptical, Tyrion agrees to do so; he departs the Wall and says goodbye to Jon, who finally accepts Tyrion as a friend.
+
+===In King's Landing===
+On his way to a meeting of the king's Small Council, Ned encounters Jaime Lannister. It is revealed that Jaime killed the Mad King Aerys Targaryen, father of Daenerys and Viserys. Ned remains dissatisfied that Jaime broke his oath as knight of the Kingsguard.
+
+Ned joins the Small Council, consisting of Robert's brother Lord Renly, Lord Varys, Grand Maester Pycelle, and Lord Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish. Renly announces Robert's plans for a great tourney in honor of Ned's appointment as the Hand of the King. Ned learns that the crown is heavily indebted.
+
+Upon arriving in King's Landing, Catelyn is taken to a brothel owned by Littlefinger who, along with Varys and Ser Rodrik, discuss the attempt on Bran's life. Littlefinger admits that the assassin's dagger was once his but he lost it to Tyrion. Ned agrees to ally with Littlefinger to find who is responsible for Bran's attempted murder.
+
+Ned returns to his keep to find Sansa and Arya arguing, with Arya angry at Sansa for lying for Joffrey. Ned reminds her that Sansa and Joffrey will be married one day. Learning that Arya aspires to be a swordsman and has a sword of her own, Ned hires Syrio Forel to teach her the art of swordsmanship.
+
+==Production==
+
+===Writing===
+The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
+"Lord Snow" was written by the show creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, including chapters 18-22, 24 and 37. (Catelyn IV, Jon III, Eddard IV, Tyrion III, Arya II, Bran IV and Daenerys IV).
+
+===Casting===
+The third episode introduces a number of new characters to the story, due to the expansion of the story to the new locales of King's Landing and the Wall.
+
+In the capital city the members of the council are presented. Series regular Aidan Gillen, known for his roles in ''Queer as Folk'' and ''The Wire'' takes the role of Lord Petyr Baelish, the king's master of coin known as "Littlefinger." Gethin Anthony plays the king's youngest brother Renly Baratheon, and veteran actor Julian Glover, well known to science fiction and fantasy fans after appearing in films such as ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'', was cast as Grand Maester Pycelle after actor Roy Dotrice had to be replaced for medical reasons. Author George R. R. Martin wrote on the casting of Conleth Hill as spymaster Varys: "Hill, like Varys, is quite a chameleon, an actor who truly disappears inside the characters he portrays, more than capable not only of bringing the slimy, simpering eunuch to life." Ian McElhinney plays Ser Barristan Selmy, the commander of the Kingsguard, and Miltos Yorelemou appears as the fencing instructor Syrio Forel. McElhinney had previously played Gillen's father in ''Queer as Folk''.
+
+The hierarchy of the Wall is introduced with James Cosmo as commander Jeor Mormont, Peter Vaughan as the blind maester Aemon, Owen Teale as the trainer of the new recruits Ser Alliser Thorne, and Francis Magee as the recruiter Yoren.
+
+
+This episode also marks the first appearance of the Welsh actress Margaret John as Old Nan. 84-year-old Margaret John died on 2 February 2011, a few months after having finished recording her scenes in ''Game of Thrones'', which was her last role on television. Executive producers David Benioff and Dan Weiss issued a statement grieving her death. The episode "Lord Snow" is dedicated to her, with the last credit being "In the memory of Margaret John."
+
+The Mdina Gate doubles as the gate of the Red Keep.
+
+===Filming locations===
+To film the scenes at the Wall the production built a set on the abandoned quarry of Magheramorne, a few minutes north of Belfast. The composite set (with both exteriors and interiors) consisted of a large section of Castle Black including the courtyard, the ravenry, the mess hall and the barracks, and used the stone wall of the quarry as the basis for the ice wall that protects Westeros from the dangers that dwell beyond. They also made a real elevator to lift the rangers to the top of the Wall.
+
+For the streets of King's Landing, the production flew to Malta. The gate of Fort Ricasoli doubled as the King's Gate, shown at the beginning of the episode when the royal entourage enters the city. The entrance of the Red Keep used when Catelyn and Rodrik enter the fortification corresponds to Mdina Gate, and also in Mdina the Pjazza Mesquita is the location for the entrance to the brothel owned by Lord Baelish.
+
+Ron Donachie, the actor playing Ser Rodrik Cassel, said that the scene where he entered King's Landing was his favourite moment. Visiting a museum in the Maltese capital of Valletta, Donachie had seen a painting of armed knights riding through that Gate of Mdina itself and found exciting that to be able to do the same thing, "especially in Rodrik’s full-scale Stark battle regalia".
+
+===Other===
+On the scene where Old Nan offers to tell Bran stories, she claims that his favorites are the ones about Ser Duncan the Tall. The tales of Duncan and his squire Egg are a series of novellas written by author George R. R. Martin, taking place about a hundred years before the events of ''Game of Thrones''.
+
+==Reception==
+
+===Ratings===
+"Lord Snow"'s first airing was seen by 2.4 million viewers, which represented a 10% increase in the ratings from the two previous episodes. Combined with the second airing it reached 3.1 million viewers, which were considered good results especially considering that the news of Osama Bin Laden's death broke during the West Coast airing of the episode.
+
+In the UK, the viewership figures were in line with those obtained on the previous week, with around 510,000 viewers. Those figures are in the top end for the network, Sky Atlantic.
+
+===Critical response===
+While the majority of the critics gave "Lord Snow" a positive review, many suggested that it suffered from having to introduce many new characters and locations. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 10 reviews of the episode and judged 80% of them to be positive with an average score of 8.75 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "'Lord Snow' is an intriguing and heavy transitional episode with standout performances from Bean and Gillen, though it would be better served with more focus on character change and development." Myles McNutt wrote at Cultural Learnings that it was "perhaps the most narratively uninteresting episode of the first six," although he highlighted that it was "hardly a bad episode of television, filled as it is with satisfying sequences that capture many themes key to the series," and added that many issues introduced in this episode had a payoff in future installments. ''Entertainment Weekly'' James Hibberd also thought that it was his least favorite episode of the first six, due to too much character development. However, Alan Sepinwall from HitFix, liked the "more rambling quality of 'Lord Snow,' and while admitting it is heavy on exposition he felt it worked "because the stories are being told with such passion." IGN's Matt Fowler wrote that "Lord Snow" was "dense and filled with tons of exposition and backstory, which may or may not have interested those new to this story - but I found myself hanging on every precious word." Alan Sepinwall wrote a positive review of the episode for HitFix, saying "Arya's fencing lesson is a wonderful scene, carried by the joy of Maisie Williams' performance and the playful, Inigo Montoya-ish quality of her new teacher Syrio, but it's also such a small, simple thing that you wouldn't ordinarily expect it to be the note that an episode of dramatic television goes out on" and continued "I liked the looser, more rambling quality of "Lord Snow," an episode largely about transitions, fish out of water, and old ghosts.
+
+Some of the scenes were highly praised by reviewers. The closing scene with Arya taking her first lesson from the Braavosi Syrio Forel was highlighted. Maureen Ryan from AOL TV stated that it was her favorite scene of the series so far, and James Hibberd remarked upon the quality of all the child actors of the show and stated that Maisie Williams owned her role in this episode. Other scenes that were noted by the critics were the father-daughter dialogue with Eddard Stark and Arya, King Robert remembering with the members of his Kingsguard their first killings, and Eddard attending his first session of the Small Council.
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+
+*  "Lord Snow" at HBO
+* 
+* 
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article_txt_got/194_A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire.txt

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+'''''A Song of Ice and Fire''''' is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. He began the first volume of the series, ''A Game of Thrones,'' in 1991, and it was published in 1996. Martin, who initially envisioned the series as a trilogy, has published five out of a planned seven volumes. The fifth and most recent volume of the series, ''A Dance with Dragons'', was published in 2011 and took Martin six years to write. He is currently writing the sixth novel, ''The Winds of Winter''.
+
+''A Song of Ice and Fire'' takes place on the fictional continents Westeros and Essos. The point of view of each chapter in the story is a limited perspective of a range of characters growing from nine in the first novel, to 31 characters by the fifth novel. Three main stories interweave: a dynastic war among several families for control of Westeros, the rising threat of the supernatural Others in northernmost Westeros, and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen, the deposed king's exiled daughter, to assume the Iron Throne.
+
+Martin's inspirations included the Wars of the Roses and the French historical novels ''The Accursed Kings'' by Maurice Druon. ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' received praise for its diverse portrayal of women and religion, as well as its realism. An assortment of disparate and subjective points of view confronts the reader, and the success or survival of point-of-view characters is never assured. Within the often morally ambiguous world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', questions concerning loyalty, pride, human sexuality, piety, and the morality of violence frequently arise.
+
+The books have sold 90 million copies worldwide , after having been translated into 47 languages . The fourth and fifth volumes reached the top of the ''New York Times'' Best Seller lists upon their releases. Among the many derived works are several prequel novellas, a TV series, a comic book adaptation, and several card, board, and video games.
+
+==Plot synopsis==
+
+
+''A Song of Ice and Fire'' takes place in a fictional world in which seasons last for years and end unpredictably. Nearly three centuries before the events of the first novel, the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros were united under the Targaryen dynasty by Aegon I and his sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys, establishing military supremacy through their control of dragons. The Targaryen dynasty ruled for three hundred years, although civil war and infighting among the Targaryens was frequent. Due to being held and bred in captivity, their dragons became ever smaller until they finally went extinct. At the beginning of ''A Game of Thrones'', 15 peaceful years have passed since the rebellion led by Lord Robert Baratheon that deposed and killed the last Targaryen king, Aerys II "the Mad King", and proclaimed Robert king of the Seven Kingdoms, with a nine-year-long summer coming to an end.
+
+The principal story chronicles the power struggle for the Iron Throne among the great Houses of Westeros following the death of King Robert in ''A Game of Thrones''. Robert's heir apparent, the 13-year-old Joffrey, is immediately proclaimed king through the machinations of his mother, Queen Cersei Lannister. When Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark, Robert's closest friend and chief advisor, discovers that Joffrey and his siblings are the product of incest between Cersei and her twin brother Ser Jaime "The Kingslayer" Lannister, Eddard attempts to unseat Joffrey, but is betrayed and executed for treason. In response, Robert's brothers Stannis and Renly both lay separate claims to the throne. During this period of instability, two of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros attempt to become independent from the Iron Throne: Eddard's eldest son Robb is proclaimed King in the North, while Lord Balon Greyjoy desires to recover the sovereignty of his region, the Iron Islands. The so-called "War of the Five Kings" is in full progress by the middle of the second book, ''A Clash of Kings''.
+
+The second part of the story takes place in the far north of Westeros, where an 8,000-year-old wall of ice, simply called "the Wall", defends the Seven Kingdoms from supernatural creatures known as the Others. The Wall's sentinels, the Sworn Brotherhood of the Night's Watch, also protect the realm from the incursions of the "wildlings" or "Free Folk", who are several human tribes living on the north side of the Wall. The Night's Watch story is told primarily through the point of view of Jon Snow, Lord Eddard Stark's bastard son. Jon follows the footsteps of his uncle Benjen Stark and joins the Watch at a young age, rising quickly through the ranks. He eventually becomes Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. In the third volume, ''A Storm of Swords'', the Night's Watch storyline becomes increasingly entangled with the War of the Five Kings.
+
+The third storyline follows Daenerys Targaryen, daughter of Aerys II, the last Targaryen king. On the continent of Essos, east of Westeros across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys is married off by her elder brother Viserys Targaryen to a powerful warlord, but slowly becomes an independent and intelligent ruler in her own right. Her rise to power is aided by the historic birth of three dragons, hatched from eggs given to her as wedding gifts. The three dragons soon become not only a symbol of her bloodline and her claim to the throne, but also devastating weapons of war, which help her in the conquest of Slaver's Bay.
+
+==Publishing history==
+
+===Overview===
+Books in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series are first published in hardcover and are later re-released as paperback editions. In the UK, Harper Voyager publishes special slipcased editions. The series has also been translated into more than 30 languages. All page totals given below are for the US first editions.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+#
+
+Title
+
+Pages
+
+Chapters
+
+Words
+
+Audio
+
+US release
+
+
+
+1
+
+''A Game of Thrones''
+
+694
+
+73
+
+292,727
+
+33h 53m
+
+August 1996
+
+
+
+2
+
+''A Clash of Kings''
+
+768
+
+70
+
+318,903
+
+37h 17m
+
+February 1999
+
+
+
+3
+
+''A Storm of Swords''
+
+973
+
+82
+
+
+414,604
+
+47h 37m
+
+November 2000
+
+
+
+4
+
+''A Feast for Crows''
+
+753
+
+46
+
+295,032
+
+31h 10m
+
+November 2005
+
+
+
+5
+
+''A Dance with Dragons''
+
+1056
+
+73
+
+414,788
+
+48h 56m
+
+July 2011
+
+
+
+6
+
+''The Winds of Winter''
+
+''Forthcoming''
+
+
+
+7
+
+''A Dream of Spring''
+
+''Forthcoming''
+
+
+
+Total 
+
+ 4,228 
+
+ 344 
+
+ 1,736,054 
+
+ 198h 53m 
+
+ 1996–2011
+
+
+
+===First three novels (1991–2000) ===
+George R. R. Martin at Archipelacon in Mariehamn, 2015.
+George R. R. Martin was already a successful fantasy and sci-fi author and TV writer before writing his ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' book series. Martin had published his first short story in 1971 and his first novel in 1977. By the mid-1990s, he had won three Hugo Awards, two Nebula Awards, and other awards for his short fiction. Although his early books were well-received within the fantasy fiction community, his readership remained relatively small and Martin took on jobs as a writer in Hollywood in the mid-1980s. He worked principally on the revival of ''The Twilight Zone'' throughout 1986 and on ''Beauty and the Beast'' until 1990, but he also developed his own TV pilots and wrote feature film scripts. He grew frustrated that his pilots and screenplays were not getting made and that TV-related production limitations like budgets and episode lengths were forcing him to cut characters and trim battle scenes. This pushed Martin back towards writing books, where he did not have to worry about compromising the size of his imagination. Admiring the works of J. R. R. Tolkien in his childhood, he wanted to write an epic fantasy, though he did not have any specific ideas.
+
+When Martin was between Hollywood projects in the summer of 1991, he started writing a new science fiction novel called ''Avalon''. After three chapters, he had a vivid idea of a boy seeing a man's beheading and finding direwolves in the snow, which would eventually become the first non-prologue chapter of ''A Game of Thrones''. Putting ''Avalon'' aside, Martin finished this chapter in a few days and grew certain that it was part of a longer story. After a few more chapters, Martin perceived his new book as a fantasy story and started making maps and genealogies. However, the writing of this book was interrupted for a few years when Martin returned to Hollywood to produce his TV series ''Doorways'' that ABC had ordered but ultimately never aired.
+
+
+
+In 1994, Martin gave his agent, Kirby McCauley, the first 200 pages and a two-page story projection as part of a planned trilogy with the novels ''A Dance with Dragons'' and ''The Winds of Winter'' intended to follow. When Martin had still not reached the novel's end at 1400 manuscript pages, he felt that the series needed to be four and eventually six books long, which he imagined as two linked trilogies of one long story. Martin chose ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' as the overall series title: Martin saw the struggle of the cold Others and the fiery dragons as one possible meaning for "Ice and Fire", whereas the word "song" had previously appeared in Martin's book titles ''A Song for Lya'' and ''Songs the Dead Men Sing'', stemming from his obsessions with songs. Martin also named Robert Frost's 1920 poem "Fire and Ice" and cultural associations such as passion versus betrayal as possible influences for the series' title.
+
+The revised finished manuscript for ''A Game of Thrones'' was 1088 pages long (without the appendices), with the publication following in August 1996. ''Wheel of Time'' author Robert Jordan had written a short endorsement for the cover that was influential in ensuring the book's and hence series' early success with fantasy readers. ''Blood of the Dragon'', a pre-release sample novella drawn from Daenerys's chapters, went on to win the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella.
+
+The 300 pages removed from the ''A Game of Thrones'' manuscript served as the opening of the second book, entitled ''A Clash of Kings''. It was released in February 1999 in the United States, with a manuscript length (without appendices) of 1184 pages. ''A Clash of Kings'' was the first book of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series to make the best-seller lists, reaching 13 on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list in 1999. After the success of ''The Lord of the Rings'' films, Martin received his first inquiries to the rights of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series from various producers and filmmakers.
+
+Martin was several months late turning in the third book, ''A Storm of Swords''. The last chapter he had written was about the "Red Wedding", a pivotal scene notable for its violence (see Themes: Violence and death). ''A Storm of Swords'' was 1521 pages in manuscript (without appendices), causing problems for many of Martin's publishers around the world. Bantam Books published ''A Storm of Swords'' in a single volume in the United States in November 2000, whereas some other-language editions were divided into two, three, or even four volumes. ''A Storm of Swords'' debuted at number 12 in the ''New York Times'' bestseller list.
+
+===Bridging the timeline gap (2000–2011) ===
+After ''A Game of Thrones'', ''A Clash of Kings'', and ''A Storm of Swords'', Martin originally intended to write three more books. The fourth book, tentatively titled ''A Dance with Dragons'', was to focus on Daenerys Targaryen's return to Westeros and the associated conflicts. Martin wanted to set this story five years after ''A Storm of Swords'' so that the younger characters could grow older and the dragons grow larger. Agreeing with his publishers early on that the new book should be shorter than ''A Storm of Swords'', Martin set out to write the novel closer in length to ''A Clash of Kings''. A long prologue was to establish what had happened in the meantime, initially just as one chapter of Aeron Damphair on the Iron Islands at the Kingsmoot. Since the events on the Iron Islands were to have an impact in the book and could not be told with existing POV characters, Martin eventually introduced three new viewpoints.
+
+In 2001, Martin was still optimistic that the fourth installment might be released in the last quarter of 2002. However, the five-year gap did not work for all characters during writing. On one hand, Martin was unsatisfied with covering the events during the gap solely through flashbacks and internal retrospection. On the other hand, it was implausible to have nothing happen for five years. After working on the book for about a year, Martin realized he needed an additional interim book, which he called ''A Feast for Crows''. The book would pick up the story immediately after the third book, and Martin scrapped the idea of a five-year gap. The material of the written 250-page prologue was mixed in as new viewpoint characters from Dorne and the Iron Islands. These expanded storylines and the resulting story interactions complicated the plot for Martin.
+
+The manuscript length of ''A Feast for Crows'' eventually surpassed ''A Storm of Swords''. Martin was reluctant to make the necessary deep cuts to get the book down to publishable length, as that would have compromised the story he had in mind. Printing the book in "microtype on onion skin paper and giving each reader a magnifying glass" was also not an option for him. On the other hand, Martin rejected the publishers' idea of splitting the narrative chronologically into ''A Feast for Crows'', Parts One and Two. Being already late with the book, Martin had not even started writing all characters' stories and also objected to ending the first book without any resolution for its many viewpoint characters as in previous books.
+
+With the characters spread out across the world, a friend suggested that Martin divide the story geographically into two volumes, of which ''A Feast for Crows'' would be the first. This approach would give Martin the room to complete his commenced story arcs as he had originally intended, which he still felt was the best approach years later. Martin moved the unfinished characters' stories set in the east (Essos) and north (Winterfell and the Wall) into the next book, ''A Dance with Dragons'', and left ''A Feast for Crows'' to cover the events in King's Landing, the Riverlands, Dorne, and the Iron Islands. Both books begin immediately after the end of ''A Storm of Swords'', running in parallel instead of sequentially, and involve different casts of characters with only little overlap. Martin split Arya's chapters into both books after having already moved the three other most popular characters (Jon Snow, Tyrion, and Daenerys) into ''A Dance with Dragons''.
+
+Upon its release in October 2005 in the UK and November 2005 in the US, ''A Feast for Crows'' went straight to the top of ''The New York Times'' bestseller list. Among the positive reviewers was Lev Grossman of ''Time'', who dubbed Martin "the American Tolkien". However, fans and critics alike were disappointed with the story split that left the fates of several popular characters unresolved after ''A Storm of Swords'' cliffhanger ending. With ''A Dance with Dragons'' said to be half-finished, Martin mentioned in the epilogue of ''A Feast for Crows'' that the next volume would be released by the next year. However, planned release dates were repeatedly pushed back. Meanwhile, HBO acquired the rights to turn ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' into a fantasy drama series in 2007 and aired the first of ten episodes covering ''A Game of Thrones'' in April 2011.
+
+With around 1600 pages in manuscript length, ''A Dance with Dragons'' was eventually published in July 2011 after six years of writing, longer in page count and writing time than any of the preceding four novels. The story of ''A Dance with Dragons'' catches up with and goes beyond ''A Feast for Crows'' around two-thirds into the book, but nevertheless covers less story than Martin had intended, omitting at least one planned large battle sequence and leaving several character threads ending in cliff-hangers. Martin attributed the delay mainly to his untangling "the Meereenese knot", which the interviewer understood as "making the chronology and characters mesh up as various threads converged on Daenerys". Martin also acknowledged spending too much time on rewriting and perfecting the story, but soundly rejected the theories of some of his critics that he had lost interest in the series or would bide his time to make more money.
+
+===Planned novels and future===
+Martin believes the last two volumes of the series will be big books of 1500 manuscript pages each. The sixth book will be called ''The Winds of Winter'', taking the title of the last book of the originally planned trilogy. Displeased with the provisional title ''A Time for Wolves'' for the final volume, Martin ultimately announced ''A Dream of Spring'' as the title for the seventh book in 2006. Martin said in March 2012 that the final two novels will take readers farther north than any of the previous books, and that the Others will appear in the book.
+
+====''The Winds of Winter'' ====
+
+''The Winds of Winter'' will resolve the cliffhangers from ''A Dance with Dragons'' early on and "will open with the two big battles that the fifth book was building up to, the battle in the ice and the battle ... of Slaver's Bay. And then take it from there." By the middle of 2010, Martin had already finished five chapters of ''The Winds of Winter'' from the viewpoints of Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, Arianne Martell, and Aeron Greyjoy, coming to around 100 completed pages. After the publication of ''A Dance with Dragons'' in 2011, Martin announced he would return to writing in January 2012. He spent the meantime on book tours, conventions, and continued working on his ''The World of Ice & Fire'' companion guide and a new ''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' novella. In December 2011, Martin posted a chapter from ''The Winds of Winter'' from the viewpoint of Theon Greyjoy; several other chapters have been made public since. Four hundred pages of the sixth novel had been written , although Martin considered only 200 as "really finished"; the rest needed revising. During the Guadalajara International Book Fair in Mexico in early December 2016, Martin offered the following hint as to the tone of this book: "There are a lot of dark chapters right now ... I've been telling you for 20 years that winter was coming. Winter is the time when things die, and cold and ice and darkness fill the world, so this is not going to be the happy feel-good that people may be hoping for. Some of the characters are in very dark places." Martin did not intend to separate the characters geographically again.
+
+In 2011, Martin gave three years as a realistic estimate for finishing the sixth book at a good pace, but said ultimately the book "will be done when it's done", acknowledging that his publication estimates had been too optimistic in the past. In 2015 there were indications that the book would be published before the sixth season of the HBO show but in early January 2016 Martin confirmed that he had not met an end-of-year deadline that he had established with his publisher for release of the book before the sixth season. He also revealed there had been a previous deadline of October 2015 that he had considered achievable in May 2015, and that in September 2015 he had still considered the end-of-year deadline achievable. He further confirmed that some of the plot of the book might be revealed in the upcoming season of ''Game of Thrones''. In February 2016, Martin stated that he dropped all his editing projects except for ''Wild Cards'', and that he would not be writing any teleplays, screenplays, short stories, introductions or forewords before delivering ''The Winds of Winter''. In April 2018, Martin announced in a blog post that ''The Winds of Winter'' would not be published in 2018.
+
+====''A Dream of Spring''====
+Martin is only firm about ending the series with the seventh novel "until I decide not to be firm". With his stated goal of telling the story from beginning to end, he will not truncate the story to fit into an arbitrary number of volumes. He knows the ending in broad strokes as well as the future of the main characters, and will finish the series with bittersweet elements where not everyone will live happily ever after. Martin hopes to write an ending similar to ''The Lord of the Rings'' that he felt gave the story a satisfying depth and resonance. On the other hand, Martin noted the challenge to avoid a situation like the finale of the TV series ''Lost'', which left some fans disappointed by deviating too far from their own theories and desires. In 2012, Martin had acknowledged his concerns about ''A Dream of Spring'' not being completed by the time the TV series ''Game of Thrones'' catches up in its storyline to the novels.
+In 2015, Martin said that he was not writing ''A Dream of Spring'' together with ''The Winds of Winter'', and in early 2016, he said he did not believe ''A Dream of Spring'' would be published before the last season of the HBO show. In April 2018, Martin commented he had not started working on the book, and in November he said that after ''The Winds of Winter'' he would decide what to do next: ''A Dream of Spring'' or the second volume of ''Fire & Blood'' or one or two stories for the ''Tales of Dunk and Egg''. In May 2019 he reiterated he had not started writing ''A Dream of Spring'' and would not do so before finishing ''The Winds of Winter''.
+
+Martin offered the following hint as to how the series would conclude during a Q&A at the Guadalajara International Book Fair. "I'm not going to tell you how I'm going to end my book, but I suspect the overall flavor is going to be as much bittersweet as it is happy."
+
+====TV series and other writings====
+Early during the development of the TV series, Martin told major plot points to producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Martin was confident he would have published at least ''The Winds of Winter'' before the TV series overtook him. Nevertheless, there were general concerns about whether Martin would be able to stay ahead of the show. As a result, head writers Benioff and Weiss learned more future plot points from Martin in 2013 to help them set up the show's new possible seasons. This included the end stories for all the core characters. Deviations from the books' storylines were considered, but a two-year hiatus to wait for new books was not an option for them (as the child actors continue to grow and the show's popularity would wane). Martin indicated he would not permit another writer to finish the book series. On January 2, 2016, Martin confirmed that the sixth volume would not be published before the start of the sixth season of the HBO series.
+
+Regarding ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' as his masterpiece, Martin is certain never to write anything on this scale again and would only return to this fictional universe in the context of stand-alone novels. He prefers to write stories about characters from other ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' periods of history such as his ''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' project, instead of continuing the series directly. Martin said he would love to return to writing short stories, novellas, novelettes, and stand-alone novels from diverse genres such as science fiction, horror, fantasy, or even a murder mystery.
+
+==Inspiration and writing==
+
+===Genre===
+
+
+
+George R. R. Martin believes the most profound influences to be the ones experienced in childhood. Having read H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Robert A. Heinlein, Eric Frank Russell, Andre Norton, Isaac Asimov, Fritz Leiber, and Mervyn Peake in his youth, Martin never categorized these authors' literature into science fiction, fantasy, or horror and will write from any genre as a result. Martin classified ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' as "epic fantasy", and specifically named Tad Williams' high fantasy epic ''Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn'' as very influential for the writing of the series. One of his favorite authors is Jack Vance, although Martin considered the series not particularly Vancean.
+
+Martin experienced some harsh winters when living in Dubuque a few years in the 1970s, and suspects these winters had an influence on his writing; "I think a lot of the stuff in ''A Game of Thrones'', the snow and ice and freezing, comes from my memories of Dubuque".
+
+The medieval setting has been the traditional background for epic fantasy. However, where historical fiction leaves versed readers knowing the historical outcome, original characters may increase suspense and empathy for the readers. Yet Martin felt historical fiction, particularly when set during the Middle Ages, had an excitement, grittiness, and a realness to it that was absent in fantasy with a similar backdrop. Thus, he wanted to combine the realism of historical fiction with the magic appeal of the best fantasies, subduing magic in favor of battles and political intrigue. He also decided to avoid the conventional good versus evil setting typical for the genre, using the fight between Achilles and Hector in Homer's ''Iliad'', where no one stands out as either a hero or a villain, as an example of what he wants to achieve with his books.
+
+Martin is widely credited with broadening the fantasy fiction genre for adult content, including incest, paedophilia, and adultery. Writing for ''The Atlantic'', Amber Taylor assessed the novels as hard fantasy with vulnerable characters to which readers become emotionally attached. CNN found in 2000 that Martin's mature descriptions were "far more frank than those found in the works of other fantasy authors", although Martin assessed the fantasy genre to have become rougher-edged a decade later and that some writers' work was going beyond the mature themes of his novels. Adam Roberts called Martin's series the most successful and popular example of the emerging subgenre of grimdark fantasy.
+
+===Writing process===
+''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series was partly inspired by the Wars of the Roses, a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England. This painting by Richard Burchett portrays Edward IV demanding that his defeated enemies be taken from Tewkesbury Abbey.
+
+Setting out to write something on an epic scale, Martin projected to write three books of 800 manuscript pages in the very early stages of the series. His original 1990s contract specified one-year deadlines for his previous literary works, but Martin only realized later that his new books were longer and hence required more writing time. In 2000, Martin planned to take 18 months to two years for each volume and projected the last of the planned six books to be released five or six years later. However, with ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series evolving into the biggest and most ambitious story he has ever attempted writing, he still has two more books to write . Martin said he needed to be in his own office in Santa Fe, New Mexico to immerse himself in the fictional world and write. , Martin was still typing his fiction on a DOS computer with WordStar 4.0 software. He begins each day at 10 am with rewriting and polishing the previous day's work, and may write all day or struggle to write anything. Excised material and previous old versions are saved to be possibly re-inserted at a later time. Martin does not consider ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' a "series" but a single story published in several volumes.
+
+Martin set the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' story in a secondary world inspired by Tolkien's writing. Unlike Tolkien, who created entire languages, mythologies, and histories for Middle-earth long before writing ''The Lord of the Rings'', Martin usually starts with a rough sketch of an imaginary world that he improvises into a workable fictional setting along the way. He described his writing as coming from a subconscious level in "almost a daydreaming process", and his stories, which have a mythic rather than a scientific core, draw from emotion instead of rationality. Martin employs maps and a cast list topping 60 pages in the fourth volume, but keeps most information in his mind. His imagined backstory remains subject to change until published, and only the novels count as canon. Martin does not intend to publish his private notes after the series is finished.
+
+Martin drew much inspiration from actual history for the series, having several bookcases filled with medieval history for research and visiting historic European landmarks. For an American who speaks only English, the history of England proved the easiest source of medieval history for him, giving the series a British rather than a German or Spanish historic flavor. For example, Ned and Robb Stark resemble Richard, 3rd Duke of York, and his son Edward IV, and Queen Cersei resembles both Margaret of Anjou and Elizabeth Woodville. Martin immersed himself in many diverse medieval topics such as clothing, food, feasting, and tournaments to have the facts at hand if needed during writing. The series was in particular influenced by the Hundred Years' War, the Crusades, the Albigensian Crusade, and the Wars of the Roses, although Martin refrained from making any direct adaptations. Martin was also inspired by the French historical novels ''The Accursed Kings'' by Maurice Druon, which are about the French monarchy in the 13th and 14th centuries.
+
+The story is written to follow principal landmarks with an ultimate destination, but leaves Martin room for improvisation. On occasion, improvised details significantly affected the planned story. By the fourth book, Martin kept more private notes than ever before to keep track of the many subplots, which became so detailed and sprawling by the fifth book as to be unwieldy. Martin's editors, copy editors, and readers monitor for accidental mistakes, although some errors have slipped into publication. For instance, Martin has inconsistently referred to certain characters' eye colors, and has described a horse as being of one sex and then another.
+
+===Narrative structure===
+
+
+
++Number of chapters per point-of-view character
+
+
+
+ POV character 
+
+ ''Game'' 
+
+ ''Clash'' 
+
+ ''Storm'' 
+
+ ''Feast'' 
+
+ ''Dance'' 
+
+ (''Winds'') 
+
+'''Sum'''
+
+
+
+ Bran Stark
+
+ 7 
+
+ 7 
+
+ 4 
+
+ 
+
+ 3 
+
+ 
+
+ 21
+
+
+
+ Catelyn Stark
+
+ 11 
+
+ 7 
+
+ 7 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 25
+
+
+
+ Daenerys Targaryen
+
+ 10 
+
+ 5 
+
+ 6 
+
+ 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 
+
+ 31
+
+
+
+ Eddard Stark
+
+ 15 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 15
+
+
+
+ Jon Snow
+
+ 9 
+
+ 8 
+
+ 12 
+
+ 
+
+ 13 
+
+ 
+
+ 42
+
+
+
+ Arya Stark
+
+ 5 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 13 
+
+ 3 
+
+ 2 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Tyrion Lannister
+
+ 9 
+
+ 15 
+
+ 11 
+
+ 
+
+ 12 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Sansa Stark
+
+ 6 
+
+ 8 
+
+ 7 
+
+ 3 
+
+ 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Davos Seaworth
+
+ 
+
+ 3 
+
+ 6 
+
+ 
+
+ 4 
+
+ 
+
+ 13
+
+
+
+ Theon Greyjoy
+
+ 
+
+ 6 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 7 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Jaime Lannister
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 9 
+
+ 7 
+
+ 1 
+
+ 
+
+ 17
+
+
+
+ Samwell Tarly
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 5 
+
+ 5 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 10
+
+
+
+ Cersei Lannister
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 10 
+
+ 2 
+
+ 
+
+ 12
+
+
+
+ Brienne of Tarth
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 8 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 8
+
+
+
+ Aeron Greyjoy
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 2 
+
+ 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Areo Hotah
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 1 
+
+ 1 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Asha Greyjoy
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 1 
+
+ 3 
+
+ 
+
+ 4
+
+
+
+ Arys Oakheart
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 1 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 1
+
+
+
+ Victarion Greyjoy
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 2 
+
+ 2 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Arianne Martell
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 2 
+
+ 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Quentyn Martell
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 4 
+
+ 
+
+ 4
+
+
+
+ Jon Connington
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 2 
+
+ 
+
+ 2
+
+
+
+ Melisandre
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 1 
+
+ 
+
+ 1
+
+
+
+ Barristan Selmy
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 4 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Prologue/Epilogue
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Total (characters)
+
+ 73 (9) 
+
+ 70 (10) 
+
+ 82 (12) 
+
+ 46 (13) 
+
+ 73 (18) 
+
+  
+
+
+
+
+
+The books are divided into chapters, each one narrated in the third person limited through the eyes of a point of view character, an approach Martin learned himself as a young journalism student. Beginning with nine POV characters in ''A Game of Thrones'', the number of POV characters grows to a total of 31 in ''A Dance with Dragons'' (see table). The short-lived one-time POV characters are mostly restricted to the prologues and epilogues. David Orr of ''The New York Times'' noted the story importance of "the Starks (good guys), the Targaryens (at least one good guy, or girl), the Lannisters (conniving), the Greyjoys (mostly conniving), the Baratheons (mixed bag), the Tyrells (unclear), and the Martells (ditto), most of whom are feverishly endeavoring to advance their ambitions and ruin their enemies, preferably unto death". However, as ''Time'' Lev Grossman noted, readers "experience the struggle for Westeros from all sides at once", such that "every fight is both triumph and tragedy ... and everybody is both hero and villain at the same time".
+
+Modeled on ''The Lord of the Rings'', the story of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' begins with a tight focus on a small group (with everyone in Winterfell, except Daenerys) and then splits into separate stories. The storylines are to converge again, but finding the turning point in this complex series has been difficult for Martin and has slowed down his writing. Depending on the interview, Martin is said to have reached the turning point in ''A Dance with Dragons'', or to not quite have reached it yet in the books. The series' structure of multiple POVs and interwoven storylines was inspired by ''Wild Cards'', a multi-authored shared universe book series edited by Martin since 1985. As the sole author, Martin begins each new book with an outline of the chapter order and may write a few successive chapters from a single character's viewpoint instead of working chronologically. The chapters are later rearranged to optimize character intercutting, chronology, and suspense.
+
+Influenced by his television and film scripting background, Martin tries to keep readers engrossed by ending each ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' chapter with a tense or revelational moment, a twist or a cliffhanger, similar to a TV act break. Scriptwriting has also taught him the technique of "cutting out the fat and leaving the muscle", which is the final stage of completing a book, a technique that brought the page count in ''A Dance with Dragons'' down almost eighty pages. Dividing the continuous ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' story into books is much harder for Martin. Each book shall represent a phase of the journey that ends in closure for most characters. A smaller portion of characters is left with clear-cut cliffhangers to make sure readers come back for the next installment, although ''A Dance with Dragons'' had more cliffhangers than Martin originally intended. Both one-time and regular POV characters are designed to have full character arcs ending in tragedy or triumph, and are written to hold the readers' interest and not be skipped in reading. Main characters are killed off so that the reader will not rely on the hero to come through unscathed and will instead feel the character's fear with each page turn.
+
+The unresolved larger narrative arc encourages speculation about future story events. According to Martin, much of the key to ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' future lies over a dozen years in the fictional past, of which each volume reveals more. Events planned from the beginning are foreshadowed, although Martin is careful not to make the story predictable. The viewpoint characters, who serve as unreliable narrators, may clarify or provide different perspectives on past events. Therefore, what the readers believe to be true may not necessarily be true.
+
+===Character development===
+
+Regarding the characters as the heart of the story, Martin planned the epic ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' to have a large cast of characters and many different settings from the beginning. ''A Feast for Crows'' has a 63-page list of characters, with many of the thousands of characters mentioned only in passing or disappearing from view for long stretches. When Martin adds a new family to the ever-growing number of genealogies in the appendices, he devises a secret about the personality or fate of the family members. However, their backstory remains subject to change until written down in the story. Martin drew most character inspiration from history (without directly translating historical figures) and his own experiences, but also from the manners of his friends, acquaintances, and people of public interest. Martin aims to "make my characters real and to make them human, characters who have good and bad, noble and selfish well-mixed in their natures". Jeff VanderMeer of the ''Los Angeles Times'' remarked that "Martin's devotion to fully inhabiting his characters, for better or worse, creates the unstoppable momentum in his novels and contains an implied criticism of Tolkien's moral simplicity" (see Themes: Moral ambiguity).
+
+Martin deliberately ignored the writing rule of never giving two characters names starting with the same letter. Instead, character names reflect the naming systems in various European family histories, where particular names were associated with specific royal houses and where even the secondary families assigned the same names repeatedly. The story of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' therefore has children called "Robert" in honor of King Robert of House Baratheon, a "Brandon" in every other generation of the Starks in commemoration of Brandon the Builder (of the Wall), and the syllable "Ty" commonly occurring in given names of House Lannister. Confident that readers would pay attention, Martin distinguished people sharing a given name by adding numbers or locations to their given names (e.g. Henry V of England). The family names were designed in association with ethnic groups (see backstory): the First Men in the North of Westeros had very simply descriptive names like Stark and Strong, whereas the descendants of the Andal invaders in the South have more elaborate, undescriptive house names like Lannister or Arryn, and the Targaryens and Valyrians from the Eastern continent have the most exotic names with the letter Y.
+
+All characters are designed to speak with their own internal voices to capture their views of the world. ''The Atlantic'' pondered whether Martin ultimately intended the readers to sympathize with characters on both sides of the Lannister–Stark feud long before plot developments force them to make their emotional choices. Contrary to most conventional epic fantasies, the characters of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' are vulnerable so that, according to ''The Atlantic'', the reader "cannot be sure that good shall triumph, which makes those instances where it does all the more exulting." Martin gets emotionally involved in the characters' lives during writing, which makes the chapters with dreadful events sometimes very difficult to write. Seeing the world through the characters' eyes requires a certain amount of empathy with them, including the villains, all of whom he has said he loves as if they were his own children. Martin found that some characters had minds of their own and took his writing in different directions. He returns to the intended story if it does not work out, but these detours sometimes prove more rewarding for him.
+
+Arya Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, and Daenerys Targaryen generate the most feedback from readers. Martin has stated that Tyrion is his personal favorite, as the grayest of the gray characters, with his cunning and wit making him the most fun to write. Martin has also said that Bran Stark is the hardest character to write. As the character most deeply involved in magic, Bran's story needs to be handled carefully within the supernatural aspects of the books. Bran is also the youngest viewpoint character, and has to deal with the series' adult themes like grief, loneliness, and anger. Martin set out to have the young characters grow up faster between chapters, but, as it was implausible for a character to take two months to respond, a finished book represents very little time passed. Martin hoped the planned five-year break would ease the situation and age the children to almost adults in terms of the Seven Kingdoms, but he later dropped the five-year gap (see section Bridging the timeline gap).
+
+==Themes==
+
+
+Although involving dragons and sorcery, ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series de-emphasizes magic as compared to many other epic fantasy works (emblem of J. Allen St. John's 1905 fantasy work ''The Face in the Pool'').
+
+Although modern fantasy may often embrace strangeness, ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series is generally praised for what is perceived as a sort of medieval realism. Believing that magic should be used moderately in the epic fantasy genre, Martin set out to make the story feel more like historical fiction than contemporary fantasy, with less emphasis on magic and sorcery and more on battles, political intrigue, and the characters. Though the amount of magic has gradually increased throughout the story, the series is still to end with less overt magic than most contemporary fantasies. In Martin's eyes, literary effective magic needs to represent strange and dangerous forces beyond human comprehension, not advanced alien technologies or formulaic spells. As such, the characters understand only the natural aspects of their world, but not the magical elements like the Others.
+
+Since Martin drew on historical sources to build the world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' , Damien G. Walter of ''The Guardian'' saw a strong resemblance between Westeros and England in the period of the Wars of the Roses. ''The Atlantic'' Adam Serwer regarded ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' as "more a story of politics than one of heroism, a story about humanity wrestling with its baser obsessions than fulfilling its glorious potential", where the emergent power struggle stems from the feudal system's repression and not from the fight between good and evil. Martin not only wanted to reflect the frictions of the medieval class structures in the novels, but also explore the consequences of the leaders' decisions, as general goodness does not automatically make competent leaders and vice versa.
+
+A common theme in the fantasy genre is the battle between good and evil, which Martin rejects for not mirroring the real world. Attracted to gray characters, Martin instead endorses William Faulkner's view that only the human heart in conflict with itself was worth writing about. Martin explores the questions of redemption and character change in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series. The multiple viewpoint structure allows characters to be explored from many sides, such that the supposed villains can provide their viewpoint.
+
+Although fantasy comes from an imaginative realm, Martin sees an honest necessity to reflect the real world where people die sometimes ugly deaths, even beloved people. Main characters are killed off so that the reader will not expect the supposed hero to survive, and instead will feel the same tension and fear that the characters might. The novels also reflect the substantial death rates in war. The deaths of supernumerary extras or orcs have no major effect on readers, whereas a friend's death has much more emotional impact. Martin prefers a hero's sacrifice to say something profound about human nature.
+
+According to Martin, the fantasy genre rarely focuses on sex and sexuality, instead often treating sexuality in a juvenile way or neglecting it completely. Martin, however, considers sexuality an important driving force in human life that should not be excluded from the narrative. Providing sensory detail for an immersive experience is more important than plot advancement for Martin, who aims to let the readers experience the novels' sex scenes, "whether it's a great transcendent, exciting, mind blowing sex, or whether it's disturbing, twisted, dark sex, or disappointing perfunctory sex." Martin was fascinated by medieval contrasts where knights venerated their ladies with poems and wore their favors in tournaments while their armies mindlessly raped women in wartime. The non-existent concept of adolescence in the Middle Ages served as a model for Daenerys' sexual activity at the age of 13 in the books. The novels also allude to the incestuous practices in the Ptolemaic dynasty of Ancient Egypt to keep their bloodlines pure.
+
+Martin provides a variety of female characters to explore the place of women in a patriarchal society. Writing all characters as human beings with the same basic needs, dreams, and influences, his female characters are to cover the same wide spectrum of human traits as the males.
+
+==Reception==
+
+===Critical response===
+''Science Fiction Weekly'' stated in 2000 that "few would dispute that Martin's most monumental achievement to date has been the groundbreaking ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' historical fantasy series", for which reviews have been "orders of magnitude better" than for his previous works, as Martin described to ''The New Yorker''. In 2007, ''Weird Tales'' magazine described the series as a "superb fantasy saga" that "raised Martin to a whole new level of success". Shortly before the release of ''A Dance with Dragons'' in 2011, Bill Sheehan of ''The Washington Post'' was sure that "no work of fantasy has generated such anticipation since Harry Potter's final duel with Voldemort", and Ethan Sacks of ''Daily News'' saw the series turning Martin into a darling of literary critics as well as mainstream readers, which was "rare for a fantasy genre that's often dismissed as garbage not fit to line the bottom of a dragon's cage". Salon.com's Andrew Leonard stated:
+
+
+
+''Publishers Weekly'' noted in 2000 that "Martin may not rival Tolkien or Robert Jordan, but he ranks with such accomplished medievalists of fantasy as Poul Anderson and Gordon Dickson." After the fourth volume came out in 2005, ''Time'' Lev Grossman considered Martin a "major force for evolution in fantasy" and proclaimed him "the American Tolkien", explaining that, although Martin was "not the best known of America's straight-up fantasy writers" at the time and would "never win a Pulitzer or a National Book Award ... his skill as a crafter of narrative exceeds that of almost any literary novelist writing today". As Grossman said in 2011, the phrase ''American Tolkien'' "has stuck to Martin, as it was meant to", being picked up by the media including ''The New York Times'' ("He's much better than that"), the ''New Yorker'', ''Entertainment Weekly'' ("an acclaim that borders on fantasy blasphemy"), ''The Globe and Mail'', and ''USA Today''. ''Time'' magazine named Martin one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2011, and ''USA Today'' named George R.R. Martin their Author of the Year 2011.
+
+According to ''The Globe and Mail'' John Barber, Martin manages simultaneously to master and transcend the genre so that "Critics applaud the depth of his characterizations and lack of cliché in books that are nonetheless replete with dwarves and dragons". ''Publishers Weekly'' gave favorable reviews to the first three ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels at their points of release, saying that ''A Game of Thrones'' had "superbly developed characters, accomplished prose and sheer bloody-mindedness", that ''A Clash of Kings'' was "notable particularly for the lived-in quality of their fictional world and for the comparatively modest role of magic", and that ''A Storm of Swords'' was one "of the more rewarding examples of gigantism in contemporary fantasy". However, they found that ''A Feast For Crows'' as the fourth installment "sorely misses its other half. The slim pickings here are tasty, but in no way satisfying." Their review for ''A Dance with Dragons'' repeated points of criticism for the fourth volume, and said that, although "The new volume has a similar feel to ''Feast''", "Martin keeps it fresh by focusing on popular characters who were notably absent from the previous book."
+
+According to the ''Los Angeles Times'', "Martin's brilliance in evoking atmosphere through description is an enduring hallmark of his fiction, the settings much more than just props on a painted stage", and the novels captivate readers with "complex storylines, fascinating characters, great dialogue, perfect pacing, and the willingness to kill off even his major characters". CNN remarked that "the story weaves through differing points of view in a skillful mix of observation, narration and well-crafted dialogue that illuminates both character and plot with fascinating style", and David Orr of ''The New York Times'' found that "All of his hundreds of characters have grace notes of history and personality that advance a plot line. Every town has an elaborately recalled series of triumphs and troubles." Salon.com's Andrew Leonard "couldn't stop reading Martin because my desire to know what was going to happen combined with my absolute inability to guess what would happen and left me helpless before his sorcery. At the end, I felt shaken and exhausted." ''The Christian Science Monitor'' advised reading the novels with an ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' encyclopedia at hand to "catch all the layered, subtle hints and details that Martin leaves throughout his books. If you pay attention, you will be rewarded and questions will be answered."
+
+Among the most critical voices were Sam Jordison and Michael Hann, both of ''The Guardian''. Jordison detailed his misgivings about ''A Game of Thrones'' in a 2009 review and summarized "It's daft. It's unsophisticated. It's cartoonish. And yet, I couldn't stop reading .... Archaic absurdity aside, Martin's writing is excellent. His dialogue is snappy and frequently funny. His descriptive prose is immediate and atmospheric, especially when it comes to building a sense of deliciously dark foreboding of the long impending winter." Hann did not consider the novels to stand out from the general fantasy genre, despite Martin's alterations to fantasy convention, although he rediscovered his childhood's views:
+
+
+
+Academic literary criticism has been slow to engage with the series; there will likely be much more criticism if and when the series is completed. The first scholarly monograph on the series is ''George R. R. Martin and the Fantasy Form'', by New Zealand scholar Joseph Rex Young.
+
+===Sales===
+Sales performance of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series in the ''New York Times'' combined print and e-book fiction bestseller list in 2011 between the airing of the ''Game of Thrones'' pilot episode and the publication of ''A Dance with Dragons''.
+
+The reported overall sales figures of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series vary. ''The New Yorker'' said in April 2011 (before the publication of ''A Dance with Dragons'') that more than 15 million ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' books had been sold worldwide, a figure repeated by ''The Globe and Mail'' in July 2011. Reuters reported in September 2013 that the books including print, digital and audio versions have sold more than 24 million copies in North America. ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported more than six million sold copies in North America by May 2011. ''USA Today'' reported 8.5 million copies in print and digital overall in July 2011, and over 12 million sold copies in print in December 2011. The series has been translated into more than 20 languages; ''USA Today'' reported the fifth book to be translated into over 40 languages. ''Forbes'' estimated that Martin was the 12th highest-earning author worldwide in 2011 at $15 million.
+
+Martin's publishers initially expected ''A Game of Thrones'' to be a best-seller, but the first installment did not even reach any lower positions in bestseller list. This left Martin unsurprised, as it is "a fool's game to think anything is going to be successful or to count on it". However, the book slowly won the passionate advocacy of independent booksellers and the book's popularity grew by word of mouth. The series' popularity skyrocketed in subsequent volumes, with the second and third volume making ''The New York Times'' Best Seller lists in 1999 and 2000, respectively. The series gained Martin's old writings new attention, and Martin's American publisher Bantam Spectra was to reprint his out-of-print solo novels.
+
+The fourth installment, ''A Feast for Crows'', was an immediate best-seller at its 2005 release, hitting number one on "The New York Times" hardcover fiction bestseller list November 27, 2005, which for a fantasy novel suggested that Martin's books were attracting mainstream readers. The paperback edition of ''A Game of Thrones'' reached its 34th printing in 2010, surpassing the one million mark. Before it even premiered, the TV series had boosted sales of the book series, with ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' approaching triple-digit growth in year-on-year sales. Bantam was looking forward to seeing the tie-ins boost sales further, and Martin's British publisher Harper Voyager expected readers to rediscover their other epic fantasy literature. With a reported 4.5 million copies of the first four volumes in print in early 2011, the four volumes re-appeared on the paperback fiction bestseller lists in the second quarter of 2011.
+
+At its point of publication in July 2011, ''A Dance with Dragons'' was in its sixth print with more than 650,000 hardbacks in print. It also had the highest single and first-day sales of any new fiction title published in 2011 at that point, with 170,000 hardcovers, 110,000 e-books, and 18,000 audio books reportedly sold on the first day. ''A Dance with Dragons'' reached the top of ''The New York Times'' bestseller list on July 31, 2011. Unlike most other big titles, the fifth volume sold more physical than digital copies early on, but nevertheless, Martin became the tenth author to sell 1 million Amazon Kindle e-books. All five volumes and the four-volume boxed set were among the top 100 best-selling books in the United States in 2011 and 2012.
+
+The TV series has contributed significantly boosting sales of both the books and collectibles like box-sets, merchandise, and other items. The TV series also contributed in increasing the geographic coverage of the books, introducing new customers in emerging countries like India and Brazil to the book series. All this has significantly increased the overall book sales. As of April 2019, the book series has sold 90million copies worldwide.
+
+===Fandom===
+
+
+
+During the 1980s and early 1990s, Martin's novels had slowly earned him a reputation in science fiction circles, although he said to only have received a few fans' letters a year in the pre-internet days. The publication of ''A Game of Thrones'' caused Martin's following to grow, with fan sites springing up and a Trekkie-like society of followers evolving that meet regularly. Westeros.org, one of the main ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' fansites with about seventeen thousand registered members , was co-founded in 1999 by a Swedish-based fan of Cuban descent, Elio M. García, Jr., as well as Linda Antonsson, who introduced him to the series; their involvement with Martin's work has now become semi-professional. The Brotherhood Without Banners, an unofficial fan club operating globally, was formed in 2001. Their founders and other longtime members are among Martin's good friends.
+
+Martin runs an official website and administers a lively blog with the assistance of Ty Franck. He also interacts with fandom by answering emails and letters, although he stated in 2005 that their sheer numbers might leave them unanswered for years. Since there are different types of conventions nowadays, he tends to go to three or four science-fiction conventions a year simply to go back to his roots and meet friends. He does not read message boards anymore, so that his writing will not be influenced by fans foreseeing twists and interpreting characters differently from what he intended.
+
+While Martin calls the majority of his fans "great", and enjoys interacting with them, some of them turned against him because of the six years it took to release ''A Dance with Dragons''. A movement of disaffected fans called GRRuMblers formed in 2009, creating sites such as ''Finish the Book, George'' and ''Is Winter Coming?'' When fans' vocal impatience for ''A Dance with Dragons'' peaked shortly after, Martin issued a statement called "To My Detractors" on his blog that received media attention. ''The New York Times'' noted that it was not uncommon for Martin to be mobbed at book signings either. ''The New Yorker'' called this "an astonishing amount of effort to devote to denouncing the author of books one professes to love. Few contemporary authors can claim to have inspired such passion."
+
+===Awards and nominations===
+* ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) – Locus Award winner, World Fantasy Award and Nebula Award nominee, 1997
+* ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) – Locus Award winner, Nebula Award nominee, 1999
+* ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) – Locus Award winner, Hugo Award and Nebula Awards nominee, 2001
+* ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005) – Hugo, Locus, and British Fantasy Awards nominee, 2006
+* ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011) – Locus Award winner, Hugo Award and World Fantasy Award nominee, 2012
+
+==Derived works==
+
+===Novellas===
+Martin has written several prequel novellas. The ''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' series, three novellas set 90 years before the events of the novel series, feature the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire "Egg", who later became King Aegon V Targaryen. The stories have no direct connection to the plot of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', although both characters are mentioned in ''A Storm of Swords'' and ''A Feast For Crows'', respectively. The first installment, ''The Hedge Knight'', was published in the 1998 anthology ''Legends''. ''The Sworn Sword'' followed in 2003, published in ''Legends II''. Both were later adapted into graphic novels. The third novella, ''The Mystery Knight'', was first published in the 2010 anthology ''Warriors'' and in 2017 it was adapted as a graphic novel, as well. In 2015, the first three novellas were published as one illustrated collection, ''A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms''.
+
+The novella ''The Princess and the Queen or, the Blacks and the Greens'' appeared in Tor Books's 2013 anthology ''Dangerous Women'' and explains some of the Targaryen backstory two centuries before the events of the novels. ''The Rogue Prince, or, the King's Brother'', published in the 2014 anthology ''Rogues'', is itself a prequel to the events of ''The Princess and the Queen''. The novella ''The Sons of the Dragon'', published in the 2017 anthology ''The Book of Swords'', is the story of Aegon the Conqueror's two sons Aenys I and Maegor I "The Cruel". All three of these stories were incorporated as parts of ''Fire and Blood,'' a book chronicling the history of the Targaryen line.
+
+Chapter sets from the novels were also compiled into three novellas that were released between 1996 and 2003 by ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' and ''Dragon'':
+* ''Blood of the Dragon'' (July 1996), taken from the Daenerys chapters in ''A Game of Thrones''
+* ''Path of the Dragon'' (December 2000), taken from the Daenerys chapters in ''A Storm of Swords''
+* ''Arms of the Kraken'' (March 2003), based on the Iron Islands chapters from ''A Feast for Crows''
+
+===''Fire & Blood''===
+
+''Fire & Blood'' is Martin's complete history of House Targaryen, to be released in two volumes. The first volume was released on November 20, 2018.
+
+===TV series===
+
+With the popularity of the series growing, HBO optioned ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' for a television adaptation in 2007. A pilot episode was produced in late 2009, and a series commitment for nine further episodes was made in March 2010. The series, titled ''Game of Thrones'', premiered in April 2011 to great acclaim and ratings (see ''Game of Thrones'': Reception). The network picked up the show for a second season covering ''A Clash of Kings'' two days later. Shortly after the conclusion of the first season, the show received 13 Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, winning Outstanding Main Title Design and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Peter Dinklage's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister. HBO announced a renewal for a third season in April 2012, ten days after the season 2 premiere. Due to the length of the corresponding book, the third season only covered roughly the first half of ''A Storm of Swords''.
+
+Shortly after the season 3 premiere in March 2013, the network announced that ''Game of Thrones'' would be returning for a fourth season, which would cover the second half of ''A Storm of Swords ''along with the beginnings of ''A Feast for Crows ''and ''A Dance With Dragons''. ''Game of Thrones'' was nominated for 15 Emmy Awards for season 3. Two days after the fourth season premiered in April 2014, HBO renewed ''Game of Thrones'' for a fifth and sixth season. Season 5 premiered on April 12, 2015 and set a Guinness World Records for winning the highest number of Emmy Awards for a series in a single season and year, winning 12 out of 24 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series.
+These episodes were watched by 8 million viewers, setting a record number for the series. The sixth season premiered on April 24, 2016. These episodes received the most nominations for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards with 23, winning 12, including the award for Outstanding Drama Series. The seventh season premiered on July 16, 2017. The eighth and final season premiered on April 14, 2019.
+
+===Other works===
+
+''A Song of Ice and Fire'' has spawned an industry of spin-off products. Fantasy Flight Games released a collectible card game, a board game, and two collections of artwork inspired by ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series. Various roleplaying game products were released by Guardians of Order and Green Ronin. Dynamite Entertainment adapted ''A Game of Thrones'' into a same-titled monthly comic in 2011. Several video games are available or in production, including ''A Game of Thrones: Genesis'' (2011) and ''Game of Thrones'' (2012) by Cyanide; both received mediocre ratings from critics. A social network game titled ''Game of Thrones Ascent'' (2013) by Disruptor Beam allows players to live the life of a noble during the series' period setting. Random House released an official map book called ''The Lands of Ice and Fire'', which includes old and new maps of the ''Ice and Fire'' world. The companion book ''The World of Ice & Fire'' by Martin and the Westeros.org owners Elio M. García Jr. and Linda Antonsson was published in October 2014. Other licensed products include full-sized weapon reproductions, a range of collectable figures, Westeros coinage reproductions, and a large number of gift and collectible items based on the HBO television series. The popularity of the HBO series has made its version of the Iron Throne an icon of the entire media franchise.
+
+== See also ==
+
+* Outline of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' franchise
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+
+*  George R. R. Martin's Official Website
+*  So Spake Martin, Collection of statements, correspondences and interviews by George R. R. Martin.
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+The fictional world in which the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels by George R. R. Martin take place is divided into several continents, known collectively as The Known World. Some unofficial fan groups call it Planetos.
+
+Most of the story takes place on the continent of Westeros and in a large political entity known as the Seven Kingdoms. Those kingdoms are spread across nine regions: the North, the Iron Islands, the Riverlands, the Vale, the Westerlands, the Stormlands, the Reach, the Crownlands, and Dorne. A massive wall of ice and old magic separates the Seven Kingdoms from the largely unmapped area to the north. The vast continent of Essos is located east of Westeros, across the Narrow Sea. The closest foreign nations to Westeros are the Free Cities, which is a collection of independent city-states along the western edge of Essos. The lands along the southern coastline of Essos are called the Lands of the Summer Sea and include Slaver's Bay and the ruins of Valyria. The latter is the former home of the ancestors of House Targaryen. To the south of Essos are the continents of Sothoryos and Ulthos, which in the narrative are largely unexplored.
+
+The planet experiences erratic seasons of unpredictable duration that can last for many years. At the beginning of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', Westeros has enjoyed a decade-long summer, and many feared that an even longer and harsher winter would follow.
+
+
+George R. R. Martin set the ''Ice and Fire'' story in an alternative world of Earth, a "secondary world", such as that which J. R. R. Tolkien pioneered with Middle-earth. Martin has also suggested that world may be larger than the real world planet Earth. The ''Ice and Fire'' narrative is set in a post-magic world where people no longer believe in supernatural things such as the Others. Although the characters understand the natural aspects of their world, they do not know or understand its magical elements. Religion, though, has a significant role in the life of people, and the characters practice many different religions.
+
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+==Maps==
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+''A Game of Thrones'', the first installment of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, has two maps of Westeros. Each new book has added one or two maps so that, as of ''A Dance with Dragons'', seven maps of the fictional world are available in the books. Martin said in 2003 that complete world maps were not made available so that readers may better identify with people of the real Middle Ages who were uneducated about distant places. He also did not "subscribe to the theory put forth in ''The Tough Guide To Fantasyland'' ... that eventually the characters must visit every place shown on The Map." He conceded, however, that readers may be able to piece together a world map by the end of the series. He was intentionally vague about the size of the ''Ice and Fire'' world, omitting a scale on the maps to discourage prediction of travel lengths based on measured distances. A new map artist was used in ''A Dance with Dragons'' so that the maps are available in two versions by James Sinclair and Jeffrey L. Ward, depending on the book. The old maps were redone to match the style of the new ones.
+
+A set of foldout maps was published on October 30, 2012 as ''The Lands of Ice and Fire'' (). The illustrator and cartographer Jonathan Roberts drew the maps, based on drafts by Martin. The twelve maps in the set are entitled "The Known World", "The West", "Central Essos", "The East", "Westeros", "Beyond The Wall", "The Free Cities", "Slaver's Bay", "The Dothraki Sea", "King's Landing", "Braavos", and "Journeys". The latter tracks the paths taken by the novels' characters.
+
+==Westeros ==
+
+
+
+The story takes place primarily on a continent called '''Westeros''', which is roughly the size of South America. The continent is home to the Seven Kingdoms and lands beyond the great Wall, which makes up a large chunk of Westeros, being roughly the size of Canada, with most of it largely unmapped and unexplored.
+
+At the novel's beginning, the majority of Westeros is united under the rule of one king, with each of nine regions controlled by a different major house. Martin here drew inspiration from medieval European history, in particular the Hundred Years' War, the Crusades, the Albigensian Crusade, and the Wars of the Roses.
+
+The first inhabitants of the continent were the Children of the Forest, a nature-worshipping anthropoid species who carved the faces of their gods in weirwood trees. Some time later, the First Men's attempts at cultivating the land led to a war with the Children of the Forest that eventually was settled by an agreement known as "The Pact". This was the beginning of the Age of Heroes. During that time, the First Men adopted the gods of the Children of the Forest. Those gods later became known in Westeros as the Old Gods.
+
+Eight thousand years before the events of the novels, an enigmatic species called the Others emerged from the furthermost north during the decades-long winter known as "The Long Night". The Children of the Forest and the First Men jointly repelled the Others and then built a massive wall barring passage from the far north.
+
+Sometime later, the Andals invaded Westeros and established the Faith of the Seven, writing, and steel. Only the North remained unconquered. The Children of the Forest disappeared from Andal lands. Over time, '''seven kingdoms''' were forged across Westeros: The North, The Iron Islands (inclusive of the riverlands and parts of the crownlands), The Vale, The Westerlands, The Stormlands (inclusive of the remaining parts of the crownlands), The Reach, and Dorne. The Seven Kingdoms were constantly at war with one another, and no kingdom remained dominant for long.
+
+Three hundred years before the novels begin, Aegon the Conqueror and his two Targaryen sister-wives came from Dragonstone and landed at present-day King's Landing. The three assembled a temporary bastion, known as "Aegon's Fort", which grew into the capital city, later known as King's Landing. Their powerful dragons overwhelmed six of the Seven Kingdoms through conquest or treaty, with Dorne remaining independent for another two hundred years until it was absorbed through a marriage-alliance. The Targaryens built the Iron Throne, which consists of the swords of defeated rulers, fused together by dragonfire. They also established King's Landing as their capital city and consolidated parts of surrounding regions of the riverlands and stormlands into the crownlands region. They remained the ruling power on the continent until deposed by a rebellion led by Robert Baratheon.
+
+===The North ===
+The North consists of the northern half of the Seven Kingdoms and is ruled by House Stark from their castle at Winterfell. The North is sparsely populated, but it is nearly as big as the other six kingdoms combined. Martin compared the North to Scotland. The climate is cold overall, with hard winters and mild snows common regardless of season. The region's northern border is the New Gift, which is a stretch of land 50 leagues wide and in possession of the Night's Watch. An isthmus of swampland named The Neck separates the North from the South. It is home to small, marsh-dwelling crannogmen and is ruled by House Reed of Greywater Watch, bannermen of House Stark. The Neck's narrowness, difficult terrain, and almost impenetrable Moat Cailin help protect the North from invasion. The city of White Harbor is a thriving port. Illegitimate children born of a noble parent in the North are given the surname Snow.
+
+====Winterfell====
+
+Winterfell is the ancestral castle of House Stark and was built over a natural hot spring. Scalding water runs through the castle walls and warms its halls and rooms. There are several open pools where heated water collects within the godswood. The hot spring also prevents the ground from freezing. The castle has deep catacombs where bodies of the Starks are entombed behind statues in their likeness with a direwolf at their feet and their swords left in their hands. The tombs have been used since the old kings of the North, known as the Kings of Winter, were in power. They ruled before Aegon the Conqueror and the arrival of the Andals before that.
+
+To depict Winterfell, both the pilot and season 1 of the television adaptation used the 16th century clock tower and ancient courtyard of the Clearsky Adventure Centre located at Castle Ward in County Down, Northern Ireland, Doune Castle in Stirling, Scotland, which previously featured as Castle Anthrax in the film ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'', was also used for exterior scenes. Saintfield Estates stood in as Winterfell's godswood, which is an enclosed wooded area where characters can worship the old gods beside trees with faces carved in their bark. A car park stood in for Winterfell's courtyard, and a wine cellar was used to depict the Stark family crypt. Tollymore Forest featured prominently in the prologue of the pilot episode and in the pivotal scene where the Starks first find the direwolves. Cairncastle, meanwhile, served as the location where Ned Stark beheads the deserter Will." The interior of Winterfell, such as the Tower of the First Keep, the Great Hall, and Catelyn's bedchamber, were filmed at The Paint Hall studio. Set designer Gemma Jackson said, "Winterfell was based on a Scottish castle."
+
+====The Wall====
+The Wall in the ''Ice and Fire'' series was inspired by Hadrian's Wall in the North of England.
+The Wall is a huge structure of stone, ice, and magic on the northern border of the Seven Kingdoms. It is home to the Night's Watch, a brotherhood sworn to protect the realms of men from the threats beyond the Wall. 
+
+The Wall was inspired by Martin's visit to Hadrian's Wall, in the North of England close to the border with Scotland. Looking out over the hills, Martin wondered what a Roman centurion from the Mediterranean would feel, not knowing what threats might come from the north. This experience was so profound that a decade later, in 1991, he wanted to "write a story about the people guarding the end of the world", and ultimately "the things that come out of the fictional north are a good deal more terrifying than Scotsmen or Picts". 
+
+Martin adjusted the size, length, and magical nature of the Wall for genre demands; Jon Snow's chapters describe it as approximately  long and  high in general, rising up to a perceived  in spots due to huge foundation blocks. The top is wide enough for a dozen mounted knights to ride abreast (approximately 30 ft or 10 m), while the base is so thick that the Wall's gates are more like tunnels through the ice.
+
+The novels' legends claim that the First Men, or more specifically Brandon the Builder with the possible help of children of the forest and giants, constructed the Wall some 8,000 years before the events of the series.
+
+The Wall has since been maintained by the Night's Watch to guard the realms of men against the threats from beyond, originally the Others, and later against wildling raids. 
+
+A strip of land known as "the Gift", now stretching 50 leagues (about ) south of the wall, was given to them in perpetuity thousands of years ago for cultivation. In ''A Game of Thrones'', out of the nineteen castles built along the wall, only three are still manned: Castle Black with 600 men, and the Shadow Tower and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea with 200 men each. Parts of Castle Black have fallen into ruin.
+
+The TV series' Castle Black and the Wall were filmed in the abandoned Magheramorne Quarry near Belfast, Northern Ireland, whereas the scenes shot atop the wall were filmed inside Paint Hall Studios. The composite set (with both exteriors and interiors) consisted of a large section of Castle Black including the courtyard, the ravenry, the mess hall, and the barracks, and used the stone wall of the quarry as the basis for the ice wall that protects Westeros from the dangers that dwell beyond. They also made a functional elevator to lift the rangers to the top of the Wall. A castle with real rooms and a working elevator were built near a cliff  high. "Working construction lifts were discovered at a nearby work site and rise 18 feet; CGI fills in the rest to make the wall appear 700 feet high." The area around the elevator was painted white to make it look like ice. Martin was surprised by the height and thought: "Oh I may have made the wall too big!" Martin observed: "It's a pretty spectacular, yet miserable location. It is wet and rainy, and the mud is thick....it really gets the actors in the mood of being at the end of the world in all of this cold and damp and chill."
+
+====Beyond the Wall====
+Season 2 of the TV adaptation featured scenes set north of the Wall that were filmed on the Vatnajökull glacier in Iceland.
+''A Clash of Kings'' takes the story to the lands Beyond the Wall, although the first five books do not explore "what lies really north ... but we will in the last two books". The TV adaptation used Iceland as filming location for the lands Beyond the Wall. Martin, who has never been to Iceland, said Beyond the Wall was "considerably larger than Iceland and the area closest to my Wall is densely forested, so in that sense it's more like Canada Hudson Bay or the Canadian forests just north of Michigan. And then as you get further and further north, it changes. You get into tundra and ice fields and it becomes more of an arctic environment. You have plains on one side and a very high range of mountains on the other. Of course, once again this is fantasy, so my mountains are more like the Himalayas." In an HBO featurette, Martin stated the lands beyond the wall make up a big part of Westeros, being roughly the size of Canada. The Valley of Thenn is one such location beyond the Wall, and north of that is the Lands of Always Winter, where the Others come from.
+
+During the first season, the HBO team used places that they could decorate with artificial snow for the north of the Wall, but a bigger landscape was chosen for Season 2. "Primary filming for these scenes, which encompass both the Frostfangs and the Fist of the First Men, occurred at the Svínafellsjökull calving glacier in Skaftafell, Iceland, followed by shooting near Smyrlabjörg and Vík í Mýrdal on Höfðabrekkuheiði. Benioff said, "We always knew we wanted something shatteringly beautiful and barren and brutal for this part of Jon's journey, because he's in the true North now. It's all real. It's all in camera. We're not doing anything in postproduction to add mountains or snow or anything."
+
+===The Iron Islands===
+The Iron Islands are a group of seven islands to the west of Westeros – Pyke, Great Wyk, Old Wyk, Harlaw, Saltcliffe, Blacktyde, and Orkmont – in Ironman's Bay off the west coast of the continent. Ruled by House Greyjoy of Pyke, the isles are described as bare and barren, and the local weather as "windy and cold, and damp". The members of this seafaring nation are known in the rest of Westeros as Ironmen, and to themselves as Ironborn. Illegitimate children born in the Iron Islands are given the surname Pyke.
+
+For fierce raids, the Ironmen are titled the "terror of the seas". They worship the Drowned God, who "had made them to reave and rape, to carve out kingdoms and write their names in fire and blood and song". The appendix of ''A Game of Thrones'' summarizes that the Ironmen once ruled over the Riverlands and much of the western coast of Westeros. When Aegon the Conqueror extinguished Harren the Black's line, he chose House Greyjoy as the new rulers of the Ironmen.
+
+====Pyke====
+For the TV adaptation, the harbour of Ballintoy in Northern Ireland was redressed as the port of Pyke.
+Pyke is the seat of House Greyjoy. The television adaptation filmed the scenes of Pyke's port at Lordsport Harbour in Ballintoy Harbour, in Northern Ireland's County Antrim. The sea has worn away much of the rock on which Pyke originally stood, so the castle now consists mostly of a main keep on the main island and smaller towers perched on rocks.
+
+====Old Wyk====
+Old Wyk is the smallest and holiest island in the Iron Islands. It is where Kingsmoots are held, and where the Grey King slew Nagga, a sea dragon, and made a court of his bones.
+
+===The Riverlands===
+The Riverlands are the populous and fertile areas surrounding the forks of the river Trident on Westeros. While they form one of the nine regions of Westeros, the Riverlands' central location and geographic features made the region an inter-kingdom battle zone that changed hands rather than becoming its own 'eighth' kingdom of the Seven Kingdoms. Centrally located between the Westerlands, the Crownlands, the Vale, and the North and lacking the natural defenses of other regions, they have seen frequent warfare. The first ruler to unite the Riverlands was Benedict Justman, but the Justman dynasty died out three centuries later. The Durrandons conquered the Riverlands, but lost rule of it to Harwyn "Hardhand" Hoare, King of the Iron Islands. At the time of Aegon's conquest, the Riverlands were ruled by Harwyn's grandson, Harren the Black, king of the Iron Islands, and the Tullys were local nobles who rebelled against him by joining Aegon the Conqueror. As with Westerosi customs to give bastards a surname showing their origins, illegitimate children born in the Riverlands are given the surname Rivers.
+
+====Harrenhal====
+Harrenhal is an enormous ruined castle and is the site of many important events in the novels. Harrenhal was built by Harren the Black, after his conquest of the Riverlands, intending to make it the largest fortification ever built in Westeros. The castle has been described as so large that an entire army was needed to garrison it. The Great Hall had 35 hearths and seated thousands. Shortly after the castle was completed, Aegon the Conqueror's dragon slew Harren, his sons, and his entire army by setting the castle alight.
+
+Since then, the ruins of the castle have been occupied by a variety of houses, all of which eventually became extinct. As a result, the people of Westeros believe the castle is cursed. The logistical and economic difficulties inherent in keeping such an enormous castle maintained and garrisoned has made it something of a white elephant. At the start of the War of the Five Kings, the castle is in ruin, with only a fraction of it habitable, and held by Lady Shella Whent, the last of her House, who is stripped of Harrenhal when the Lannisters seize her castle. The castle changes hands repeatedly over the course of the novels, many of those holding it meeting unpleasant ends.
+
+====Riverrun====
+Riverrun is the ancestral stronghold of House Tully. The castle is located along one of the "forks" of the Trident and controls access to the interior of Westeros. The castle is bordered on two sides by the Tumblestone River and the Red Fork. The third side fronts on a massive manmade ditch. It was built by Ser Axel Tully on land he received from the Andal King Armistead Vance.
+
+The castle is the location of Robb Stark's great victory over House Lannister and the site of his crowning. By the end of the ''A Feast for Crows'', Brynden Tully surrenders the castle to Jaime Lannister to spare further bloodshed. Riverrun then passed into the hands of Emmon Frey, an ally of House Lannister.
+
+====The Twins====
+The Twins is the seat of House Frey, which has grown wealthy by charging a toll of all those who cross for the past six centuries. Because the Freys are both wealthy and numerous, theirs is one of the most powerful houses sworn to House Tully. The castle's strategic position gives House Frey enormous importance in times of war.
+
+When Robb Stark goes to The Twins to repair his alliance with House Frey, the Freys massacre him, his mother, and his army (and in the TV adaptation, his wife): an event known as "The Red Wedding", which violates native customs of guest right and incurs enmity throughout the Seven Kingdoms, especially in the Riverlands and North.
+
+===The Vale of Arryn===
+For the TV adaptation, images of the Greek rock formations of Meteora were used for the composite views of the Vale.
+The Vale is the area surrounded almost completely by the Mountains of the Moon in the east of Westeros. The Vale is under the rulership of House Arryn, one of the oldest lines of Andal nobility and formerly Kings of Mountain and Vale. Their seat, the Eyrie, is a castle high in the mountains, small but considered unassailable. The only way to reach the Vale is by a mountain road teeming with animals called 'shadowcats', rock slides, and dangerous mountain clans. The mountain road ends at the Vale's sole entrance, the Bloody Gate: a pair of twin watchtowers, connected by a covered bridge, on the rocky mountain slopes over a very narrow path. The protection of the surrounding mountains gives the Vale itself a temperate climate, fertile meadows, and woods. The snowmelt from the mountains and a constant waterfall that never freezes, named Alyssa's Tears, provide plentiful water. The Vale has rich black soil, wide slow-moving rivers, and hundreds of small lakes. Illegitimate children born in the Vale are given the surname Stone.
+
+====The Eyrie====
+castle of Neuschwanstein, on which the Eyrie is based
+Based on the German castle of Neuschwanstein, the Eyrie is the seat of House Arryn. It is situated on the Giant's Lance and reachable only by a narrow mule trail, guarded by the Gates of the Moon and three small castles, titled Stone, Snow, and Sky. Travelers must enter the Gates of the Moon and its upper bailey before reaching the narrow path up the mountain. The steps up the Giant's Lance starts directly behind the Gates of the Moon. The Eyrie clings to the mountain and is six hundred feet above Sky. The last part of the climb to the Eyrie is something of a cross between a chimney and a stone ladder, which leads to the Eyrie's cellar entrance. Due to the Mountains of the Moon's harsh winters, travel to and from the Eyrie is possible through the mountains only in summer.
+
+The Eyrie is the smallest of the great castles in the story, consisting of seven slim towers bunched tightly together. It has no stables, kennels, or smithies, but the towers can house 500 men, and the granary can sustain a small household for a year or more. The Eyrie does not keep livestock on hand; all dairy produce, meats, fruits, vegetables, etc., must be brought from the Vale below. Its cellars hold six great winches with long iron chains to draw supplies and occasionally guests from below, with oxen are used to raise and lower them. Winter snows can make supplying the fortress impossible. The Eyrie's dungeons, known as "sky cells", are left open to the sky on one side and have sloping floors that put prisoners in danger of slipping or rolling off the edge. Executions in the Eyrie are carried out via the Moon Door, which opens from the high hall onto a 600-foot drop.
+
+The Eyrie is made of pale stone and primarily decorated with the blue and white colors of House Arryn. Elegant details provide warmth and comfort through plentiful fireplaces, carpets, and luxurious fabrics. Many of the chambers have been described to be warm and comfortable, with magnificent views of the Vale, the Mountains of the Moon, or the waterfall. The Maiden's Tower is the easternmost of the seven slender towers, so all the Vale can be seen from its windows and balconies. The apartments of the Lady of the Eyrie open over a small garden planted with blue flowers and ringed by white towers, containing grass and scattered statuary, with the central statue of a weeping woman believed to be Alyssa Arryn, around low, flowering shrubs. The lord's chambers have doors of solid oak, and plush velvet curtains covering windows of small rhomboid panes of glass. The High Hall has a blue silk carpet leading to the carved weirwood thrones of the Lord and Lady Arryn. The floors and walls are of milk-white marble veined with blue. Daylight enters down through high narrow arched windows along the eastern wall, and there are some fifty high iron sconces where torches may be lit.
+
+The Eyrie was held by Lord Jon Arryn, who fostered Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon prior to Robert's Rebellion. After the war, Lord Arryn served as King Robert I Baratheon's Hand of the King (prime minister). After Lord Arryn was assassinated, his wife, Lady Lysa Arryn, took her sickly child, Robin, and fled to the Eyrie. Lysa refused to align herself with any of the claimants during the War of the Five Kings, but eventually pretends to a possible alliance with House Lannister after Lord Petyr Baelish agrees to marry her. Later Baelish kills Lysa after she attempts to murder her niece, Sansa Stark. As of ''Feast for Crows'', Baelish rules in the Eyrie as the Lord Protector and Regent for the sickly, epileptic Lord Robert "Robin" Arryn, and plans for Sansa to marry Harold Harding, who will become heir to the Eyrie and the Vale in the event of young Robin Arryn's death.
+
+For the CGI compositions of the Vale of Arryn in the TV series, as seen in the establishing shot of the Eyrie and from the sky cells, the visual effects team used images and textures from the Greek rock formations of Meteora. Initially they had been considering the Zhangjiajie Mountains in China, but because the landscape base plates were shot in Northern Ireland, using Meteora resulted a better option. Set designer Gemma Jackson said, "A lot of the mosaics in the Eyrie were based on a beautiful chapel I visited in Rome." The interior of the High Hall of the Arryns was filmed at The Paint Hall, occupying one of the four soundstages there. Martin acknowledged that the set differed significantly from its presentation in the books: "In the books, the room is long and rectangular. But The Paint Hall soundstage had essentially a square space, which they chose to put a round hall in, with a staircase curving up to a throne that was high above."
+
+===The Westerlands===
+The Westerlands are the Westerosi lands to the west of the Riverlands and north of the Reach. They are ruled by House Lannister of Casterly Rock, formerly Kings of the Rock. People of this region are often called "Westermen." Lannisport, lying hard by Casterly Rock, is the chief town of the region and one of the great ports and cities of Westeros. The Westerlands are rich in precious metals, mostly gold, which is the source of their wealth. As with Westerosi customs to give bastards a surname showing their origins, illegitimate children born in the Westerlands are given the surname Hill.
+
+====Casterly Rock====
+Casterly Rock was inspired by the Rock of Gibraltar (pictured).
+A stronghold carved from a mountain overlooking the harbor city of Lannisport and the sea beyond, Casterly Rock is the ancestral seat of House Lannister. According to popular legend, the hero known as Lann the Clever tricked the Casterlys into giving up the Rock, and took it for himself. The Rock is renowned as the wealthiest region due to its abundance of gold mining resources, and it is one of the strongest castles of the Seven Kingdoms. It has never been taken in battle, despite attacks by the Iron Islanders and the plans of Robb Stark in the War of the Five Kings. It was held by Lord Tywin Lannister before the War of the Five Kings, but after his death, Queen Regent Cersei Lannister made one of her cousins castellan of the castle. As of ''A Dance with Dragons'', the narrative has not actually taken place in Casterly Rock, yet descriptions of it have been offered by the Lannisters in the POV chapters.
+
+West of Casterly Rock is the coastal city of Lannisport. A busy port under the governance of the Lannisters of Casterly Rock, Lannisport thrives as a protected and wealthy city. The city is also home to many lesser Lannisters and other people with similar surnames, such as Lannys.
+
+George R. R. Martin stated on his blog that he drew inspiration for Casterly Rock from the Rock of Gibraltar.
+
+===The Reach===
+The Castle of Almodóvar del Río in Córdoba, Spain, which represented Highgarden in ''Game of Thrones''
+The Reach is the most lush and fertile region of Westeros, ruled by House Tyrell from Highgarden. The Tyrells were stewards to House Gardener, the Kings of the Reach before Aegon's conquest. After the last Gardener King was killed on the Field of Fire, the Tyrells surrendered Highgarden to Aegon and were rewarded with both the castle and the position of overlords of the Reach. The wealth and power of the Reach comes from their bountiful harvests of the most sought-after wines and foods. During times of war, the lengthy distance of the Reach and its abundance of foods protects their inhabitants from initial famine and sickness. In a significant political maneuver during the civil war in Westeros and the War of the Five Kings, House Tyrell provides the starving populace of King's Landing with hundreds of carts of food, ensuring the positive image of House Tyrell foremost, and the alliance for the Iron Throne with House Baratheon as secondary. However, the Tyrells were responsible for the starvation in the first place, as part of their plan to help Renly usurp the Iron Throne. The most prominent city in the Reach is Oldtown. It is the oldest city in Westeros, home to the Maester's Citadel, and the previous seat of the Faith of the Seven. Illegitimate children born in the Reach are given the surname Flowers.
+
+====Oldtown====
+The Hightower of Oldtown bears similarities to the Lighthouse of Alexandria (3D reconstruction pictured)
+Oldtown is one of the largest cities in Westeros and is by far the oldest, built by the First Men before the Andal Invasion. It survived the invasion by welcoming the Andals rather than resisting them. The city is located in the southwestern part of Westeros, at the mouth of the River Honeywine, where it opens onto Whispering Sound and the Sunset Sea beyond.
+
+Oldtown is primarily known as the location of the Citadel, home of the order of Maesters who serve as councillors, doctors, scientists, and postmasters for the Seven Kingdoms. The city's Starry Sept was the seat of the Faith of the Seven until the construction of the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing. Aegon the Conqueror's reign is dated from his entrance into the city of Oldtown and his acknowledgment as king by the High Septon.
+
+Oldtown is the second most important port in the Seven Kingdoms after King's Landing: trading ships from the Summer Islands, the Free Cities, the eastern cities, and the rest of Westeros constantly crowd into its harbors. The city itself is described as stunningly beautiful. Many rivers and canals crisscross its cobbled streets, and breathtaking stone mansions are common. The city lacks the squalor of King's Landing, which usurped its position as the preeminent city of Westeros.
+
+The largest structure in the city, and the tallest structure in Westeros, is the Hightower, a massive stepped lighthouse which extends some  into the sky and is topped by a huge beacon which can be seen for many miles out to sea. Oldtown is ruled from the Hightower by House Hightower. Originally kings in their own right, they later swore fealty to the Gardeners of Highgarden, and became vassals of the Tyrells after the Conquest. The Hightowers are known for their loyalty and stalwartness. The current ruler of the city is Lord Leyton Hightower.
+
+Oldtown remained aloof from the War of the Five Kings, but late in the war the Ironborn under King Euron Greyjoy launched a massive raid along the coast, conquering the Shield Islands and parts of the Arbor before trying to blockade the mouth of the Honeywine. An attempt to attack the city harbor was repulsed by the city's defenders. Oldtown remains under threat from the Ironborn.
+
+===The Stormlands===
+The Stormlands are the Westerosi areas between King's Landing and the Sea of Dorne. In the east they are bordered by Shipbreaker Bay and the Dornish Sea to the south. Before Aegon's conquest they were ruled by the Storm Kings, and afterwards by House Baratheon, bastard relatives to the Targaryens. The Dornish Marches are located within this region, and were common battlegrounds between the Stormlands and Dorne until Dorne joined the Seven Kingdoms. Illegitimate children born in the Stormlands are given the surname Storm.
+
+====Storm's End====
+Storm's End is the seat of House Baratheon and, before them, the ancestral seat of the Storm Kings extending back many thousands of years. According to legend, the first Storm King in the age of the First Men was Durran, who married Elenei, the daughter of the sea god and the goddess of the wind. In a rage her parents sent vast storms to shatter his keep and kill his wedding guests and family; whereupon Durran declared war against the gods and raised several castles over Shipbreaker Bay, each larger and more formidable than the last. Finally, the seventh castle stayed in place and resisted the storms. Some believe the Children of the Forest took a hand in its construction; others suggest that Brandon Stark, the builder of the Wall, advised Durran on its construction. The truth of the matter is unknown.
+
+Storm's End has never fallen to either siege or storm. Its outer defenses consist of a huge curtain wall,  tall and  thick on its thinnest side, nearly  thick on its seaward side. The wall consists of a double course of stones with an inner core of sand and rubble. The wall is smooth and curving, the stones so well placed that the wind cannot enter. On the seaward side, there is a  drop below the wall into the sea.
+
+The castle itself consists of one huge drum tower crowned with formidable battlements, and so large that it can comfortably contain stables, barracks, armory and lord's chambers in the same structure. Although never taken in battle, Storm's End has endured several sieges and battles in recent history. The last Storm King, Argilac the Arrogant, abandoned his impressive defenses to meet the Targaryen commander, Orys Baratheon, in open battle during Aegon Targaryen's War of Conquest, and lost. This led to Orys Baratheon marrying Argilac's daughter and becoming Lord of Storm's End.
+
+During the War of the Usurper, Storm's End was besieged for a year by the host of Lord Mace Tyrell, who commanded the landward forces, while Paxter Redwyne's fleet of the Arbor kept the castle cut off by sea. Stannis Baratheon, commanding the defense, refused to yield and his men were reduced to eating rats. A smuggler named Davos ran the blockade to resupply the castle and Stannis rewarded him by knighting him and giving him lands, thus founding House Seaworth, but he also cut off the fingertips of his left hand as punishment for all his previous smuggling. After the war, Stannis was furious when his brother Robert, now king, gave the castle to their younger brother Renly and placed Stannis in command of Dragonstone. This led to many years of bitterness on Stannis' part.
+
+During the War of the Five Kings, Storm's End supported Renly when he attempted to usurp the crown, and was besieged by Stannis. When the castellan, Cortnay Penrose, refused to yield even after Renly's death, he was killed by Stannis' ally, the priestess Melisandre, and the castle surrendered. Later, the castle was besieged by a strong army under Mace Tyrell, but he abandoned the siege after a few weeks to return to King's Landing after the arrest of his daughter Margaery by the High Septon. As of ''A Dance with Dragons'', the castle remains in the hands of Stannis Baratheon.
+
+At the end of ''A Dance with Dragons'' an army lands in the Stormlands led by Jon Connington and a young man claiming to be Aegon Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell and heir to the Iron Throne. To attract support, Aegon plans to conquer Storm's End and raise the banner of House Targaryen above the battlements.
+
+In the TV adaptation, scenes in the Stormlands were filmed in Larrybane, Northern Ireland. The scene where Stannis' red priestess Melisandre gave birth to a shadow creature was filmed in the Cushendun Caves, also in Northern Ireland.
+
+===The Crownlands===
+The Crownlands are the lands in Westeros surrounding King's Landing, ruled directly by the crown of the Iron Throne. The Targaryen kings consolidated this as one of the nine regions of Westeros, after their conquest of the Seven Kingdoms, from sparsely populated pieces of the Riverlands and Stormlands. The Crownlands form the entire coastline of Blackwater Bay, and include the original Targaryen homeland on the island of Dragonstone, at the Narrow Sea entrance to Blackwater Bay. Besides King's Landing, which is the largest city in Westeros, the Crownlands include many towns and castles. The illegitimate children born in the Crownlands are given the surname Waters.
+
+====Dragonstone====
+
+Dragonstone was once the westernmost outpost of the ancient Freehold of Valyria. A century before the Doom, the Targaryen family moved to Dragonstone. When the Doom came upon Valyria, House Targaryen survived along with the last of the Valyrian dragons. Another century later, Aegon Targaryen and his sisters Rhaenys and Visenya launched a massive campaign of conquest from the island and eventually conquered all of Westeros except for Dorne, and North of the Wall. Aegon's progeny reigned as kings of the Seven Kingdoms for centuries.
+
+Dragonstone is a massive, forbidding fortress, taking up a large portion of the island of the same name. The castle is unique in that the builders and sorcerers of Valyria carved its towers and keeps into the shapes of dragons and made ferocious gargoyles to cover its walls using both magic and masonry. The castle's lower levels are warmed by residual volcanic activity deep below the keep. There is a small port and town outside of the castle.
+
+During the War of the Usurper, before the sack of King's Landing, the Targaryen Queen Rhaella, who was pregnant, and her son Viserys were sent to Dragonstone along with part of the Targaryen fleet and a garrison of loyal soldiers. But after King's Landing fell, Robert Baratheon dispatched his brother Stannis to take the island stronghold. After a storm destroyed the royalist fleet, the Targaryen garrison tried to betray Viserys and his newborn sister, Daenerys, to Stannis (the queen had died in childbirth). But Targaryen loyalists led by Ser Willem Darry took the children away. Stannis conquered Dragonstone easily, and King Robert granted him ownership of the castle. Stannis took this a slight because his younger brother Renly then inherited Storm's End, the ancient seat of House Baratheon. Ser Axell Florent, one of the uncles of Stannis' wife Selyse Florent, acted as castellan.
+
+Upon Robert's death, Stannis declared himself King of Westeros and condemned the queen's children as bastards born of incest, as he had discovered with Jon Arryn. Dragonstone became his main seat. He returned there after the disastrous Battle of the Blackwater. His councilor, the red priestess Melisandre of Asshai, tried to convince him to let her raise the "stone dragon" of the castle through blood magic, but Lord Davos Seaworth convinced Stannis to go north to the Wall to help the Night's Watch instead. After Stannis abandoned Dragonstone, leaving the Bastard of Nightsong Rolland Storm as castellan, Queen Regent Cersei Lannister dispatched a fleet to barricade it. However, Ser Loras Tyrell, impatient to free the fleet to protect his home castle of Highgarden, attacked Dragonstone directly. He took the castle but lost a thousand men and was himself reportedly gravely wounded. As of ''A Dance with Dragons'', Dragonstone is now controlled by troops loyal to House Tyrell, and theoretically, once again under control of the Iron Throne.
+
+One scene set at Dragonstone, in which Stannis burns wooden sculptures of the Seven gods, was filmed at the beach of Downhill Strand. In Season 7 of the show, filming for Dragonstone took place at several locations in the Basque region of Spain: the islet of Gaztelugatxe in Bermeo, Itzurun Beach in Zumaia, and Muriola Beach in Barrika.
+
+====King's Landing====
+
+King's Landing is the royal capital of Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms. King's Landing has an estimated population of 1 million people, making it the most populous city in Westeros. It is situated on the Blackwater river on the spot where Aegon the Conqueror landed in Westeros to begin his conquest. The main city is surrounded by a wall, which is manned by the City Watch of King's Landing, which is nicknamed the gold cloaks, after the cloaks they wear. Within the walls, the city's natural landscape is dominated by three hills, named after Aegon and his two sister-wives Rhaenys and Visenya. Poorer smallfolk (commoners) build shanty settlements outside the city. King's Landing is described as extremely populous but unsightly and dirty. The stench of the city's waste can be smelled far beyond its walls.
+
+The royal castle, called the Red Keep, sits on Aegon's Hill. It is the seat of the royal court. The Keep holds the Iron Throne. Aegon commissioned the throne's construction from the swords of his defeated enemies. According to legend, he kept the blades sharp because he believed that no ruler should ever sit comfortably. Centuries later, kings still cut themselves on the throne. It is a common belief that one who cuts himself on the throne has been "rejected" by the throne and is therefore not fit to rule.
+
+The city also holds the Great Sept of Baelor, where the Most Devout convene with the High Septon. It is the holiest sept of the Seven. The slums of King's Landing are called Flea Bottom, where residents are so poor they regularly subsist on "bowls of brown", a mystery stew that can include the meat of puppies and murder victims.
+
+Martin compared King's Landing to medieval Paris or London. It was inspired by the view of Staten Island from his childhood home in Bayonne, New Jersey.
+
+The first season of the TV adaptation used Malta's former capital Mdina to represent King's Landing. "Like King's Landing, Mdina is a walled medieval city built upon a hill, but unlike King's Landing, Mdina is an inland city so the production was limited to interior shots such as side streets and the town gate, which can be seen when Ned Stark arrives. Nearby Fort Manoel doubled as the great Sept of Baelor," which can be seen when Ned Stark is executed. Various other locations around Malta represent the Red Keep, "including the real-life residence of the president of Malta, San Anton Palace. The gates of Fort Ricasoli doubled as the Red Keep's gates; Fort St. Angelo was used for the scenes of Arya Stark chasing cats; and St. Dominic monastery stood in for the scene where Ned Stark confronts Cersei Lannister in the godswood."
+
+"In season two, filming for King's Landing and the Red Keep shifted from Malta to the historic parts of Dubrovnik and the Minčeta, Bokar, and Lovrijenac fortresses in Croatia, which allowed for more exterior shots of an authentic walled medieval city." Parts of Season three were filmed there, too, as well as in nearby Trsteno. "Known as ''the Pearl of the Adriatic'', the city proved to share many characteristics with the fictional capital: it had a well-preserved medieval look, with high walls and the sea at its side. According to David Benioff, executive producer of the show, "King's Landing might be the single most important location in the entire show, and it has to look right", and "The minute we started walking around the city walls we knew that was it. You read the descriptions in the book and you come to Dubrovnik and that's what the actual city is. It has the sparkling sea, sun and beautiful architecture." Co-Executive Producer D.B. Weiss added "To find a full-on, immaculately preserved medieval walled city that actually looks uncannily like King's Landing where the bulk of our show is set, that was in and of itself such an amazing find". The Tourney of the Hand in season 1 was filmed in Shane's Castle, Northern Ireland.
+
+The Red Keep interior are filmed at Belfast's studio The Paint Hall. Set designer Gemma Jackson said, "When I was thinking about King's Landing, the whole red aspect of it, that immediately made me think of Rajasthan. The floor at King's Landing was from the Pantheon in Rome." Martin said that "Our throne room is a spectacular throne room – we actually redressed a throne room built for another film. And again, it occupied a quarter of the Paint Hall, so it's very big, but in my mind in the books, it's Westminster Abbey, it's St. Paul's Cathedral.
+
+===Dorne===
+Castle of Zafra in Guadalajara, Spain, which portrayed the Tower of Joy in Dorne in ''Game of Thrones''
+Dorne is the southernmost and least populated land of Westeros. The capital, Sunspear, is the seat of the ruling House Martell. As of the first five books, Doran Nymeros Martell is the Prince of Dorne and Lord of Sunspear. Doran's sister, Princess Elia, was married in a political alliance to Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, the Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne. They had two children, a daughter, Rhaenys, and a son, Aegon. During the Sack of King's Landing at the end of Robert's Rebellion, Princess Elia was raped and murdered by Gregor Clegane, a House Lannister bannerman (vassal). Her children were also killed in front of her. Prince Doran and his wife, Princess Mellaria, have three children, Arianne, Quentyn and Trystane. During the War of the Five Kings, Tyrion Lannister, as Hand of the King, turns the historical enmity of House Martell and Dorne into an alliance by sending King Joffrey's middle sibling and sister, Myrcella Baratheon, as the betrothed future bride to Trystane, the youngest child of Prince Doran, who is about her own age. The eldest child of Prince Doran, Arianne, is heir to House Martell, Sunspear and the rule of Dorne. The wealth of Dorne comes from their famous Sand Steeds, purebred horses of endurance, speed, and grace, and from spices, wines, fishing, fabrics, and textiles.
+
+Dorne is bordered by the Sea of Dorne to the north, the islands known as the Stepstones to the east, and stretches from the high mountains of the Dornish marches, the Red Mountains, separating Dorne from the remainder of the Seven Kingdoms by land. The two major passes though the Red Mountains that connect Dorne with the rest of the continent are the Stone Way Pass and the Prince's Pass. The Prince's Pass leads to the Reach, while the Stone Way exits the mountains near Summerhall. The southern coast of the continent is bordered by the Summer Sea. Described as tropical in climate by George R. R. Martin, Dorne has the highest temperatures kingdom in Westeros, is arid, with a rocky, mountainous, terrain that includes the only desert on the continent. Its rivers provide some fertile lands and during a long summer there is enough rain and other supplies of water to keep Dorne habitable. Inland water is almost as valuable as gold, and wells are jealously guarded. Notable locations of Dorne are Starfall, the seat of House Dayne, and Yronwood, the seat of House Yronwood, the most powerful of the Martell bannermen. Planky Town is a trade port town at the mouth of the River Greenblood.
+
+Dornishmen have a reputation for hot-bloodedness. They differ both culturally and ethnically from other Westerosi due to the historical mass immigration of Rhoynish people. They have adopted many Rhoynish customs as well, including equal primogeniture. Dorne was the only kingdom in Westeros to successfully resist Aegon's conquest, even killing one of his dragons during the war. It was conquered by Daeron I over a century after the Targaryen invasion, but rose against him leading to his death. Finally under Daeron's cousin Daeron II they joined through marriage. This accomplishment has allowed Dorne to retain a measure of independence. Lords of the ruling House Martell still style themselves "Prince" and "Princess" in the Rhoynish fashion. Unlike most of the rest of Westeros, illegitimate children born in Dorne are treated nearly the same as legal offspring and given the surname Sand, as with Westerosi customs to give bastards a surname showing their origins.
+
+According to ''A Storm of Swords'', "There were three sorts of Dornishmen .... There were the salty Dornishmen who lived along the coasts, the sandy Dornishmen of the deserts and long river valleys, and the stony Dornishmen who made their fastnesses in the passes and heights of the Red Mountains. The salty Dornishmen had the most Rhoynish blood, the stony Dornishmen the least. All three sorts seemed well represented in Doran’s retinue. The salty Dornishmen were lithe and dark, with smooth olive skin and long black hair streaming in the wind. The sandy Dornishmen were even darker, their faces burned brown by the hot Dornish sun. They wound long bright scarfs around their helms to ward off sunstroke. The stony Dornishmen were biggest and fairest, sons of the Andals and the First Men, brownhaired or blond, with faces that freckled or burned in the sun instead of browning."
+
+In the show, Dornish scenes were filmed in the Alcázar of Seville, Seville, Spain.
+
+==Summer Sea==
+====Basilisk Isles====
+East of Naath, the Basilisk Isles have been a festering sore of the Summer Sea, and a safe haven for pirates, slavers, sellswords, and outlaws. Ruins have been found on the Isle of Tears, the Isle of Toads, and Ax Island. The Isle of Tears is the largest island, with steep valleys and black bogs. It was conquered by the Ghiscari and it was called Gorgai for two centuries, until the dragonlords of Valyria captured it and renamed it Gorgossos. It was used as a prison by the Freehold, a place where they sent their most despicable criminals.
+
+====Naath====
+Naath, also known as the Isle of Butterflies, is an island off the north-west coast of Sothoryos that lies west of the Basilisk Isles. The Naathi people have dark skin and golden eyes. They practice extreme pacifism, making music instead of war and refusing to eat meat, only fruit. This makes them especially vulnerable to slavers from Essos. Daenerys' interpreter Missandei is from Naath.
+
+====Summer Islands ====
+As indicated on a map in ''A Storm of Swords'', the Summer Islands are situated to the south of Westeros, with a local fauna of talking birds, apes, and monkeys. The novels describe the island natives as dark-skinned people who speak their own language. They wear colored feathery clothes and live on fruit and fish. From their port city named Tall Trees Town, the Summer Isles export rare goods to Westeros such as wine, spices, feathers, but also a special kind of wood from which bows are made that have a longer range than most others. People of the Seven Kingdoms call the Summer Islanders' great vessels ''swan ships'', "for their billowing white sails and for their figureheads, most of which depicted birds". Samwell Tarly, who spends two chapters in ''A Feast for Crows'' aboard a swan ship, describes the Summer Islander women as wanton, and their gods as strange; they "revered the elderly and celebrated their dead" through sexual intercourse. As a prostitute explains to Tyrion in ''A Clash of Kings'', the Summer Islanders regard their sexuality as the gods' gift to worship them through mating, and hence many of their highborn youths and maidens serve in pleasure houses for a few years to honor the gods.
+
+==Essos==
+Part of the narrative in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' lies across the Narrow Sea from Westeros, an area comprising the large eastern continent named Essos. Being roughly the size of Eurasia, Essos has geography and climate that vary greatly. The western coastline is characterized by green rolling hills, the massive Forest of Qohor, and extensive island chains such as Braavos and Lys. The middle of the continent is covered by the flat grasslands of the Dothraki Sea and the arid lands known as the Red Waste to the east. Beyond the Red Waste lies the city of Qarth. The south is dominated by dry rolling hills and has a Mediterranean climate, with a coastline along the Summer Sea and Slaver's Bay. The north coast of the mainland is separated from the polar cap by the Shivering Sea. To the south, across the Summer Sea, lies the uncharted jungle continent of Sothoryos.
+
+Much of the fictional history of Essos relates to Valyria, a city located on a peninsula in southern Essos and the origin of House Targaryen before the destruction of the Valyrian Empire in an unspecified cataclysm. After the destruction of Valyria, the cities of Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen regained independence and ruled their respective areas as city-states. The area is known in the books as Slaver's Bay.
+
+===Free Cities and vicinity ===
+Across the Narrow sea on the western side of Essos lie the nine Free Cities, independent city-states that are mostly on islands or along the coast. They are Lys, Myr, Pentos, Braavos, Lorath, Norvos, Qohor, Volantis and Tyrosh. Although most Free Cities are named early in the first novel, the books only provide a map of this region in ''A Dance with Dragons''. Mountains to the east separate the coast from the plains of the Dothraki Sea, though gaps in the mountain range provide the Dothraki people some access to the Free Cities. The Free Cities were colonies built by the ancient Valyrian Freehold, and later declared independence after the Doom of Valyria. An exception to this is Braavos, which was founded by refugees fleeing Valyrian expansion, escaped slaves and other rabble. The languages of the Free Cities are derivatives of High Valyrian.
+
+The Free Cities span an area characterized by the river Rhoyne, which the local character Yandry describes as "the greatest river in the world". Its banks are the homeland of the Rhoynar, who worship the river as "Mother Rhoyne". As mapped in ''A Dance with Dragons'', the Rhoyne originates from the conjunction of two of its tributaries, the Upper Rhoyne and the Little Rhoyne, southeast of the ruins of Ghoyan Drohe. The headwaters of the Upper Rhoyne lie in Andalos, the homeland of the Andals between Braavos and Pentos. The Rhoyne's course runs southeast to turn due south after Dagger Lake, where river pirates hide on and around the many lake islands. The Rhoyne gains in width considerably as it gets fed by more tributaries, until it opens into the Summer Sea in a delta near the Free City of Volantis.
+
+====Braavos====
+Unique among the Free Cities, Braavos was not a Valyrian colony, but a secret refuge from Valyrian expansion. It is a city spread over hundreds of tiny islands in a lagoon on the northwestern end of Essos where the Narrow Sea and Shivering Sea meet. Braavos is home to the 'Iron Bank', one of the wealthiest banks in the known world . Braavos is also known for its swordsmen known as 'bravos', and its mysterious assassins, the Faceless Men. It is also famed for the Titan of Braavos, both a fortress and a statue. The ruler of Braavos is known as the Sealord and it is from the sea that the city's power and wealth flows. The hulls of Braavosi ships are painted purple and their merchant ships sail to many distant lands and bring their trade and wealth back home. Braavos has many moneylenders and the Iron Bank of Braavos lends money to foreign nations, especially The Crown, which has borrowed millions.
+
+Braavosi dress in flashy colors while the very rich and powerful dress in black and in blues that are almost black. Officials of Braavos, called keyholders and justiciars, wear drab coats of brown or grey. The city is also renowned worldwide for its courtesans. Every courtesan has her own barge and servants to work them. The beauty of famed courtesans has inspired many a song. They are showered with gifts from goldsmiths and craftsmen beg for their custom. Nobility and rich merchants pay the courtesans large amounts of money to appear alongside them at events, and bravos are known to kill each other in their names. The character Syrio Forel, former first sword of the Sealord of Braavos, introduces Arya Stark to a unique form of Braavosi sword fighting, called Water Dancing. The style is a refined form of fencing in which the practitioner stands sideways and wields a slender blade. Pugnacious bravos fill the city, frequently dueling to display their skill.
+
+Braavos was inspired by Venice, Italy. It was filmed in Croatian towns of Šibenik, and Kaštel Gomilica in the TV series.
+
+====Pentos====
+The TV series filmed Illyrio's mansion in Pentos at Verdala Palace in Malta.
+Pentos is a major trading port on a bay of the western coast. Dominated by an architecture of square brick towers, it is headed by a Prince who is chosen by the de facto rulers of the city, known as Magisters. Khalasars occasionally make their way this far from the Dothraki Sea, but the Pentoshi are spared much of the raiding and invasions by paying tribute to their khals. Men from Pentos wear dyed and forked beards. As in many Free Cities, slavery is outlawed, but the wealthy and powerful members of the city have the ability to flout these laws by keeping servants collared in bronze.
+
+Daenerys's scenes in the pilot episode were filmed in Morocco. The television adaptation re-used the Jerusalem sets of ''Kingdom of Heaven'' near Ouarzazate, Morocco. "One small portion of the Jerusalem set, redressed and repainted, became the courtyard of Illyrio's manse where Dany first meets Khal Drogo." "When the pilot was delivered, HBO asked for extensive reshoots, including the scrapping of all the footage shot in a landlocked part of Morocco which was supposed to take place in Pentos, a fictional port city and filming it again in Malta." The exterior scenes at Illyrio's mansion in Pentos were shot at Verdala Palace, the 16th century summer palace of the president of Malta. "One of Malta's most spectacular natural attractions, the Azure Window on the island of Gozo, stood in for the location of Daenerys Targaryen's wedding to Khal Drogo."
+
+When Pentos reappeared in Season 5, it was filmed in Croatia.
+
+====Volantis====
+Volantis is a port on the southern coast of Essos, and is the oldest and proudest of the Free Cities. A fortification known as the Black Wall protects the oldest parts of the city. The city is ruled by three triarchs, who are elected every year by free landholders of Volantis, and defended by slave soldiers called the "Tiger cloaks". Volantis is incredibly important to the slave market, and in the city there are five slaves to every free man. All Volantene slaves have facial tattoos denoting their profession: for instance, sex slaves have tears tattooed on their faces, and the tiger cloaks have tiger stripes. The worship of R'hllor is the most influential religion of Volantis, especially among slaves.
+
+The TV adaptation used locations in Córdoba, Spain.
+
+====Other Free Cities ====
+* '''Lorath''' is a port city on a group of northern islands. The character Jaqen H'ghar poses as a Lorathi in ''A Clash of Kings'', wearing long hair dyed red on one side and white on the other.
+* '''Lys''' sits astride a series of southern islands. The Lysene have a tendency to be tall and fair of skin and eyes, unlike most inhabitants of the Free Cities. Lys is well known for its pleasure houses, training slaves in the arts of love and selling them as concubines and bed-slaves. Lys also frequently fights over control of the Stepstones and the Disputed Lands. There appears to be a love goddess whose worship is peculiar to Lys. Dany's handmaiden Doreah and the pirate Salladhor Saan are Lysene.
+* '''Myr''' is a coastal city renowned for their master lenscrafters, intricate lace, and fine carpets. The dark eyed and dark skinned Myrmen are similar to Norvosi and Pentoshi in that they are ruled by magisters that are known to pay tribute to passing Dothraki khalasars. Myr is a hub of trade in both slaves and their signature green nectar wines. Myr frequently fights over control of the Disputed Lands.
+* '''Norvos''' sits on the main continent in two parts, one atop a high hill and the other beside a low river. The city has three large bells, each with its own name and distinctive voice, that are rung frequently. The surrounding area is a land of rolling hills, terraced farms, and white-stucco villages. The climate is fairly mild. Norvosi can be recognized by their dyed and upswept mustaches. The city is run by a council of magisters that are known to pay tribute to passing Dothraki khalasars. It is also home to a group of bearded priests that train elite guardsmen. These guardsmen swear oaths of duty and consider themselves wedded to their distinctive long axes.
+* '''Qohor''' is situated on the main continent, in the vast Forest of Qohor. It is known for its fine tapestries and its smiths, who have the rare ability to reforge Valyrian steel, even directly infusing the metal with a variety of different colors. The Black Goat is a prominent god in the city. Qohor's city guard has been composed solely of Unsullied eunuch slave soldiers ever since the Battle of the Three Thousand, when 3,000 Unsullied soldiers successfully defended the city against over 25,000 Dothraki horsemen. Guardsmen tie braids of human hair to their spears to commemorate the Dothraki cutting their braids in salute to Qohor's defenders.
+* '''Tyrosh''', a coastal city-state ruled by an Archon, is infamous for its avarice. Traders deal extensively in slaves and Tyroshi pear brandy. The city features an abundance of pleasure houses, but they are not as highly regarded as those in Lys. Tyroshi master armorsmiths make intricate armor in fantastic shapes. Tyrosh is a popular center for the hiring of sellswords. The city is often drawn into the ongoing conflicts over the Disputed Lands and the Stepstones. The Tyroshi often wear forked beards and pointed mustaches dyed in bright colors. The character Daario Naharis is from Tyrosh.
+
+===Central Essos===
+This section covers the Essos locations east of the Free Cities that Daenerys Targeryen passes through on her travels in ''A Game of Thrones'' and ''A Clash of Kings'' before moving on to Slaver's Bay.
+
+==== Valyria ====
+Valyria is a peninsula in South-Central Essos, west of Slaver's Bay. Before the Doom of Valyria, it was the seat of the Valyrian Freehold, a massive empire thousands of years old. The Valyrians are characterized by their silver hair and violet eyes. Valyria was called The Freehold because every man who owned land was allowed to vote for their leaders. The Valyrians also used slaves to mine the Fourteen Flames, a series of volcanoes rich with ore. They subjugated the Ghiscari and the Rhoynar and established all of the Free Cities, save Braavos. They did this through their knowledge of dragonlore. Many Valyrians rode dragons. However, hundreds of years ago, an event known as the Doom of Valyria, apparently involving a violent eruption of the Fourteen Flames, destroyed the Freehold and made Valyria an archipelago. The Targaryens are of the blood of old Valyria, who escaped before The Doom.
+
+====Dothraki Sea ====
+The Dothraki Sea is a vast, flat grassland on Essos. It is inhabited by the Dothraki people, a copper-skinned race of warlike nomads with their own language and unique culture. The Dothraki live in hordes called khalasars, each led by a chief called a khal. Khalasars are broken into groups, called khas, which are each led by one of the khal's captains, called kos. Each khal and his khalasar owe fealty to a ruling council of royal priestesses, called the dosh khaleen, whose members are each a former khal's consort, called a khaleesi during the reign of her husband, one who became part of the dosh khaleen following his death.
+
+Dothraki are expert riders and their horses are of prime importance in their culture, used for food, transportation, raw materials, warfare, and establishing social standing. They regularly raid other peoples.
+
+George R. R. Martin said "The Dothraki were actually fashioned as an amalgam of a number of steppe and plains cultures ... Mongols and Huns, certainly, but also Alans, Sioux, Cheyenne, and various other Amerindian tribes ... seasoned with a dash of pure fantasy. So any resemblance to Arabs or Turks is coincidental. Well, except to the extent that the Turkic peoples|historic Turks were also originally horsemen of the steppes, not unlike the Alans, Huns, and the rest." However, he also noted that "In general, though, while I do draw inspiration from history, I try to avoid direct one-for-one transplants, so it would not be correct to say that the Dothraki are Mongols."
+
+The Dothraki have only one permanent city, called Vaes Dothrak, which serves as their capital. The dosh khaleen hold the city as their seat. It is filled with statues stolen from other cities the Dothraki conquered or raided. There is a law that no Dothraki may shed blood within the boundaries of Vaes Dothrak and that those who do are cursed. Two gigantic bronze stallions, whose hooves meet midair, form an arch above the entryway to the city. For the first season of the TV adaptation, Sandy Brae in the Mourne Mountains of northern Ireland was chosen to stand in for Vaes Dothrak; the bronze stallions making up the Horse Gate as the main entrance of Vaes Dothrak were later C.G.I.ed on two pedestals erected on location.
+
+====Lhazar====
+Lhazar is an area of the semi-arid lands south of the Dothraki Sea. A region of pastures and hills, it is inhabited by the Lhazareen, a peaceful people with bronze skin, flat faces, and almond eyes. They are predominantly shepherds, called the Lamb Men by the Dothraki, who frequently prey on them. They worship a god called the Great Shepherd and believe that all of humanity is part of a single flock. The scenes at the village of the Lamb Men that is sacked by the Dothraki were filmed in Malta, at the farming town of Manikata.
+
+===Slaver's Bay ===
+Slaver's Bay is a marginal sea of the Summer Sea, lying to the south of the Dothraki Sea, to the west of Lhazar and thousands of leagues to the east of the Free Cities. The climate is very hot. After a first mention in ''A Game of Thrones'' in relation to slavery, Daenerys Targaryen conquers the three great Slaver's Bay port city-states Astapor, Yunkai and Meereen in ''A Storm of Swords''. She stays in Meereen throughout most of ''A Dance with Dragons''.
+
+The cities were built from the rubble of Old Ghis, an ancient rival of Valyria that was crushed by Valyria thousands of years before the series' events. The economies of the cities are largely based on slave labor and the slave trade. Treatment of slaves is often harsh, while citizens live in relative luxury. Professional soldiers of all three cities wear outlandish costumes and hairstyles that limit their usefulness in battle. The cities' militaries are highly dependent on additional slave and mercenary armies for the actual fighting.
+
+Present inhabitants of the bay are a mixed race that no longer speak the old Ghiscari tongue but variations of High Valyrian with a characteristic growl. The ancient folk of Ghis, who name themselves the harpy's sons in Astapor, are said to have bristly red-black hair. The Good Masters of Astapor all appear alike to Daenerys as "thick fleshy men with amber skin, broad noses, dark eyes. Their wiry hair was black or a dark red, or that queer mixture of red and black that was peculiar to Ghiscari". Only the freeborn men of Astapor are permitted to wear garments called tokars, whose fringes display their status. Many Astapori women veil their face for the dust. The Astapori are drenched in sweet perfumes.
+
+====Astapor====
+Astapor lies on the banks of the Worm River, a wide, slow and crooked stream with wooded islands. Entering Astapor at the beginning of ''A Storm of Swords'', Daenerys experiences it as an ancient and dilapidated city that has long passed its glory days. The city is dominated by its red brick architecture, and Arstan Whitebeard explains to Daenerys that the saying "Brick and blood built Astapor, ... and brick and blood her people" refers to the slaves who make the bricks. Astapor's stepped pyramids, its fighting pits, streets, the surrounding walls and the Plaza of Pride are all made of red bricks. The so-called Plaza of Punishment at Astapor's main gates is even larger than the Plaza of Pride.
+
+The Plaza of Pride, which has a red-brick fountain and a huge bronze harpy statue in its center, serves as an open air slave market and a marshaling area for the Unsullied, elite eunuch spearmen with a renown for discipline and effectiveness. Astapor is the only city to sell Unsullied, but also sells bed slaves, fieldhands, scribes, craftsmen and tutors. The Unsullied require a huge investment in both time and money by the Astapori who raise and train them, but they earn the most profitable of returns for the Good Masters of Astapor. The Unsullied wear spiked bronze hats, and they obey at all costs, even if it demands their death. They are given new slave names each day to be reminded of their worthlessness. In times of attack, unsold Unsullied are deployed to the massive, crumbling red-brick walls that the Astapori no longer man.
+
+Daenerys decides to buy all of Astapor's trained and untrained Unsullied, over 8600 in number, and tells them to kill all adult Astapori slavers and soldiers when she leaves the city. She gives the power over Astapor to a council of former slaves led by a healer, a scholar and a priest, and tens of thousands of former slaves join her on her travels to Yunkai. A former butcher named Cleon fends off a scheme to have the Good Masters re-established, and was crowned as the King of Astapor in reward.
+
+The TV show used the coastal town of Essaouira, Morocco to film scenes in Astapor.
+
+====Yunkai====
+The smallest of the three cities, Yunkai, like Meereen, does not trade in Unsullied but is known for its fighting pits and its pleasure houses, both of which turn out slaves at a brisk pace. The city is similar to Astapor in architecture except for its smaller size and its use of yellow brick in its buildings instead of red. The slavers of Yunkai are known as the Wise Masters. Because of the city's lack of Unsullied, it relies on a mixed professional and slave army of approximately 4,000 with at least 1,000 mercenaries. Typical for Ghiscari, Yunkai soldiers wear impractical armor and oiled hair teased into enormous shapes, limiting their effectiveness.
+
+Yunkish scenes were filmed in Aït Benhaddou, Morocco in the TV show.
+
+====Meereen====
+The largest of the three slaver cities, Meereen has a population equaling that of Astapor and Yunkai combined. The city has architecture similar to that of its neighbors, but it is made of bricks of many colors. Its landscape is dominated by a massive pyramid, named the Great Pyramid, and the Temple of Graces, which is capped by a golden dome. Meereen is unique among the Ghiscari cities in that it is filled with many temples and pyramids. The slavers of Meereen are known as the Great Masters. They field a force of lancers equipped in traditionally extravagant Ghiscari fashion with scales of copper and lances as long as fourteen feet. It is built on the banks of the river Skahadhazan.
+
+For the HBO television series, many of the scenes in Meereen were filmed in Split and the Fortress of Klis, Croatia. In Season 5, Daznak's Pit in the city was shot in the Plaza de Toros in Osuna, Spain.
+
+=== Eastern Essos ===
+====Red Waste ====
+The Red Waste is a great desert-like area in the eastern part of Essos. Not much is known about it, since it was only briefly seen in ''A Clash of Kings'' when Daenerys Targaryen and her ''khalasar'' crossed it. The only known settlement in the region, Vaes Tolorro, is in ruins.
+
+====Qarth====
+First mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones'', the city of Qarth has not yet appeared on any maps in the books. However, the HBO ''Viewer's Guide'' world map and the opening titles of the TV series' second season show Qarth located at a strait between the Summer Sea and the Jade Sea in the south-east of Essos. Upon Daenerys' first visit to Qarth in ''A Clash of Kings'', the warlock Pyat Pree describes his city as the center of the world and as a gateway of commerce and culture between the east and west, and the north and south. The reader learns through Daenerys's eyes that the city is surrounded by three graded walls of thirty to fifty feet in height, respectively engraved with portraits of animals, war, and lovemaking. The city's buildings are of many colors, including rose, violet, and umber. Slender towers rise throughout the city, fountains adorn every square, and thousands of colored birds, blooming trees and flowers fill the city. The TV adaptation filmed Qarth on the island of Lokrum near Dubrovnik and constructed a set at the Dubac quarry in Croatia to double for the gates of Qarth.
+
+The Qartheen are described as "tall pale folk in linen and samite and tiger fur", with the women wearing gowns that leave one breast bare, while the men sport beaded silk skirts. Daenerys perceives them as "nothing if not polite". Slaves serve their needs. The Pureborn, descendants of the city's ancient kings and queens, govern Qarth and also command the city's defenses. Three principal merchant groups battle amongst themselves and against the Pureborn for dominance of the city: the Thirteen, the Ancient Guild of Spicers, and the Tourmaline Brotherhood. Qarth's warlocks, whose lips are turned blue from a potion called "the shade of the evening", are said to brood over these factions; they are still feared although their power and prestige have waned over the years. Qarth is also home to the Sorrowful Men, a guild of assassins named so for whispering "I am so sorry," before killing their victims. Daenerys leaves Qarth again at the end of ''A Clash of Kings''.
+
+=== Unvisited lands  ===
+
+====Asshai and the Shadow Lands ====
+Asshai and the Shadow Lands are mysterious locations in the ''Ice and Fire'' world. They are first mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones'' and were first mapped in ''The Lands of Ice and Fire'', lying on the far east of the known world. Martin is unsure if the books will ever take the readers to Asshai, but said that readers may learn more through the POV character Melisandre (who originates from Asshai) or through the memories and mentions of other characters. Jorah Mormont describes Asshai as a port city far to the south of the Dothraki sea, at the end of the known world. Asshai exports such goods as black amethysts, amber and dragonglass. At another time, Jorah Mormont tells Daenerys of great kingdoms to the east of the Red Waste, and lists Asshai by the Shadow as one of the cities full of wonders there. According to Martin, all ship travels between Westeros and Asshai go via the Summer Sea and the Jade Sea through the straits at Qarth, and that the common folk still believe the world to be flat. However, according to Martin, "Asshai is not nearly important to trade as Yi Ti, and the rich port cities of Yi Ti (and Leng) and more easily reached via Qarth." Quaithe of the Shadow prophesies Daenerys in Qarth that "To go north, you must journey south. To reach the west, you must go east ... and to touch the light you must pass beneath the shadow." When Daenerys interprets this to mean she must go to Asshai, Quaithe says she would find the truth there.
+
+There are many tales about the Shadow Lands, though how much truth they hold is unclear. The Dothraki believe that ghost grass covers the Shadow Lands, with stalks that glow in the dark and grow taller than a man on horseback. Daenerys heard that "spellsingers, warlocks, and aeromancers practiced their arts openly in Asshai, while shadowbinders and bloodmages worked terrible sorceries in the black of night". There are also Westerosi maesters in Asshai. The mages of Asshai teach others their healing powers, but also their spells requiring blood sacrifice. Ancient books of Asshai record the Azor Ahai prophecy followed by members of the R'hllor faith. Daenerys heard that dragons themselves originated from the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai and the islands of the Jade Sea, and they possibly still live there. Bran dreams of flying Dragons in Asshai. The petrified dragon eggs Illyrio gives to Daenerys are said to come from the Shadow Lands. The "dour and frightening" Shadow Men cover their bodies in tattoos and wear lacquered wooden masks, and the appearance of the Asshai'i is described as dark and solemn. The Dothraki believe the Asshai'i to be the spawn of shadows. The Asshai'i have a language of their own.
+
+====Ibben====
+Ibben is a collection of islands north of Essos in the Bay of Whales. The largest of these islands is Ib, which contains the cities Port of Ibben and Ib Nor. Until the Doom of Valyria, Ibben was ruled by a God-King. Now power is held by the Shadow Council, which is made up of nobles, priests, and wealthy guildsmen. Ibben is first mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones'', where Tyrion talks of rumors that mammoths "roam the cold wastes beyond the Port of Ibben". In 2002, Martin said the narrative would "probably not" take readers to Ibben, which he described as a "cold, mountainous, Iceland-sized island" (i.e. 40,000 square miles) in the Shivering Sea, with the Port of Ibben as the major city; some Ibbenese also live on smaller islands nearby or in colonies on Essos. Ibben is unmapped in the books as of ''A Dance with Dragons'', but similar to Martin's descriptions, the HBO ''Viewer's Guide'' world map gives the island's location as to the north-east of Essos. Martin said that due to a large whale population in the Shivering sea, many of the Ibbenses were whalers. The Ibbenses are known to chew whale blubber in order to maintain their metabolism in the cold climate. Several characters see Ibbenese whalers and cogs at the ports of King's Landing, Braavos, Maidenpool, Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, and the Iron Islands. The novels describe the people of Ibben as squat and hairy; Arya even meets an Ibbenese woman with a mustache. Tyrion and Varys meet foul-smelling Ibbenese,  who "were as fond of axes as they were of each other". Arya sees "a dark brutal axeman from Ib" in her dreams. The Ibbenese are said to speak with low, raspy voices and to have their own language.
+
+====Yi Ti====
+The novels repeatedly describe Yi Ti as a city full of wonders, lying in the far east. As of ''A Dance with Dragons'', Yi Ti has not appeared on any maps in the books, but Martin specified that "Yi Ti is to the south east of Qarth, generally, across the Jade Sea." The city is first mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones'', talking of rumors that "basilisks infested the jungles of Yi Ti". Sailor stories presented in ''A Feast for Crows'' mention that a grey plague has hit Yi Ti. The god of the people of Yi Ti is called the Lion of Night. Daenerys sees people of Yi Ti as bright-eyed men in monkey-tail hats in the markets of Vaes Dothrak. Martin is unsure "to what extent those peoples like of Yi Ti will ever enter this present story, however... their lands are very far away."
+
+====Plains of Jogos Nhai====
+North of Yi Ti, the Plain of Jogos Nhai are windswept, with rolling hills. They are dominated by a race of mounted warriors called the Jogos Nhai. The Jogos Nhai live in yurts and tents, and are a nomadic people. They are short, squat, and have large heads and small faces. Men and women both have pointed skulls, a result of their custom of binding the heads of newborns. They also ride zorses, a striped mount that can withstand much more than average horse. The Jogos Nhai do not fight between themselves, and live in small clans bound by blood. They live in a state of perpetual war with outsiders. Each tribe is commanded by a ''jhat'', or war chief, and a moonsinger, who is a priestess, healer, and judge. Moonsingers are generally female, and ''jhats'' are mostly male. (Paraphrased from ''The World of Ice and Fire)''
+
+==Sothoryos ==
+To the south of Essos is the continent of Sothoryos (mistakenly spelled Sothoros in early novels). Sothoryos is the third continent of the known world, and is vast, plague-ridden, covered in jungles, and largely unexplored. It is reported to be as large as Essos and described as a "land without end" by Jaenara Belaerys, a Valyrian dragonlord from before the Doom of Valyria.  
+
+The continent is first named on a map in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), showing the cities of Yeen and Zamettar on it. The narrative itself first refers to the continent in ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005). Martin had described Sothoryos in 2002 as "the southern continent, roughly equivalent to Africa, jungly, plague-ridden, and largely unexplored". The novels provide little other information. The swampy nature of Sothoryos is briefly referenced by Victarion in ''A Dance with Dragons'', and teak from Sothoryos is said to be used to build ships. A corsair's road runs along the continent's northern coast. ''A Dance with Dragons'' refers to the diseases on Sothoryos in regards to the wealthy but sick Yunkai slave trader Yezzan zo Qaggaz. Victarion describes some people as "squat and hairy as the apes of Sothoros", and some people fighting in Daznak's Pit for Daenerys's entertainment in ''A Dance with Dragons'' are described as "brindle-skinned half-men from the jungles of Sothoros". Martin said that, unlike other peoples in the novels, the brindled men of Sothoryos were pure fantasy constructs.
+
+==Ulthos ==
+The map collection ''The Lands of Ice and Fire'' also shows the north tip of a landmass named "Ulthos" to the south of Essos and east of Sothoryos. Asked whether this was another continent, Martin replied, "Well, it's a large landmass. I am a little unclear on the formal definition of 'continent' as opposed to 'big island.' Also on the size of Ulthos, which after all sits at the edge of the known world. Terra incognita and all that."
+
+==References==
+===Secondary sources===
+
+
+===Primary sources===
+
+
+===Bibliography===
+* 
+* 
+* 
+* 
+* 
+* 
+* 
+* 
+
+==External links==
+*  Wiki of Ice and Fire, Geography
+
+
+
+
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+'''''A Game of Thrones''''' is the first novel in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by the American author George R. R. Martin.  It was first published on August 1, 1996.  The novel won the 1997 Locus Award and was nominated for both the 1997 Nebula Award and the 1997 World Fantasy Award. The novella ''Blood of the Dragon'', comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel, won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella. In January 2011, the novel became a ''New York Times'' Bestseller and reached #1 on the list in July 2011.
+
+In the novel, recounting events from various points of view,  Martin introduces the plot-lines of the noble houses of Westeros, the Wall, and the Targaryens. The novel has inspired several spin-off works, including several games. It is also the namesake and basis for the first season of ''Game of Thrones'', an HBO television series that premiered in April 2011. A March 2013 paperback TV tie-in re-edition was also titled ''Game of Thrones'', excluding the indefinite article "A".
+
+==Plot==
+
+''A Game of Thrones'' follows three principal storylines simultaneously.
+
+===In the Seven Kingdoms===
+At the beginning of the story, Eddard "Ned" Stark, the Warden of the North in the Seven Kingdoms, executes a deserter from the Night's Watch, the military order that guards the Wall on the Seven Kingdoms' northern border. On the way home to his castle Winterfell, he discovers six orphaned direwolf pups, which are adopted by his six children. Upon the death of Lord Jon Arryn, the principal advisor to King Robert Baratheon, Robert recruits Ned to replace Arryn as "Hand of the King", and betroth Ned's daughter Sansa to Robert's son Joffrey. Ned accepts the position when he learns that Arryn's widow Lysa believes Queen Cersei Lannister and her family poisoned Arryn. Shortly thereafter, Ned's son Bran discovers Cersei having sex with her twin brother Jaime Lannister, who throws Bran from the tower to conceal their affair, paralyzing his legs.
+
+Ned and his daughters Sansa and Arya depart for the capital city, King's Landing. During the journey south, an altercation between Arya and Joffrey leads to Arya's direwolf being driven away and Sansa's direwolf being executed to appease the Lannisters. Upon arriving in King's Landing to take his post as Hand, Ned finds that Robert is an ineffective king whose only interests are hunting, drinking and womanizing, leaving his Small Council to govern the realm.
+
+At Winterfell, an assassin attempts to kill Bran, and Ned's wife Catelyn travels to King's Landing to bring word to Ned. Catelyn's childhood friend, Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, implicates Tyrion Lannister, the dwarf brother of Cersei and Jaime, in the assassination attempt. En route back to Winterfell, Catelyn encounters Tyrion by chance, arrests him, and takes him to stand trial for the attempt on Bran's life. In retaliation for Tyrion's abduction, his father Lord Tywin Lannister sends soldiers to raid the Riverlands, Catelyn's home region. Tyrion regains his freedom by recruiting a mercenary named Bronn to defend him in trial by combat.
+
+Ned investigates Jon Arryn's death and eventually discovers that Robert's legal heirs, including Joffrey, are in fact Cersei's children by Jaime, and that Jon Arryn was killed to conceal his discovery of their incest. Ned offers Cersei a chance to flee before he informs Robert, but she uses this chance to arrange Robert's death in a hunting accident and install Joffrey on the throne.  Ned enlists Littlefinger's help to challenge Joffrey's claim; but Littlefinger betrays him, resulting in Ned's arrest. Arya escapes the castle, but Sansa is taken hostage by the Lannisters.
+
+Ned's eldest son Robb marches his army south in response to his father's arrest, and in order to relieve the threat on the Riverlands. To secure a strategically necessary bridge crossing, Catelyn negotiates a marital alliance between Robb and the notoriously unreliable House Frey. Robb defeats a Lannister army in the Riverlands, capturing Jaime. Tywin sends Tyrion back to King's Landing to act as Hand of the King to Joffrey. When Ned is executed, Robb's followers declare the North's independence from the Seven Kingdoms, proclaiming Robb "King in the North".
+
+===On the Wall ===
+The prologue of the novel introduces the Wall: an ancient barrier of stone, ice, and magic, hundreds of feet high and hundreds of miles long, shielding the Seven Kingdoms from the northern wilderness. The Wall is manned by the Night's Watch: an order of warriors sworn to serve there for life, defending the realm from the fabled Others, an ancient and hostile inhuman race, as well as from the human "wildlings" who live north of the Wall.
+
+Jon Snow, Ned’s bastard son, is inspired by his uncle, Benjen Stark, to join the Night's Watch, but becomes disillusioned when he discovers that its primary function is as a penal colony. Jon unites his fellow recruits against their harsh instructor and protects the cowardly but good-natured and intelligent Samwell Tarly. Jon is appointed steward to the leader of the Watch, Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, making him a potential successor to Mormont. Benjen fails to return from an expedition north of the Wall. Six months later, the dead bodies of two men from his party are recovered; these re-animate as undead wights before being dispatched by Jon.
+
+When word of his father's execution reaches Jon, he attempts to join Robb against the Lannisters, but is persuaded to remain loyal to the Watch. Mormont then declares his intention to march north to find Benjen, dead or alive, and to investigate rumors of a "King-Beyond-the-Wall" uniting the wildlings.
+
+===Across the narrow sea===
+Across the sea to the east of Westeros, the exiled prince Viserys Targaryen, son of the late "mad king" and rightful heir to House Targaryen, the royal house of Westeros before it was overthrown by Robert Baratheon, betroths his 13-year-old sister Daenerys to Khal Drogo, a warlord of the nomadic Dothraki, in exchange for the use of Drogo's army to reclaim the throne of Westeros. Illyrio, a wealthy merchant who has been supporting the penniless Targaryens, gives Daenerys three petrified dragon eggs as a wedding gift. Jorah Mormont, a knight exiled from Westeros, joins Viserys as an adviser. Initially terrified of her new husband and his people, Daenerys eventually embraces her role as Drogo's queen. Drogo, however, shows little interest in conquering Westeros before the birth of his child with Daenerys, and an impatient Viserys tries to browbeat his sister into coercing Drogo. When Viserys publicly threatens Daenerys, Drogo executes him by pouring molten gold on his head.
+
+An assassin seeking King Robert's favor attempts to poison Daenerys and her unborn child, finally convincing Drogo to conquer Westeros. While sacking villages to fund the invasion of Westeros, Drogo is badly wounded, and Daenerys commands a captive folk healer to save him. The healer, angered by the Dothraki raids against her people, sacrifices Daenerys' unborn child to power the spell to save Drogo's life, which restores Drogo's physical health but leaves him in a persistent vegetative state.
+
+With Drogo completely incapacitated and unable to lead, much of the Dothraki army departs to follow a new Khal. Daenerys smothers Drogo with a pillow, and the healer responsible for his condition is tied to Drogo's funeral pyre on her orders. She places her three dragon eggs on the pyre and enters it herself; she soon emerges, unburned, with three newly hatched dragons. Awe-struck, Jorah and the remaining Dothraki swear allegiance to her.
+
+== Themes ==
+Throughout the novel, characters are often faced with decisions that match one redeemable trait against another. ''The Guardian'' outlines characters who are frequently "forced to choose between their love for those close to them and the greater interests of honour, duty and the realm." In Westeros, Ned ultimately decides to venture south with Robert, leaving much of his family in Winterfell. At the Wall, Jon wrestles with the predicament of joining his half-brother Robb in rebellion or staying with his sworn brothers in the Night's Watch. Daenerys has issue with the Dothraki treatment of those they conquered in Essos. These conflicts characters encounter oftentimes reflect inconsistent decision making. Catelyn initially is overwhelmed by grief and does not leave Bran's bedside while he is comatose, ignoring her political responsibilities, choosing family over duty. But soon after, Catelyn leaves Bran and her family for Kings Landing to inform Ned of potential Lannister treason, effectively displaying a more duty fulfilling role. Family, duty, and honor play major roles in conflicts that arise in the story arc, and qualities traditionally categorized as noble oppose each other in resolution. Character decision conflicts and consequence analysis are particular to how Martin wants to portray fantasy.
+
+Martin characteristically deviates from the traditional fantasy model and clear-cut lines of good versus evil. Martin reflects: "I think the battle between good and evil is fought largely within the individual human heart, by the decisions that we make. It's not like evil dresses up in black clothing and you know, they're really ugly". This viewpoint characterizes the book and is evident in the actions of several different families which frequently have conflicts with each other. The Starks' and Lannisters' conflict is a central component of the novel, and the reader receives points of view from both sides. Likewise, Daenerys' storyline develops around the Targaryen's upheaval in Westeros, in which the Starks played a significant role. Martin argues: Having multiple viewpoints is crucial to the grayness of the characters. You have to be able to see the struggle from both sides, because real human beings in a war have all these processes of self-justification, telling ourselves why what we're doing is the right thing.
+
+==Viewpoint characters==
+Each chapter concentrates on the third person limited point of view of a single character; the book presents the perspective of eight main characters. Additionally, a minor character provides the prologue. Chapter headings indicate the perspective.
+* Prologue: Will, a man of the Night's Watch.
+* Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark, Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell, Hand of the King.
+* Lady Catelyn Stark, of House Tully, wife of Eddard Stark.
+* Sansa Stark, elder daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
+* Arya Stark, younger daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
+* Bran Stark, middle son of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
+* Jon Snow, illegitimate son of Eddard Stark.
+* Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf, brother of the twins Queen Cersei and Jaime, son of Lord Tywin Lannister.
+* Princess Daenerys Targaryen, Stormborn, the Princess of Dragonstone and heiress to the Targaryen throne after her older brother Viserys Targaryen.
+
+In the later books, certain viewpoint characters are added while others are removed.
+
+==Writing==
+Martin acknowledges several authors who lent their time and expertise during the writing of the novel: Sage Walker, Martin Wright, Melinda Snodgrass, Carl Keim, Bruce Baugh, Tim O'Brien, Roger Zelazny, Jane Lindskold, and Laura Mixon.
+
+==Editions==
+
+According to author George R.R. Martin, the Bantam 1996 edition was the true first. The HarperCollins/ Voyager 1996 edition was the British first edition. Its official publication date was earlier than that of the US Bantam edition, but Bantam went to print several months earlier to hand out copies at the American Boksellers Association (ABA). The novel has been translated into many languages and published in multiple editions in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audio book form. In different languages, the number of books may not be the same. In June 2000, Meisha Merlin published a limited edition of the book, fully illustrated by Jeffrey Jones.
+
+==Adaptations==
+
+''A Game of Thrones'' and the subsequent novels in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series have been adapted in a HBO television series, a comics series, several card, board and video games, and other media.
+
+==Reception==
+''A Game of Thrones'' has received critical acclaim. Lauren K. Nathan of the Associated Press wrote that the book "grips the reader from Page One" and is set in a "magnificent" fantasy world that is "mystical, but still believable." Steve Perry told readers of ''The Oregonian'' that the plot is "complex and fascinating" and the book is "rich and colorful" with "all the elements of a great fantasy novel". Writing in ''The Washington Post'', John H. Riskind commented that "many fans of sword-and-sorcery will enjoy the epic scope of this book" but felt that the book "suffers from one-dimensional characters and less than memorable imagery." Phyllis Eisenstein of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' wrote that, although the book uses many generic fantasy tropes, Martin's approach is "so refreshingly human and intimate that it transcends them." She described it as "an absorbing combination of the mythic, the sweepingly historical, and the intensely personal." John Prior, writing in the ''San Diego Union-Tribune'', called Martin's writing "strong and imaginative, with plenty of Byzantine intrigue and dynastic struggle", and compared it to Robert Jordan's ''Wheel of Time'' books, "though much darker, with no comedy or romance to relieve the nastiness."
+
+On November 5, 2019, the ''BBC News'' listed ''A Game of Thrones'' on its list of the 100 most influential novels.
+
+==Awards and nominations==
+* Locus Award – Best Novel (Fantasy) (Won) – (1997)
+* World Fantasy Award – Best Novel (Nominated) – (1997)
+* Hugo Award – Best Novella for ''Blood of the Dragon'' (Won) – (1997)
+* Nebula Award – Best Novel (Nominated) – (1997)
+* Ignotus Award – Best Novel (Foreign) (Won) – (2003)
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+* 
+* 
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+'''''A Clash of Kings''''' is the second novel in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', an epic fantasy series by American author George R. R. Martin expected to consist of seven volumes. It was first published on 16 November 1998 in the United Kingdom, although the first United States edition did not follow until February 2, 1999 Like its predecessor, ''A Game of Thrones'', it won the Locus Award (in 1999) for Best Novel and was nominated for the Nebula Award (also in 1999) for best novel. In May 2005 Meisha Merlin released a limited edition of the novel, fully illustrated by John Howe.
+
+The novel has been adapted for television by HBO as the second season of the TV series ''Game of Thrones''.
+
+''A Clash of Kings'' is also the name of the first expansion to the ''Game of Thrones'' board game.
+
+== Plot summary ==
+''A Clash of Kings'' depicts the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros in civil war, while the Night's Watch mounts a reconnaissance to investigate the mysterious people known as wildlings. Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen continues her plan to reconquer the Seven Kingdoms.
+
+===In the Seven Kingdoms===
+With King Robert Baratheon dead, his purported son Joffrey and his brothers Renly and Stannis all claim the throne of the Seven Kingdoms. Two regions attempt to secede from the realm: Robb Stark is declared "King in the North" while Balon Greyjoy declares himself king of the Iron Islands. The war among these contenders is dubbed the War of the Five Kings.
+
+Stannis Baratheon, claiming the throne as Robert's eldest brother and therefore heir, is supported by Melisandre, a foreign priestess who believes Stannis to be the reincarnation of Azor Ahai, a messianic figure of her faith. Renly Baratheon has married Margaery Tyrell, the daughter of the wealthy Lord Mace Tyrell, who is supporting Renly's attempt to usurp the throne. Robb sends his mother Catelyn Stark to meet with Renly and Stannis to discuss an alliance against Joffrey's family, the Lannisters, but she is unable to reach an agreement with them. Melisandre uses magic to send a shadow to assassinate Renly; after witnessing Renly's death, Catelyn and Renly's bodyguard Brienne of Tarth flee the scene. Having lost Renly, some of his followers shift their support to Stannis.
+
+Tyrion Lannister, Joffrey's uncle, arrives at King's Landing as acting Hand of the King, the senior adviser to Joffrey's reign. Whilst jockeying for power against Joffrey's mother, the Queen Regent Cersei, Tyrion improves the defenses of the city. Learning of Renly's death, and knowing that the Tyrells will not support Stannis, Tyrion sends the crown's treasurer Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish to negotiate a marriage alliance between Margaery and Joffrey. Riots break out in the city due to Joffrey's cruelty and food shortages caused by the ongoing war.
+
+Robb wins several victories against the Lannisters while Robb's younger brother Bran rules the Northern stronghold of Winterfell in his absence. Robb sends his friend Theon Greyjoy, Balon Greyjoy's son, who grew up as a hostage in Winterfell, to negotiate an alliance between the North and the Iron Islands. Theon betrays Robb and attacks Winterfell, taking the castle and capturing Bran and his younger brother Rickon. When Bran and Rickon escape, Theon fakes their deaths. Believing this ruse, Stark supporters besiege the castle, including a force from the Starks' sometime ally House Bolton. However, the Bolton soldiers turn against the Stark and Greyjoy forces alike, burn Winterfell, slaughter its inhabitants, and take Theon prisoner.
+
+Robb's sister Arya is taken north posing as a new recruit for the Night's Watch. The recruits are attacked by Lannister forces, and the survivors are taken to the gigantic castle of Harrenhal, which is controlled by Joffrey's grandfather Tywin Lannister, and put to work as servants. For saving his life during the attack, a mysterious man named Jaqen H'ghar promises to repay Arya by killing three men of her choice. Arya leverages this offer to help Northern forces retake control of Harrenhal. Jaqen gives Arya a mysterious iron coin and tells her to find him in the foreign city of Braavos if she should ever desire to learn his secrets. Arya soon escapes the castle.
+
+Stannis' army launches assaults on King's Landing by both land and sea in a battle in Blackwater Bay. Under Tyrion's command, the Lannister forces use "wildfire" (similar to Greek fire) to ignite the bay, and raise a massive chain across its mouth to prevent Stannis' fleet from retreating. Tywin leads his army and the Tyrell forces to the defense of King's Landing, and Stannis's forces are defeated. During the battle, Tyrion is attacked and injured by a knight of Joffrey's Kingsguard; by the time Tyrion regains consciousness after the battle, Tywin has assumed the post of Hand of the King.
+
+===Beyond the Wall===
+A scouting party from the Night's Watch learns that the wildlings are uniting under "King-beyond-the-Wall" Mance Rayder. The Watch then continue to an ancient hill-top fortress known as the Fist of the First Men, where Jeor Mormont sends Jon Snow and Qhorin Halfhand with others to the Skirling Pass, where they are hunted by wildling warriors. Facing certain defeat, Halfhand commands Jon to infiltrate the wildlings and learn their plans. They are captured by wildlings who demand Jon fight Qhorin to join them. Jon kills Qhorin with the aid of his direwolf, Ghost, and learns that Mance Rayder is advancing on the Wall with thirty thousand wildlings, giants, and mammoths.
+
+===Across the Narrow Sea===
+Daenerys Targaryen travels east, accompanied by the knight Jorah Mormont, her remaining followers, and three newly hatched dragons. Scouts find a safe route to the city of Qarth, where her dragons make Daenerys notorious. Xaro Xhoan Daxos, the leader of the Thirteen, a prominent group of traders in Qarth, initially befriends the outsiders; but Daenerys cannot secure aid in claiming the Iron Throne, because she refuses to give away any of her dragons. As a last resort, Daenerys seeks counsel from the warlocks of Qarth, who show Daenerys many confusing visions and threaten her life, whereupon one of Daenerys' dragons, Drogon, burns down the warlocks' House of the Undying. An attempt to assassinate Daenerys is thwarted by a fat warrior named Strong Belwas and his squire Arstan Whitebeard: agents of Daenerys' ally Illyrio Mopatis, who have come to escort her back to Pentos.
+
+== Characters ==
+The tale is told through the eyes of 9 recurring POV characters plus one prologue POV character:
+* Prologue: Maester Cressen, maester at Dragonstone
+* Tyrion Lannister, youngest son of Lord Tywin Lannister, a dwarf and a brother to Queen Cersei, and the acting Hand of the King
+* Lady Catelyn Stark, of House Tully, widow of Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell
+* Ser Davos Seaworth, a smuggler turned knight in the service of King Stannis Baratheon, often called the Onion Knight
+* Sansa Stark, eldest daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark, held captive by Queen Cersei at King's Landing
+* Arya Stark, youngest daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark, missing and presumed dead
+* Bran Stark, second son of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark and heir to Winterfell and the King in the North
+* Jon Snow, bastard son of Eddard Stark, and a man of the Night's Watch
+* Theon Greyjoy, heir to the Seastone Chair and former ward of Lord Eddard Stark
+* Queen Daenerys Targaryen, the Unburnt and Mother of Dragons, of the Targaryen dynasty
+
+==Editions==
+;Foreign language editions
+
+* Arabic: "اغنية الثلج والنار: صراع الملوك" ("A Song of Ice and Fire : Clash of kings")
+* Bulgarian: Бард :"Сблъсък на Крале"
+* Catalan: Alfaguara :"Xoc de reis" ("Clash of kings")
+* Croatian: Algoritam: "Sraz kraljeva"
+* Chinese: "列王的纷争", 重庆出版社(2006) ("Conflict of Kings").
+* Czech: Talpress: "Střet králů" ("Clash of Kings")
+* Danish: Gyldendal :"Kongernes Kamp" ("The Battle of Kings")
+* Dutch: One volume, Luithing Fantasy (1999): hardcover : ''De Strijd der Koningen'' ("The Clash of Kings")
+* Estonian: Two volumes, hardcover : Varrak (2008, 2009), "Kuningate heitlus I & II" ("A Clash of Kings")
+* Finnish: Kirjava: "Kuninkaiden koitos"
+* French: Three volumes (Hardcover: Pygmalion (2000); paperback: J'ai Lu (2002)): "La bataille des rois", "L'ombre maléfique", "L'invincible forteresse" ("The Battle of Kings", "The Evil Shadow", "The Invincible Fortress").
+* German: Single volume, Fantasy Productions (2004): "Königsfehde" ("King's Feud"). Two volumes, Blanvalet (2000): "Der Thron der Sieben Königreiche", "Die Saat des goldenen Löwen" ("The Throne of the Seven Kingdoms", "The Seed of the Golden Lion").
+* Georgian: Paperback, Arete (2014): "მეფეთა ჯახი" I/II ("Clash of Kings" I/II)
+* Greek: Anubis: "Σύγκρουση Βασιλέων" ("Clash of Kings")
+* Hebrew: "I/II עימות המלכים" ("Clash of Kings")
+* Hungarian: Alexandra Könyvkiadó : "Királyok csatája" ("Battle of Kings")
+* Icelandic: UGL: "Konungar kljást" ("Kings Clash")
+* Indonesian: Fantasious: "Pertempuran Raja-raja" ("Battle of Kings")
+* Italian: Two volumes, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore (2001, 2002): "Il regno dei lupi", "La regina dei draghi" ("The Kingdom of Wolves", "The Queen of Dragons").
+* Japanese: Two volumes, hardcover : Hayakawa (2004), paperback : Hayakawa (2007): "王狼たちの戦旗" ("Banner of the Wolf Kings")
+* Korean: Eun Haeng Namu Publishing Co. :"왕들의 전쟁" ("War of Kings")
+* Latvian: Whitebook: "Karaļu cīņa" ("War of Kings")
+* Lithuanian: Alma Littera "Karalių kova" ("A Battle of Kings")
+* Norwegian: Two volumes (2012) 'Bok II Del I: Kongenes kamp' (Book II Part I: The Battle of Kings) and 'Bok II Del II: Dragenes dronning' (Book II Part II: The Queen of Dragons)
+* Polish: Zysk i s-ka: "Starcie królów"
+* Brazilian Portuguese: Leya: "A Fúria dos Reis" ("Wrath of the Kings")
+* European Portuguese: Two Volumes, Saída de Emergência : "A Fúria dos Reis", "O Despertar da Magia"
+* Romanian: Nemira: "Încleștarea regilor"
+* Russian: Single volume, AST (2004, 2005, 2006): "Бит��а королей" ("The Battle of Kings"). Two volumes, AST (2000): "Битва королей. Книга 1", "Битва королей. Книга 2" ("The Battle of Kings: Book 1", "The Battle of Kings: Book 2).
+* Serbian: Лагуна : "Судар краљева"
+* Slovenian: "Spopad kraljev" ("Clash of Kings")
+* Spanish: Gigamesh (2003): "Choque de reyes" ("Clash of Kings").
+* Swedish: Forum bokförlag: "Kungarnas krig" ("War of the Kings")
+* Turkish: Two volumes, Epsilon Yayınevi: "Buz ve Ateşin Şarkısı II: Kralların Çarpışması - Kısım I & Kralların Çarpışması - Kısım II" ("A Clash of Kings")
+* Ukrainian: One volume, KM Publishing (2014): "Битва Королів" ("A Clash of Kings")
+* Vietnamese: Two volumes: "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 2A: Hậu Duệ Của Sư Tử Vàng", "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 2B: Bảy Phụ Quốc". ("Game of Thrones 2A: Descendants of the Golden Lion", "Game of Thrones 2B: Seven Kingdoms") 
+
+
+==Television adaptation==
+''A Clash of Kings'' has been adapted for television by HBO as the second season of its successful adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. Filming began July 2011, and the first episode of season 2 of ''Game of Thrones'' aired on April 1, 2012.
+
+==Reception==
+As with its predecessor, ''A Clash of Kings'' was positively received by critics. Dorman Shindler of ''The Dallas Morning News'' described it as "one of the best works in this particular subgenre", praising "the richness of this invented world and its cultures ... that lends Mr. Martin's novels the feeling of medieval history rather than fiction." Writing in ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'', Jim Hopper called ''A Clash of Kings'' "High Fantasy with a vengeance" and commented: "I'll admit to staying up too late one night last week to finish off this big book, and I hope it's not too terribly long until the next one comes out." Danielle Pilon wrote in the ''Winnipeg Free Press'' that the book "shows no signs of the usual 'middle book' aimlessness". Although she found the constantly switching viewpoints "momentarily confusing", she felt that it "draws the reader deep into the labyrinthine political and military intrigues and evokes sympathy for characters on all sides of the conflict." Bradley H. Sinor of the ''Tulsa World'' praised Martin for "keeping readers balanced on a sword's edge" and managing to do "three important things" with ''A Clash of Kings'': "It grips the reader whether or not they read the earlier book, tells a satisfying story and leaves the reader wanting the next book as soon as possible." ''The Oregonian's'' Steve Perry called the book "easily as good as the first novel" and commented that the ''Song of Ice and Fire'' books were "so complex, fascinating and well-rendered that readers will almost certainly be hooked into the whole series." However, he cautioned that "if it were a movie, it would be rated "R" for sex and violence, so don't pick the book up for your 10-year-old nephew who likes Conan."
+
+==Awards and nominations==
+* Locus Award – Best Novel (Fantasy) (Won) – (1999)
+* Nebula Award – Best Novel (Nominated) – (1999)
+* Ignotus Award – Best Novel (Foreign) (Won) – (2004)
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+* 
+* 
+
+
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+

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+'''''A Storm of Swords''''' is the third of seven planned novels in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a fantasy series by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published on August 8, 2000, in the United Kingdom, with a United States edition following in November 2000. Its publication was preceded by a novella called ''Path of the Dragon'', which collects some of the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel into a single book.
+
+At the time of its publication, ''A Storm of Swords'' was the longest novel in the series. It was so long that in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and Israel, its paperback edition was split in half, Part 1 being published as ''Steel and Snow'' in June 2001 (with the one-volume cover) and Part 2 as ''Blood and Gold'' in August 2001 (with a specially-commissioned new cover). The same division was used in the Polish and Greek editions. In France, the decision was made to cut the novel into four separate volumes.
+
+''A Storm of Swords'' won the 2001 Locus Award, the 2002 Geffen Award for Best Novel and was nominated for the 2001 Nebula Award for Best Novel. It was the first novel in the series to be nominated for the Hugo Award, one of the two most prestigious awards in science fiction and fantasy publishing, although it lost to J. K. Rowling's novel ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire''.
+
+Meisha Merlin Publishing, which had previously issued limited, illustrated editions of both ''A Game of Thrones'' and ''A Clash of Kings'', was planning to release a similar version for ''A Storm of Swords'' in two volumes; however, lengthy delays in the release of ''A Clash of Kings'' caused it to lose its publishing rights, which were picked up by Subterranean Press. This edition, illustrated by Charles Vess, was released in the summer of 2006.
+
+''A Storm of Swords'' is also the name of the second expansion to the board game ''A Game of Thrones'', released in July 2006. Approximately the first half of the novel was adapted for television as the third season of the HBO show ''Game of Thrones'', while the second half became the basis for the series' fourth season, and some elements for the series' fifth season.
+
+==Plot summary==
+
+''A Storm of Swords'' picks up the story slightly before the end of its predecessor, ''A Clash of Kings''. The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros are still in the grip of the War of the Five Kings, wherein Joffrey Baratheon and Stannis Baratheon compete for the Iron Throne, while Robb Stark of the North and Balon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands declare their independence. Meanwhile, a large host of wildlings, the tribes from beyond the Seven Kingdoms' northern border, approach the Wall that marks the border, under the leadership of Mance Rayder, the self-proclaimed "King Beyond the Wall", with only the undermanned Night's Watch in opposition. Finally, Daenerys Targaryen, the daughter of a deposed former king of Westeros and "mother" of the world's only living dragons, travels west to plan to retake her father's throne.
+
+===In the Seven Kingdoms===
+
+====The Riverlands====
+At her father's castle of Riverrun, Robb's mother Catelyn Stark releases the captive Jaime Lannister, Joffrey's uncle (and, secretly, father) in order to secure the release of Catelyn's daughters, Sansa and Arya, who Catelyn believes are held hostage by the Lannisters in the capital city, King's Landing. Jaime is sent south, escorted by Brienne of Tarth. Robb's army returns to Riverrun, having vanquished the Lannister armies in the west, and Robb reveals that he has married Jeyne Westerling, violating his promise to be wed to a daughter of House Frey. These actions alienate and infuriate some of Robb's allies, weakening his military position.
+
+Jaime and Brienne are captured by mercenaries working for Roose Bolton, who is nominally an ally of Robb's but is secretly plotting to undermine him. The mercenary captain Vargo Hoat has Jaime's sword hand cut off. Brienne is thrown into a bear pit by Hoat, and Jaime risks his own life to rescue her. Bolton releases Jaime and Brienne and they travel to King's Landing.
+
+Arya Stark, traveling in the Riverlands, is taken in by the "Brotherhood Without Banners": a band that defends the smallfolk of the Riverlands, led by Lord Beric Dondarrion and the red priest Thoros of Myr. The group encounters Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, Joffrey's former bodyguard, and offers him trial by combat for his crimes. The Hound kills Beric, but Thoros resurrects him with the power of the fire god R'hllor. The Hound kidnaps Arya and flees with her.
+
+In order to return north to defend the region against Greyjoy attacks, Robb needs the support of the Freys. The Freys propose a wedding between Catelyn's brother Edmure Tully, now lord of the Riverlands, and one of Lord Walder Frey's daughters, to compensate for Robb breaking his marriage agreement. At the wedding celebration, the Boltons and Freys turn on the Starks, massacring Robb's forces. Robb is murdered by Roose Bolton, while Catelyn's throat is cut and her body thrown into the river; Edmure is kept alive as a hostage. These events become known as the Red Wedding.
+
+Arya and the Hound witness the Red Wedding and escape, but soon after, the Hound is wounded in a skirmish, and Arya abandons him. She takes a ship to the Free City of Braavos, where the assassin Jaqen H'ghar had told her she could find him.
+
+In the epilogue, a re-animated but decayed and mutilated Catelyn is leading the Brotherhood Without Banners, and she oversees the lynching of two of the Freys who were present at the Red Wedding.
+
+====King's Landing, Dragonstone, and the Eyrie====
+The smuggler-turned-knight Davos Seaworth attempts to assassinate Stannis' advisor Melisandre, a sorceress and priestess of R'hllor, blaming her for Stannis' defeat in his prior assault on King's Landing. Davos is imprisoned for treason, but at Melisandre's behest, Stannis releases Davos and appoints him Hand of the King. Melisandre uses the blood of Edric Storm, a bastard son of Stannis' late brother King Robert, to curse the three rival Kings. Balon Greyjoy's death is reported shortly thereafter.
+
+King's Landing welcomes the Lannisters' new allies, the Tyrells, as liberators, and King Joffrey sets aside his betrothal to Sansa Stark in favor of Margaery Tyrell. Joffrey's grandfather Tywin Lannister, the Hand of the King, compels Sansa to marry his dwarf son Tyrion, to enable Lannister control of the North; but Tyrion refuses to consummate the marriage against her will.
+
+Margaery and Joffrey's wedding is held as planned, but during the wedding feast, Joffrey is poisoned and dies. Tyrion is accused of the murder by his sister Cersei, Joffrey's mother, and arrested.  Sansa escapes the castle with the help of Lord Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, who admits to her his culpability in Joffrey's death, incriminating Margaery's grandmother Olenna as well. Littlefinger and Sansa depart King's Landing for the Eyrie, home of Catelyn's sister Lysa Arryn.
+
+After Balon, Robb and Joffrey die, as Melisandre predicted, Davos has Edric smuggled to safety to prevent Melisandre and Stannis sacrificing him for the power in his blood. Davos discovers a request by the Night's Watch for aid against Mance Rayder; Stannis prepares to execute Davos for treason but changes his mind after Davos shows Stannis the Night's Watch's plea.
+
+The spymaster Varys and Tyrion's lover Shae testify falsely against Tyrion at his trial. Prince Oberyn Martell, of the southern region of Dorne, offers to represent Tyrion in a trial by combat against Cersei's champion, Gregor Clegane, who was responsible for the death of Oberyn's sister Elia. Oberyn nearly wins, but is ultimately killed by Gregor, although the poison on Oberyn's spear leaves Gregor dying in agony. Tyrion is sentenced to death.
+
+Upon returning to King's Landing, Jaime gives Brienne a sword reforged from the hereditary sword of the Stark family, and sends her to find Arya and Sansa and return them home. Jaime refuses to believe that Tyrion killed Joffrey, and helps Varys free Tyrion from prison. Jaime reveals that Tyrion's first wife Tysha, whom Tywin had gang-raped by his garrison, was not a prostitute as Tywin told him, and genuinely loved Tyrion. Outraged, Tyrion swears revenge on Jaime, Cersei, and Tywin; during his escape, he murders both Shae and Tywin before fleeing Westeros.
+
+At the Eyrie, Sansa is disguised as an illegitimate daughter of Littlefinger, and Littlefinger and Lysa are married. Lysa reveals that Littlefinger had convinced her to poison her late husband Jon, and to pin the blame on the Lannisters, which was the catalyst for the events of ''A Game of Thrones''. Lysa threatens to kill Sansa, thinking she is trying to seduce Littlefinger, but Littlefinger intervenes and, after revealing that he had only ever loved Catelyn, pushes Lysa to her death.
+
+===The North===
+The detachment of the Night's Watch under Lord Commander Jeor Mormont are attacked by undead wights and the Others, hostile inhuman creatures from the far north. The Watch suffer heavy casualties, although the steward Samwell Tarly kills one of the Others with a blade of obsidian. Soon some of the Watch mutiny and kill Mormont, but Sam escapes with the help of a wildling girl, Gilly. Sam, Gilly, and Gilly's newborn child approach the Wall, assisted by a strange figure riding an elk, whom Sam calls Coldhands. Among the dead are most of the Watch's senior leadership.
+
+Robb's brother Bran and his friends, having escaped the Boltons' attack on the Stark castle Winterfell, are guided north by Bran's dreams of a three-eyed crow. At the Wall, Sam guides them to Coldhands and returns to the Night Watch's headquarters at Castle Black, having sworn to keep Bran's survival secret even from Jon Snow, Bran's bastard brother and Sam's fellow Watchman.
+
+Jon, on a mission to infiltrate the wildlings, convinces Mance that he is a deserter from the Night's Watch, and learns that the Others are driving the wildlings south towards the Wall. Jon and his captor Ygritte also begin a sexual relationship. After crossing the Wall, Jon escapes the wildlings and returns to Castle Black. The approaching wildling army attacks Castle Black; but Jon takes command of the defenses and repels several assaults, during which Ygritte is slain. After that, the Watch's surviving leaders Janos Slynt and Alliser Thorne falsely accuse Jon of treachery, and send him north of the Wall to kill Mance under a pretense of parley. As Jon is talking with Mance in the wildling camp, Stannis' army arrives, routing the Wildlings, and Mance is imprisoned. Stannis offers to legitimize Jon and make him Lord of Winterfell in exchange for his support, but Jon decides to decline Stannis' offer, and is elected by the Night's Watch as its new Lord Commander.
+
+===Slaver's Bay===
+Daenerys Targaryen learns that large slave armies can be bought in Astapor, one of the cities of Slaver's Bay, and buys the entire host of the warrior-eunuch Unsullied by offering one of her infant dragons in exchange. Upon payment, Daenerys orders the Unsullied and the dragon to turn on the slave traders and sack the city. With the help of her maturing dragons, she frees all the slaves of Astapor, including the Unsullied. Daenerys' army then conquers the slaver city of Yunkai; but the lords of the neighbouring city of Meereen antagonize Daenerys by killing child slaves and burning the land to deny her resources. Consequently, Daenerys besieges the city to no avail.
+
+Daenerys discovers two traitors in her camp: Ser Jorah Mormont, who had spied on her for the late King Robert, and Ser Barristan Selmy, the humiliated former Lord Commander of King Robert’s Kingsguard. Daenerys offers both men the chance to make amends by sneaking into Meereen to free the slaves and start an uprising. Meereen soon falls and, in retaliation for the murdered child slaves, Daenerys has the city's rulers put to death. Selmy asks for Daenerys' forgiveness and becomes Lord Commander of her Queensguard, while Jorah, who refuses to admit any wrongdoing, is banished. When Daenerys learns that the council she left to govern Astapor has been overthrown, she decides to remain in Meereen to rule it herself.
+
+==Characters==
+The tale is told through the eyes of ten main characters, plus a one-off prologue POV and a one-off epilogue POV character, for a total of 12 narrators.
+* Prologue: Chett, a brother and hound-keeper of the Night's Watch
+* Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer
+* Jon Snow, bastard son of Eddard Stark, a sworn brother of the Night's Watch
+* Catelyn Stark, of House Tully, widow of Lord Eddard Stark, mother of Robb Stark
+* Tyrion Lannister, youngest son of Tywin Lannister, a dwarf, brother of Jaime and Cersei Lannister
+* Sansa Stark, eldest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark
+* Arya Stark, youngest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark
+* Bran Stark, son of Eddard and Catelyn Stark, heir to Winterfell and the North
+* Samwell Tarly, cowardly son of Lord Randyll Tarly, a sworn brother of the Night's Watch
+* Davos Seaworth, a smuggler turned knight in the service of King Stannis Baratheon
+* Daenerys Targaryen, exiled Queen of Westeros, of the Targaryen dynasty
+* Epilogue: Merrett Frey, a member of the numerous Frey family.
+
+==Development==
+On October 6, 2009, Martin noted on his blog that his manuscript for ''A Storm of  Swords'' had been 1521 pages in length; the initial printed hardcover came in at 992 pages. Martin did not write the Red Wedding chapters until he had completed every other chapter of the book, as he felt it was "the hardest thing I ever wrote" and that he would rather delay writing until absolutely necessary. In contrast, he referred to the chapter of Joffrey's fatal wedding as "easy and fun to write" but that he nevertheless tried to instill empathy for the painful demise of this very unpopular character and "bring home the point that this, too, was a human being who was scared and terrified and then dead".
+
+==Editions==
+'''Foreign language editions'''
+* Bulgarian: Бард: "Вихър от Мечове"
+* Catalan: Alfaguara: "Tempesta d'espases" "Storm of swords"
+* Chinese: 重庆出版社(2007): "冰雨的风暴" ("Storm of Freezing Rain").
+* Czech: Talpress: "Bouře mečů" ("Storm of Swords")
+* Danish: Gyldendal: "En Storm af Sværd" ("A Storm of Swords")
+* Dutch: Luitingh-Sijthoff: "Een storm van zwaarden" ("A Storm of Swords")
+* Estonian: Two volumes, hardcover, Varrak (2010, 2011): "Mõõkade maru. Teras ja lumi" (A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow"), "Mõõkade maru. Veri ja kuld" ("A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold")
+* Finnish: Kirjava: "Miekkamyrsky" ("Swordstorm")
+* French: Four volumes (Hardcover: Pygmalion (2001, 2002, 2003); paperback: J'ai Lu (2003, 2004)): "Les brigands" (hardcover) / "Intrigues à Port-Réal" (paperback), "L'épée de feu", "Les noces pourpres", "La loi du régicide" ("The Outlaws/Intrigues in King's Landing", "The Sword of Fire", "The Crimson Wedding", "The Law of the Kingslayer".)
+* German: Single volume, Fantasy Productions (2005): "Schwertgewitter" ("Sword Storm"). Two volumes, Blanvalet (2001, 2002): "Sturm der Schwerter", "Die Königin der Drachen" ("Storm of Swords", "The Queen of Dragons").
+* Greek: Two volumes, Anubis: "Παγωμένες Λεπίδες", "Ματωμένο Χρυσάφι" ("Frozen Blades","Bloody Gold")
+* Hebrew: "סופת החרבות חלק א - פלדה ושלג, סופת החרבות חלק ב - דם וזהב" ("Storm of swords - Steel and snow","Storm of swords - blood and gold")
+* Hungarian: Alexandra Könyvkiadó: "Kardok vihara” ("Storm of Swords")
+* Indonesian: Fantasious: "Amukan Baja” ("Steel's Fury")
+* Italian: Three volumes, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore (2002, 2003, 2004): "Tempesta di spade", "I fiumi della guerra", "Il Portale delle Tenebre" ("A Storm of Swords", "The Rivers of War", "The Gate of Darkness").
+* Japanese: Three volumes, hardcover : Hayakawa (2006-7), paperback : Hayakawa (2012): "剣嵐の大地" ("The Land of the Sword Storm") I, II and III
+* Korean: Eun Haeng Namu Publishing Co. : "성검의 폭풍” ("Storm of Holy Swords")
+* Lithuanian: Alma Littera "Kardų audra" ("A Storm of Swords").
+* Norwegian: Two volumes, Vendetta (2013): "Stål og snø: en sang om is og ild, bok 3, del 1", "Blod og Gull: en sang om is og ild, bok 3, del 2" ("Steel and Snow: A Song of Ice and Fire, book 3, part 1, Blood and Gold: A Song of Ice and Fire, book 3, part 2)"
+* Polish: Two volumes, Zysk i S-ka: "Nawałnica mieczy:Stal i Śnieg (I)", "Nawałnica mieczy: Krew i Złoto(II)" (A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow", "A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold")
+* Brazilian Portuguese: Leya: "A Tormenta de Espadas" ("The Storm of Swords")
+* European Portuguese: Two Volumes, Saída de Emergência: "A Tormenta de Espadas" ("A Storm of Swords"), "A Glória dos Traidores" ("The Betrayer's Glory")
+* Romanian: Nemira: "Iureșul săbiilor"
+* Russian: AST: "Буря мечей" ("Storm of Swords").
+* Serbian: Two volumes, Лагуна: "Олуја мачева Део први: Челик и снег"(A Storm of Swords First part: "Steel and snow"), "Олуја мачева Део други: Крв и Злато" (A Storm of Swords Second part: "Blood and Gold" )
+* Slovenian: Vihra mečev ("A Storm of Swords")
+* Spanish: Two volumes, Gilgamesh (2005): "Tormenta de espadas I", "Tormenta de espadas II" ("Storm of Swords I", "Storm of Swords II").
+* Swedish: Forum: "Svärdets makt" ("The Might of the Sword")
+* Turkish: Two volumes, Epsilon Yayınevi: "Buz ve Ateşin Şarkısı III: Kılıçların Fırtınası - Kısım I & Kılıçların Fırtınası - Kısım II" ("A Storm of Swords")
+* Ukrainian: KM Publishing (2015): "Буря мечів" ("A Storm of Swords")
+* Vietnamese: Three Volumes: "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 3A: Sự trở lại của Ngoại nhân", "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 3B: Nước mắt Sói Tuyết", "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 3C: Tử Hôn". ("Game of Thrones 3A: Return of the Others", "Game of Thrones 3B: Tears of Direwolf", "Game of Thrones 3C: Purple Wedding")
+
+==Reception==
+
+''Publishers Weekly'' said the third volume was "one of the more rewarding examples of gigantism in contemporary fantasy. ... The complexity of characters such as Daenerys, Arya and the Kingslayer will keep readers turning even the vast number of pages contained in this volume, for the author, like Tolkien or Jordan, makes us care about their fates. Those two fantasy greats are also evoked by Martin's ability to convey such sensual experiences as the heat of wildfire, the chill of ice, the smell of the sea and the sheer gargantuan indigestibility of the medieval banquet at its most excessive. Perhaps this saga doesn't go as far beyond the previous bounds of high fantasy as some claim, but for most readers it certainly goes far enough to command their attention."
+
+Martin was nominated for the 2001 Hugo Award for Best Novel, but lost to J. K. Rowling for ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire''. Afterwards he made this comment about his fans: "Eat your heart out, Rowling. Maybe you have billions of dollars and my Hugo, but you don't have readers like ''these''."
+
+==Awards and nominations==
+* Hugo Award – Best Novel (Nominated) – (2001)
+* Locus Award – Best Novel (Fantasy) (Won) – (2001)
+* Nebula Award – Best Novel (Nominated) – (2001)
+* Geffen Award – Best Fantasy Book (Won) – (2002)
+* Ignotus Award – Best Novel (Foreign) (Won) – (2006)
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+*  A Wiki Of Ice And Fire Wiki dedicated to ''A Song of Ice and Fire''
+* 
+* 
+* '' A Storm of Swords'' at Worlds Without End
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
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+
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+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/1_Dragonstone__Game_of_Thrones_episode_.txt

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+"'''Dragonstone'''" is the seventh season premiere episode of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 61st overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa.
+
+The episode's main plot focuses on Daenerys Targaryen's long-awaited homecoming to Dragonstone with her vast forces, and Cersei and Jaime Lannister treating with Euron Greyjoy for an alliance after the demise of House Frey.
+
+"Dragonstone" received positive reviews from critics, who considered Arya's revenge on House Frey, Sandor Clegane's atonement for his old life, and Daenerys's dramatic homecoming to Dragonstone as highlights of the episode. However, a cameo appearance by singer Ed Sheeran received some criticism. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 10.11 million in its initial broadcast.
+
+This episode marks the final appearance for David Bradley (Walder Frey).
+
+==Plot==
+
+===In the Riverlands===
+Disguised as Walder Frey, Arya Stark kills all the men of House Frey with poisoned wine, avenging the Red Wedding ("The Rains of Castamere"). Arya proceeds south to assassinate Queen Cersei Lannister, and makes camp with friendly Lannister soldiers.
+
+Sandor Clegane and the Brotherhood without Banners take shelter in the farm Sandor once robbed ("Breaker of Chains"); the farmer and his daughter are long dead inside. Beric Dondarrion admits he does not know why he has been repeatedly resurrected. Thoros of Myr shows Sandor a vision in the flames of White Walkers at a point where the Wall meets the sea. At night, Sandor buries the bodies. Discovering him, Thoros helps.
+
+===Beyond the Wall===
+Bran Stark and Meera Reed arrive at the Wall. Eddison Tollett lets them in. Meanwhile, the White Walkers and wights march south.
+
+===At Winterfell===
+Despite Sansa Stark's objections, Jon Snow forgives Alys Karstark and Ned Umber for their fathers' betrayals, and they swear loyalty to House Stark. Jon orders Tormund Giantsbane and the wildlings to fortify the Wall at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, and all Northerners to train for battle. Jon is frustrated that Sansa questioned his actions, but Sansa doesn't want Jon to repeat the mistakes for which Ned and Robb Stark died. A message from Cersei orders Jon to swear loyalty to her; Jon believes her army poses no threat to them during winter, but Sansa disagrees.
+
+Sansa rejects Littlefinger's attempts to ingratiate himself with her. She tells Brienne of Tarth that she can't dismiss him because they need the Vale's military support.
+
+===In King's Landing===
+Cersei learns that Daenerys Targaryen will return to Westeros soon, and realizes she and Jaime Lannister have very few allies. Euron Greyjoy arrives in King's Landing offering Cersei an alliance and marriage. Cersei rejects Euron because he is untrustworthy, but Euron promises to win her over with a priceless gift.
+
+===In Oldtown===
+Archmaester Ebrose denies Samwell Tarly access to the library's restricted area; Ebrose believes in the White Walkers, but trusts the Wall will halt their march. Sam manages to enter the restricted area and steals a few books. He learns of a dragonglass deposit under Dragonstone, and informs Jon.
+
+Sam encounters Jorah Mormont, who is a patient in isolation due to his greyscale. Jorah asks if Daenerys has arrived in Westeros, but Sam doesn't know.
+
+===On Dragonstone===
+Daenerys and her fleet arrive at Dragonstone, and she and her advisors enter the castle. She then starts planning the upcoming war.
+
+==Production==
+===Writing===
+The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
+"Dragonstone" was written by the series' creators, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The conversation between Jon Snow and Sansa Stark shows Sansa's lingering resentment that she has been insufficiently credited for securing the alliance with the Vale, and also highlights Jon and Sansa's respective, differing identification of the White Walkers and Cersei as primary threats. The dialogue between Jaime and Cersei emphasizes that, with her children dead, Cersei is morally unconstrained and lacks Daenerys's concern for innocents. The writers deliberately excluded dialogue from the scene of Daenerys's arrival at Dragonstone, to preserve the gravitas of that moment.
+
+===Casting===
+Jim Broadbent joins the series as Archmaester Ebrose
+"Dragonstone" saw the introduction of Jim Broadbent as Archmaester Ebrose at the Citadel. His casting in the series was initially announced by HBO to ''Entertainment Weekly'' in August 2016, and at the time was only revealed as a "significant" role in the seventh season. In a subsequent interview, Broadbent revealed his role in the series, and that he would be sharing his scenes with John Bradley, who portrays Samwell Tarly.
+
+Prior to the episode airing, it was announced that musician Ed Sheeran would be making a cameo appearance at some point during the season. According to David Benioff, they had been trying for years to get him onto the show as a surprise for Maisie Williams, who portrays Arya Stark in the series and is a fan of Sheeran. Before the episode's official release, Sheeran stated about his appearance that "Nothing exciting happens in this scene, we just have a conversation and that's kind of it." In "Dragonstone", Sheeran portrays a Lannister soldier, who Arya happens upon when she hears him singing a song that is unfamiliar to her. The song originates from George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' book series, which the television series is adapted from, and is titled "Hands of Gold". In the book series, it is sung by a character known as Symon Silver Tongue, a character unrelated to Sheeran's portrayal.
+
+===Filming===
+
+"Dragonstone" was directed by Jeremy Podeswa. He joined the series as a director in the fifth season, his first episode being "Kill the Boy", which was followed by "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. He further directed two more episodes in the series' sixth season, and also directed the seventh season's finale episode. In an interview with ''The Hollywood Reporter'' following the airing of "Dragonstone", Podeswa discussed his experience with directing Ed Sheeran's cameo appearance, stating "He was lovely to work with. He was lovely on the show. I think he fit right into that world." He continued by noting that Sheeran requested to change the key of the song that he performs in the scene during the episode's filming.
+
+Gaztelugatxe in Spain was used for portions of the scene set on Dragonstone.
+Podeswa also discussed his direction for the cold open, saying he wanted to "honor the great writing", and praised Maisie Williams and David Bradley's performance as Arya Stark and Walder Frey respectively, stating "As we got more into it, you knew the audience would have questions coming right into the scene, knowing Walder Frey is dead. So, what is this? Is it a flashback? Is there something else going on here? It's about playing that line of audience surprise and curiosity and how they read the scene. David's performance is so fantastic where there's a moment you can almost feel Arya inside of him. It's even before the dialogue betrays who he is." The scene was not written as a cold open; Benioff and Weiss made that decision on the strength of Bradley's work. Following the cold open, Podeswa also spoke about directing the opening scene following the title sequence, revealing "We knew it would be one shot. Nothing fancy in terms of camerawork. But it's a shot that very slowly reveals itself over time, and we take that time. Then it was a matter of me conceptualizing it with the storyboard artists and visual effects department." Podeswa also stated that the scene ending on the eye of the giant wight was not originally in the script, but came from working with the art department for the series.
+
+Benioff and Weiss praised Rory McCann's acting in showing the torment and guilt experienced by Sandor Clegane; Weiss identified Clegane's discovery of the farm family's unpleasant deaths as a favorite scene in the episode.
+
+In discussing the montage of Samwell Tarly at the Citadel, Podeswa noted that his past experience with directing a montage sequence of Arya while she is washing bodies at the House of Black and White may have been the reason for the showrunners to have included it in the episode, saying "In David and Dan's minds, they made a connection between me and montages, even though tonally these two are very different." He also divulged that the original version of the montage was "about seven or eight minutes" due to the amount of material that Podeswa had directed, and that the final version was edited down significantly.
+
+For the closing scene of Daenerys Targaryen arriving at Dragonstone, Podeswa noted that very little of the scene was shot on a sound stage, but rather on location, saying "The only thing shot on stage were the gates at the top of the stairs that leads to the long winding pathway up to the castle. Everything else was shot on location, in a number of different locations: Zumaia Beach in Spain is where she lands and walks up the stairs and gets to where the gates are. Another place — San Juan — is the place where that amazing staircase that doesn't look real and looks like a CG creation, but it's not, that's a spectacular location going up to Dragonstone castle." The interiors of Dragonstone, however, were all shot on a sound stage, with set designer Deb Riley creating the throne room, and redesigning the map room for the episode.
+
+==Reception==
+
+===Ratings===
+"Dragonstone" was viewed by 16.1 million total viewers, including 10.11 million on its initial viewing on HBO and the remaining coming from DVR and streaming, making it the most watched episode in the series' history up to that point. The episode also acquired a 4.7 rating in the 18–49 demographic. The episode inspired 2.4 million tweets during the time it aired, making it the show's most-tweeted episode yet. The episode was pirated 90 million times in the first three days since it aired. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 3.495 million viewers on Sky Atlantic during its Simulcast, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. On August 2, 2017, HBO announced that the episode was about to surpass 30 million U.S. viewers across all of the network's domestic platforms. In the UK, the episode received up to 4.7 million viewers after seven days, making it the highest for any program ever on Sky Atlantic.
+
+===Critical reception===
+
+"Dragonstone" has received widespread praise from critics. It has a 93% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 45 reviews with an average score of 8.4 out of 10. The site's consensus reads "With a blistering opening salvo, ''Game of Thrones'' charts an assured path for its anxiously-anticipated final stretch."
+
+Matt Fowler of IGN wrote in his review for the episode "'Dragonstone' sublimely set the stage for ''Game of Thrones'' Season 7 with some righteous revenge, a new alliance, a dramatic (and quiet) homecoming, and a surprisingly great sequence from The Hound as he began to atone for his old life." He gave the episode an 8.8 out of 10. Erik Kain of ''Forbes'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing "This was easily one of my favorite season premieres of any season of ''Game of Thrones''. It's a testament to the show's staying power and quality that even this far in, a season's first episode could be so good. So much of it was just setting the stage, and yet I was reeled in, hook, line and sinker, from the opening moment to the closing credits." Jane Mulkerrins of ''The Daily Telegraph'' also praised the episode, writing "One might wonder whether the biggest, bloodiest, most Dragon-heavy show on television would still have the ability to shock and surprise. The answer, happily, is yes." Matthew Gilbert of ''The Boston Globe'' said "The season premiere of Game of Thrones was thoroughly satisfying, a transporting hour that brilliantly reestablished the chessboard for the new, penultimate season."
+
+Ed Sheeran received mixed reviews over his cameo appearance. He deleted his Twitter account shortly after it. Much of the criticism was around the fact that there seemed to have been little attempt to disguise his cameo – while other artists such as Coldplay drummer Will Champion and Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol were more difficult to spot in their scenes.
+
+===Accolades===
+
+
+
+
+
+ Year
+
+ Award
+
+ Category
+
+ Nominee(s)
+
+ Result
+
+ 
+
+
+
+2017
+
+ American Society of Cinematographers Awards
+
+ Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series for Non-Commercial Television
+
+ Gregory Middleton
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Hollywood Post Alliance
+
+ Outstanding Color Grading
+
+ Joe Finley 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Editing
+
+ Crispin Green 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+2018
+
+ Art Directors Guild Awards
+
+ One-Hour Single Camera Period Or Fantasy Television Series
+
+ Deborah Riley 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Production Design for a Fantasy Program
+
+ Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, Rob Cameron
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+
+*  "Dragonstone" at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/201_A_Game_of_Thrones__card_game_.txt

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+'''''A Game of Thrones: The Card Game''''' (or '''''AGoT''''', for short) is an out-of-print collectible card game produced by Fantasy Flight Games. It is based on ''A Song of Ice and Fire'',  a series of novels written by George R. R. Martin. The first set was Westeros Edition and was released in August 2002. It has since won two Origins Awards. The game's primary designer is Eric Lang, the lead developer is Nate French, with Damon Stone serving as associate designer.
+
+In the game, players assume the leadership of one of the great houses of Westeros vying for control of King's Landing and the Iron Throne. To accomplish this, players launch military attacks against their opponents, undermine their opponents’ plans with intrigues of their own, and make power plays to win the support of the realm.
+
+==Factions==
+Each house represents one of the main factions involved in the struggle for the Iron Throne emulated by the AGoT LCG. Each house provides different strengths and weaknesses, allowing for various play styles to interact within the same game. Certain cards are restricted to one or two houses, giving each house a unique flavor. Currently, there are eight playable factions in the AGoT LCG. Each is identified by a shield bearing the arms of the house, located in the upper right corner of the card.
+
+===Great houses===
+* House Stark, the honorable rulers of the cold North. The Stark shield is a grey direwolf on an ice-white field. Prominent Stark characters include Lord Eddard Stark and his wife Catelyn, their son Robb, as well as Maester Luwin, Ser Rodrik Cassel, and Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully. Common game mechanics include direct kill, deck searching, and improved defense. Many Stark effects are themed around military challenges.
+* House Lannister, the rich and treacherous residents of Casterly Rock. The Lannister shield is a gold lion on a crimson field. Prominent Lannister characters include Jaime, Cersei, and Tyrion Lannister, as well as Ser Gregor Clegane, Ser Addam Marbrand, and Grand Maester Pycelle. Common game mechanics include card draw, kneeling effects, and trait manipulation. Many Lannister effects are themed around intrigue challenges.
+* House Baratheon, the royal blood of King Robert, rulers of Dragonstone and Storm's End. The Baratheon shield is a black crowned stag on a gold field. Prominent Baratheon characters include Robert, his brothers Stannis and Renly, as well as Melisandre, Ser Davos Seaworth, and the Loras Tyrell, the Knight of Flowers. Common game mechanics include power manipulation, standing effects, and retrieval of cards from the dead and discard piles. Many House Baratheon effects are themed around power challenges.
+* House Greyjoy, the rulers of the Iron Islands and the Ironborn raiders who prey on the rest of Westeros. The Greyjoy shield is a gold kraken on a black field. Prominent Greyjoy characters include Theon, Asha, and their father Balon Greyjoy, as well Balon's brothers Euron Crow's Eye and Aeron Damphair. Common game mechanics include location control, the ability to save characters, event cancels, and boosting the strength of attacking characters. Many house Greyjoy effects are themed around winning unopposed challenges.
+* House Targaryen, the exiled descendants of Aegon the Conqueror and their exotic followers. The Targaryen shield is a red on black, three-headed dragon representing Aegon and his sisters. Prominent Targaryen characters include Daenerys Targaryen and her three dragons, Khal Drogo, Ser Jorah Mormont, and Grey Worm. Common game mechanics include attachment manipulation, strength reducers and kill effects on strength 0 characters (frequently referred to as "burn" effects), and playing characters outside of the marshalling phase. Many Targaryen effects are themed around winning or losing challenges by 4 or more strength.
+* House Martell, rulers of the desert realm of Dorne, the southernmost region of Westeros. The Martell shield is a red sun pierced by a golden spear, on an orange field. Prominent Martell characters include Doran Martell, Oberyn Martell the Red Viper, his daughters the Sand Snakes, and his niece Arianne Martell. Common game mechanics include icon manipulation, discard effects, stealth, and card draw. Many Martell effects are themed around losing challenges, leading to such effects being referred to as "revenge" effects.
+
+===Other factions===
+Some great houses featured in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' are not represented as individual Houses in the ''AGoT'' LCG, but still appear in the game. House Tully is present in the game as a subset of their allies, House Stark. House Lannister and House Baratheon both feature numerous House Tyrell cards, and several significant House Tyrell characters were featured as promotional cards. House Tyrell also features prominently in the ''A House of Thorns'' expansion, as does House Bolton to a smaller extent. Other lesser houses also appear in the game, in service to the Great Houses to which they are sworn. Several House Frey cards also make an appearance, primarily as neutral cards. House Arryn is a prominent theme in ''A House of Talons''.
+
+In addition to the noble houses, the ''AGoT'' LCG also features many other factions present in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' as part of a particular theme. Example: The Wildlings are featured in ''Winter Block'', while the Asshai'i have been a sub theme over many expansions.
+
+==Cards==
+Each player supplies his or her own deck to play the game. A deck consists of a ''House Card'' or ''Alliance'' to represent the player's faction, an optional ''Agenda'' that modifies his faction, a plot deck that consists of exactly seven ''Plot'' cards, and then a main draw deck of at least 60 cards consisting of ''Characters'', ''Attachments'', ''Locations'', and ''Events''.
+
+===House cards===
+Each House card represents one of the main factions involved in the War of the Five Kings. Each House provides different strengths and weaknesses, allowing for various playstyles to interact within the same game. The House card selected will often restrict cards allowed in the remainder of the deck, by limiting cards that are marked as being allowed solely for another House.
+
+Characters, Locations, and Attachments often have a House affiliation, and often are used in decks running a matching House card. Some cards have no House affiliation, and such neutral cards may be used freely in any deck. Cards with House affiliations other than the chosen House card may be used, providing the card itself has no restriction, but require an extra expenditure of resources to bring them into play.
+
+===Agenda cards (optional)===
+Introduced in Valyrian Block, any deck using a House card (but not an Alliance card) may use one Agenda card. Agenda cards either modify the rules for building the player's deck, or grant an in-game advantage, typically at the cost of some other disadvantage such as requiring extra power to win, reduced card draw, or limiting claimed power.
+
+===Plot cards===
+Plot cards are generally regarded as the defining feature of ''A Game of Thrones: The Card Game''. Unlike the shuffled and randomly drawn resource deck, at the beginning of each round, each player chooses a new plot card to be revealed, which will have an effect on the round to be played, allowing for a strategic element to an otherwise random game.
+
+Plot cards indicate the base amount of gold available for the player to use to bring new cards into play during his ''Marshalling'' phase (indicated by a number within a gold coin), a base initiative value to determine the order of play for the round (indicated by a number within a diamond), a base claim value to determine the scope of the effect that player winning a challenge (indicated by a number in a silver disk), and a text box detailing any other effects or restrictions on the plot card, including any ''traits'' that it might have.
+
+Most plot cards are designed with built-in trade-offs, sacrificing high claim for low income, or some other game mechanic drawback.
+
+===Character cards===
+Character cards represent the unique characters from the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels, such as Eddard Stark, as well as generic individuals and massed groupings (such as armies) that can be found there. Generally, characters are the main focus of a deck as they are the principle card type used to participate in challenges, and thus collect the power tokens necessary to win.
+
+Attributes of a Character card consist of a gold cost (generally represented by a number overlaid on a gold coin in the upper left corner), a name across the top that may be preceded by a black flag if the character is unique and/or an infinity symbol if the character is ''endless'', a House affiliation (represented by one or more House shields in the upper right corner, although neutral characters will have a blank shield), artwork depicting the character in the top half of the card, a strength value (represented by a number on a stylized tapestry or a nondescript shield in the middle of the left side), zero to three challenge icons (a red axe represents Military, a green eye represents Intrigue, and a blue crown represents Power) arrayed in the bottom half of the left side, and a text box in the lower half of the card.
+
+Within the textbox may be ''traits'', ''keywords'', other game effects or icons, and flavour text from the novels. Traits are bold and italicized words at the top of the textbox, and usually represent roles or groups within the world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', such as Lords or Dothraki. They have no game function themselves, but instead are used to group characters together in order for other game effects to be used by or against varied groups of characters. Keywords are game mechanics defined in the rules that affect that character, such as No Attachments, which prevents any attachments from being placed on that character.
+
+===Attachment cards===
+Attachments are cards that are used exclusively to modify other cards. An attachment may not be in play unless it is attached to the proper type of card, typically a character card unless the attachment itself says otherwise.
+
+Attributes of an Attachment card consist of a gold cost (generally represented by a number overlaid on a gold coin in the upper left corner), a name across the top that may be proceeded by a black flag if the attachment is unique and/or an infinity symbol if the attachment is ''endless'', a House affiliation (represented by one or more House shields in the upper right corner, although neutral attachments will have no shield), artwork depicting the attachment in the top half of the card, and a text box in the lower half of the card. Throughout the Winter block, some cards were printed with a black crow icon in the bottom left corner to indicate the attachment is ''Doomed''. It is unknown if such attachments will appear again.
+
+Within the textbox may be ''traits'', ''keywords'', other game effects or icons, and flavour text from the novels. Traits are bold and italicized words at the top of the textbox, and usually represent types of enhancements, such as skills or titles. They have no game function themselves, but instead are used to group attachments together in order for other game effects to be used by or against varied groups of attachments. Keywords are game mechanics defined in the rules that affect that attachment such as Setup, which allows the attachment to be played at the beginning of the game unlike normal attachments.
+
+Occasionally, game effects can cause cards to become face-down attachments attached to specific other cards. These function the same as normal attachments, except they are treated as having no names, no text, no gold costs, no House affiliations, and are discarded if they are ever forced to leave play.
+
+===Location cards===
+Location cards represent the unique places in the setting of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels, such as King's Landing, generic regions such as fiefdoms, and even mobile locations such as sailing vessels and warships. Many locations are used to supply additional ''income'', ''influence'', but a wide variety of effects are present.
+
+Attributes of a Location card consist of a gold cost (generally represented by a number overlaid on a gold coin in the upper left corner), a name across the top that may be preceded by a black flag if the location is unique, a House affiliation (represented by one or more House shields in the upper right corner, although neutral locations will have no shield), artwork depicting the location in the top half of the card, and a text box in the lower half of the card.
+
+Within the textbox may be ''traits'', ''keywords'', other game effects or icons, and flavour text from the novels. Traits are bold and italicized words at the top of the textbox, and usually represent regions within the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, such as Westeros or Dorne. They have no game function themselves, but instead are used to group locations together in order for other game effects to be used by or against varied groups of locations. Keywords are game mechanics defined in the rules that affect that location, such as Limited which restricts the player to playing one such card per round.
+
+===Event cards===
+Event cards represent special actions or happenings from the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels that can be used in the course of the game. Certain events may be restricted so that they may only be played by a specific House, and some may only affect cards of a particular House affiliation. Event cards generally have a play restriction or a cost of some type which may be paid in influence, gold, or possibly by modifying the game state of one or more characters, locations, attachments or house card.
+
+Attributes of an Event card consist of a name across the top that may be preceded by a black flag if the event is unique and/or an infinity symbol if the event is ''endless'', artwork depicting the event in the top half of the card, and a text box in the lower half of the card.
+
+Within the textbox may be ''traits'', ''keywords'', but primarily will be one or more game effects, and flavour text from the novels. Traits are bold and italicized words at the top of the textbox, and usually represent specific types of events such as ''Small Council''. They have no game function themselves, but instead are used to group events together in order for other game effects to be used by or against varied groups of events. Keywords are game mechanics defined in the rules that affect that event, such as Deathbound directing a used event to the dead pile instead of the normal discard pile.
+
+==Rules==
+
+===Deck building===
+Each player participating in an A Game of Thrones game uses two decks: 1) a 7 card ''plot'' deck and 2) a 60+ (40+ for draft) card ''draw'' deck of ''characters'', ''attachments'', ''locations'', and ''events''. During play the ''draw'' deck cards will often end up in other game play areas including the ''discard pile'' (cards discarded from play) and the ''dead pile'' (cards that were killed or are marked with the Deathbound keyword). Typically, players are only allowed three copies of any particular card (as determined by the card name, regardless of card type or game text similarity) in their ''draw'' deck, and only one copy of any particular card, by name, in their ''plot'' deck, but these restrictions can be modified by some other cards, such as the Twins agenda.
+
+===Winning conditions===
+A player must earn 15 power tokens between their House card and characters in play to win A Game of Thrones. Numerous cards in the game can change the amount a player or his opponent are required to earn in order to win. Generally, power tokens are earned by winning challenges against an opponent, but some cards allow a player to directly claim power for his House card or characters in other ways.
+
+===Setup===
+At the beginning of the game, each player shuffles their ''draw'' deck, and draws the top 7 cards, with an option for a ''mulligan'' given to each player to shuffle and draw a new hand. From this initial hand, each player is able to select up to 5 gold worth of characters, locations, and attachments with the Setup keyword, but no more than 1 card of any type with the Limited keyword, from their hand; these cards are placed face-down until all players are ready to reveal their initial cards in play. Once all cards are revealed, players draw cards again until they each have 7 cards in their hand again.
+
+===Rounds and phases===
+The game is played through repeated rounds until one or more players meets the winning condition, or all but one player has met the elimination condition. Rounds are divided into 7 phases, with each phase allowing players to alternate actions that affect the game state in some way.
+
+The first phase every round is the ''Plot'' phase. Each player selects one unused plot from his ''plot'' deck, and all players reveal their chosen plots simultaneously. Initiative values from plot cards and other resources are tallied, and the player with the highest initiative chooses which player will go first in each phase of the current round. The textbox effects of plots are then resolved in the order chosen by the first player.
+
+In the second phase, the ''Draw'' phase, each player is allowed to draw two cards from their ''draw'' deck.
+
+Although divided into turns for each player, the ''Marshalling'' phase is a single phase for all players. At the beginning of each player's turn in the Marshalling phase, the player counts all income from plot card and any other resources available. The player is then able to bring new resources in the form of characters, locations, and attachments into play by spending the gold. Some events and other triggered effects also require the payment of gold, and unused income is not carried over into other rounds, so resource management is important.
+
+The fourth phase is the ''Challenge'' phase. As with the ''Marshalling'' phase, each player has a turn to initiate challenges against other players. Generally, players may initiate one each of ''Military'', ''Intrigue'', and ''Power'' challenges each round, but several cards can allow exta challenges to be initiated or deny certain challenges at all. Also, in a multiplayer game, he can either use all his challenges on one opponent or divide them among his adversaries. He doesn't have to use all of them. Challenges can be initiated in any order, and require a player to ''kneel'' one or more characters with an icon matching the challenge type to begin the challenge. Then, the player being attacked may kneel one or more characters to attempt to oppose the challenge. Once all player actions are taken, the player with the highest total strength in the challenge wins. If the defending player wins, nothing special occurs, but if the attacker wins, then the defender suffers losses depending on the type of challenge initiated.
+* Military - if the defending player loses, he must ''kill'' a number of characters he controls equal to the claim value on the attacker's plot.
+* Intrigue - if the defending player loses, he must randomly discard a number of cards from hand equal to the claim value on the attacker's plot.
+* Power - if the defending player loses, he must remove a number of power tokens from his House card equal to the claim value on the attacker's plot, and place them on the attacker's House card.
+
+In the fifth phase, the ''Dominance'' phase, each player counts the total strength of all controlled characters that are still ''standing'', plus the amount of gold still remaining in his possession (unspent). The player with the highest total wins dominance that round, and claims 1 power token for his House, taken from the power common pool.
+
+In the ''Standing'' phase each player changes each ''kneeling'' card to ''standing''.
+
+With the LCG format came a new phase, the ''Taxation'' phase, in which each player returns unspent gold to the common pool (in the CCG format, players could not use gold outside of their turn in the Marshalling phase).
+
+===Common game terms and rules===
+''Kneeling'' and ''standing'' are the two possible game states for each card in the game, although there is a special ''moribund'' state that's further explained in the faq on FFG website. ''Standing'' cards are upright, and are ready for use to pay for effects, or to initiate or defend challenges. ''Kneeling'' cards are rotated 90 degrees to the side, to indicate that they've been used to pay for an effect, or to initiate or defend a challenge. Some game effects are able to ''kneel'' cards (changing them from ''standing'' to ''kneeling'') or ''stand'' cards (changing them from ''kneeling'' to ''standing'') in order to manipulate the resources a player has available.
+
+''Unique'' cards represent the special individuals, places, items, and happenings in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. Unique cards may not be played if the player already has a copy of that card in play, or if a copy of that card can be found in the player's dead pile. Unique characters, locations, and attachments may be placed with copies that are already in play to serve as ''duplicates''. Duplicates may be discarded to save the unique card from being killed or discard.
+
+''Triggered Effects'' are a type of game effect that a player chooses to use in order to change the game state in some way. Triggered effects are indicated by a bold name of a phase (one of ''Plot'', ''Draw'', ''Marshalling'', ''Challenges'', ''Dominance'', or ''Standing'') or ''Any phase'' to indicate when the effect may be used. Another timing word that may precede a triggered effect is a bold ''Response'', which indicates that the effect may only be used in response to another occurrence in the game. ''Triggered abilities'' are a subset of triggered effects, and are specifically triggered effects that are written on cards currently in play.
+
+''Passive Effects'' are game effects that have no bold timing restriction indicated, but instead happen whenever certain prerequisites are met, such as a character coming into play.
+
+''Constant Abilities'' are game effects written on cards in play that have an ongoing effect on the game state.
+
+''Influence'' is indicated on various characters, locations, and attachments in the game by a number on a scroll in the textbox of the card. In the Valyrian block, influence was introduced as an additional resource to manage, requiring players to kneel one or more cards with a specific total amount of influence to pay for an effect.
+
+Normally, once a game effect has been initiated, it fully resolves without an interruption. However, once an effect is begun, there is a chance for specific effects to ''Cancel'' the initial effect. If the effect is cancelled, all costs stay paid, use limitations remain, but the effects do not occur.
+
+''Kill'' means removing a character from play, and placing that character in the ''dead pile''. Kill effects only work on characters, including other cards that are currently functioning as characters, but other cards can be placed in the dead pile through various game effects, such as the Deathbound keyword.
+
+''Discard'', when occurring without the modifier ''from hand'', means to take a card that is in play, and place it in the ''discard pile''.
+
+Generally, whenever an effect targets a card to be killed or discarded, players are given a chance to ''Save'' the card from the effect, either by discarding a duplicate of the targeted card or by using another game effect. If a card is saved, it is not removed from play, and it is not considered killed or discarded.
+
+==Organized play==
+
+===Night's Watch===
+Fantasy Flight Games has an official group of volunteers that organize sanctioned tournaments for A Game of Thrones. The Night's Watch are named after the guardians of The Wall in northern Westeros in the fictional setting of ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. These volunteers organize tournaments, arrange demonstration games for new and interested players, and hand out promotional materials provided by FFG.
+
+===Prizes===
+* '''Gold dragons''' are a form of loyalty points that were awarded for purchases and playing in tournaments. The packaging for booster packs, starter decks, and premium starter decks all have an image of a gold coin with a number representing the number of gold dragons earned, being one, two, and five respectively. Players could also earn certificates of eighty, forty, and twenty gold dragons for placing first, second, or third (respectively) in a sanctioned tournament. Gold dragons were redeemable to FFG for older promotional cards, booster packs, and other specialized AGoT products, such as card binders, stone house cards, and house-specific power tokens.  The Gold Dragon redemption program officially ended on June 30, 2008.
+* '''Promotional cards''' were frequently provided to Night's Watch volunteers by FFG to be given to participants of sanctioned tournaments. Sometimes these cards follow a special theme for the tournament, but that is not always the case. Usually the cards can legally be included in any deck, but some are marked with a skull icon to indicate they cannot be included unless special rules are in effect for that tournament.
+
+===Tournaments===
+There are several different official tournament types sanctioned by FFG. In the ''Classic'' format, players bring their own decks, which may include cards from any set, as long as the card is not on the banned list. In ''Standard'' format, players bring their own decks, which may only include cards from the most recent blocks. , only cards released since Valyrian block are legal in Standard format. In ''Limited'' format, players instead build their decks at the tournament, using provided draft packs (in ''Limited - Draft'') or starter decks (in ''Limited - Sealed Deck'') and booster packs.
+
+Aside from the restrictions on usable card pool, FFG places no limits on how Night's Watch volunteers organize the tournaments.
+
+ Thrones-Tournaments.com tries to provide a central list of all international and local store tournaments, to help gamers find play to compete in.
+
+===World and Continental Championships===
+The A Game of Thrones World Championships were held yearly at Gen Con Indy until 2012, when they moved to Fantasy Flight's Event Centre in Minneapolis, with Gencon being redesignated North American Championships. Part of the winner's prize is the opportunity to design their own card.
+
+
+
+
++ '''Previous world champions and cards designed'''
+
+ Year
+
+ World champion
+
+ Card designed
+
+ Set card was included in (CCG)
+
+ Set card was included in (1E)
+
+ Set card was included in (2E)
+
+
+
+ 2003 
+
+ Casey Galvan 
+
+ Bandit Lord 
+
+ A Crown of Suns 
+
+ Tourney for the Hand 
+
+ The King's Peace
+
+
+
+ 2004 
+
+ Greg Atkinson 
+
+ Flea Bottom 
+
+ A Reign of Kings 
+
+ The Grand Melee 
+
+ Oberyn's Revenge
+
+
+
+ 2005 
+
+ John Bruno 
+
+ The First Snow of Winter 
+
+ A Song of Night 
+
+ On Dangerous Grounds 
+
+ No Middle Ground
+
+
+
+ 2006 
+
+ Matthew Ley 
+
+ Ghost of High Heart 
+
+ A House of Talons 
+
+ Where Loyalty Lies 
+
+ City of Secrets
+
+
+
+ 2007 
+
+ Samuel Tham 
+
+ Den of the Wolf 
+
+ 
+
+  A Change of Seasons 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2008 
+
+ Tzu-Mainn Chen (Melee) 
+
+ When I Woke... 
+
+  
+
+ Princes of the Sun 
+
+ Kings of the Isles
+
+
+
+ 2008 
+
+ Lucas Reed (Joust) 
+
+ A Pinch of Powder 
+
+  
+
+ Princes of the Sun 
+
+ In Daznak's Pit
+
+
+
+ 2008 
+
+ Tzu-Mainn Chen (Overall) 
+
+ Former Champion 
+
+  
+
+ Princes of the Sun 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2009 
+
+ Jonathan Benton (Melee) 
+
+ Qhorin Halfhand 
+
+  
+
+ Lords of Winter 
+
+ Tyrion's Chain
+
+
+
+ 2009 
+
+ Greg Atkinson (Joust) 
+
+ Knights of the Hollow Hill
+
+  
+
+ Mountains of the Moon 
+
+ City of Secrets
+
+
+
+ 2009 
+
+ Erick Butzlaff (Overall) 
+
+ The Blackfish 
+
+  
+
+ Lords of Winter 
+
+ Wolves of the North 
+
+
+
+ 2010 
+
+ Brett Zeiler (Melee) 
+
+ Arrogant Contender  
+
+ 
+
+ Lions of the Rock 
+
+ City of Secrets
+
+
+
+ 2010 
+
+ Alec Irwin (Joust) 
+
+ The Laughing Storm 
+
+ 
+
+  Secrets of Oldtown 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2010 
+
+ Erick Butzlaff (Overall) 
+
+ Not yet released 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2010 
+
+ Andrea Gualdoni (European Joust) 
+
+ Meera Reed 
+
+  
+
+ Tourney for the Hand 
+
+ Music of Dragons
+
+
+
+ 2011 
+
+ Corey Faherty (Melee) 
+
+ Dark Wings, Dark Words 
+
+  
+
+ Ancestral Home 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2011 
+
+ Brett Zeiler (Joust) 
+
+ Coldhands 
+
+  
+
+ The Horn that Wakes 
+
+ The Faith Militant
+
+
+
+ 2011 
+
+ Corey Faherty (Overall) 
+
+ House of Dreams (1E)/The House with the Red Door 
+
+  
+
+ A Roll of the Dice 
+
+ Journey to Oldtown
+
+
+
+ 2011 
+
+ Martí Foz Hernandez (European Joust) 
+
+ The Reader 
+
+  
+
+ The Great Fleet 
+
+ The Road to Winterfell
+
+
+
+ 2011 
+
+ Grégoire Lefebvre (European Melee) 
+
+ Margaery Tyrell 
+
+  
+
+ A Turn of the Tide 
+
+ House of Thorns
+
+
+
+ 2012 
+
+ Dan Seefeldt (North American Overall) 
+
+ A Time for Wolves 
+
+  
+
+ A Time for Wolves 
+
+ Wolves of the North
+
+
+
+ 2012 
+
+ Michael Pandorf (North American Melee) 
+
+ Not yet released 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2012 
+
+ Mathieu Hosatte (Melee) 
+
+ Not yet released 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2012 
+
+ John Bruno (Joust) 
+
+ Mad King Aerys 
+
+  
+
+ A Dire Message 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2012 
+
+ Derek Shoemaker (Overall) 
+
+ Northern Patriarch 
+
+  
+
+ The Blue is Calling 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2012 
+
+ Stefano Montanari (European Joust) 
+
+ Theon Greyjoy 
+
+  
+
+ Spoils of War 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2012 
+
+ Istvan Cserdi (European Melee) 
+
+ Desert Raider 
+
+  
+
+ The Champion's Purse 
+
+ Kings of the Isles
+
+
+
+ 2013 
+
+ Steven Simoni (North American Overall) 
+
+ The Withering Cold 
+
+  
+
+ The Valemen 
+
+ Kingsmoot
+
+
+
+ 2013 
+
+ Ryan Jones (Melee) 
+
+ Faceless Man 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ House of Thorns
+
+
+
+ 2013 
+
+ Álvaro Rodríguez (Joust) 
+
+ "The Rains of Castamere" 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ Lions of Casterly Rock
+
+
+
+ 2013 
+
+ Ryan Jones (Overall) 
+
+ The Iron Bank Will Have Its Due 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ Oberyn's Revenge
+
+
+
+ 2013 
+
+ Miguel Tarin (European Joust) 
+
+ Not yet released 
+
+ 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2013 
+
+ Vincent Teulé (European Melee) 
+
+ Drowned God Fanatic 
+
+ 
+
+  
+
+  Streets of King's Landing
+
+
+
+ 2014 
+
+ Jonathan Andrews (North American Overall) 
+
+ Duel 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ The Fall of Astapor
+
+
+
+ 2014 
+
+ Dan Seefeldt (Melee) 
+
+ Not yet released 
+
+ 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2014 
+
+ Sam Braatz (Joust) 
+
+ The Crow is a Tricksy Bird 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ Someone Always Tells
+
+
+
+ 2014 
+
+ Alexander Hynes (Overall) 
+
+ The Annals of Castle Black 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ Guarding the Realm
+
+
+
+ 2014 
+
+ Jakob Hultman (European Melee) 
+
+ Beric Dondarrion 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ The Brotherhood Without Banners
+
+
+
+ 2014 
+
+ Donovan van Beek (European Joust) 
+
+ The Wars to Come 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ Sands of Dorne
+
+
+
+ 2015 
+
+ Patrick Reynolds (North American Joust) 
+
+ Not yet released 
+
+ 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2015 
+
+ Brian Aurelio (North American Melee) 
+
+ Winterfell Archery Range 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ The Red Wedding
+
+
+
+ 2015 
+
+ Ryan Jones (Draft) 
+
+ Not yet released 
+
+ 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2015 
+
+ Jakob Hultman (Joust) 
+
+ The King in the North 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ Favor of the Old Gods
+
+
+
+ 2015 
+
+ Corey Faherty (Melee) 
+
+ Valyrian Steel 
+
+ 
+
+  
+
+ Long May he Reign
+
+
+
+ 2015 
+
+ Sam Braatz (War of the Five Kings 2E) 
+
+ Not yet released 
+
+ 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2015 
+
+ Jesus Valdez Gaspar (European Joust) 
+
+ Assault from the Shadows 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ Daggers in the Dark
+
+
+
+ 2016 
+
+ Chris Schoenthal (North American Joust 2E) 
+
+ Not yet released 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2016 
+
+ Joe Mirando (Joust 2E) 
+
+ Not yet released 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2016 
+
+ Luiz Bretas (European Melee 2E) 
+
+ Breaking Ties 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ Sands of Dorne
+
+
+
+ 2016 
+
+ Florian Maas (European Joust 2E) 
+
+ Trading with Qohor 
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ The March on Winterfell
+
+
+
+2017
+
+Reinhard Schefcik (European Joust 2E)
+
+Not yet released
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+2017
+
+Alex Black (North American Joust 2E)
+
+Not yet released
+
+  
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+2017
+
+Reinhard Schefcik (Joust 2E)
+
+Not yet released
+
+ 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+2018
+
+Lennart Paga (Joust 2E)
+
+Not yet released
+
+ 
+
+  
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+The 2003 world champion Casey Galvan was later hired by FFG to serve as lead developer, a position he occupied until fall of 2005. He now has a consulting role at FFG.  The runner up in that tournament, Nate French, came on as lead developer in Spring of 2006 and continues to this day.
+
+==Podcasts==
+
+There are a number of podcasts focused on the ''A Game of Thrones: The Living Card Game'', such as the weekly  Beyond The Wall,  2 Champs and a Chump,  Great Beards of Westeros and the Spanish language  2 Maestros 1 Pupilo.
+
+==Sets and expansions==
+When it was released, A Game of Thrones was introduced as a CCG. The cards for the AGoT CCG were organized into numerous sets and expansions that could be mixed together and used interchangeably. A ''block'' consisted of a ''base set'', up to two ''expansion sets'', a ''premium starter'', and often one or more promotional cards.
+
+Typically, a base set consisted of 240 cards available in either starter decks, consisting of a mix of fixed cards and a random assortment of other cards, or booster packs, consisting of 11 randomly sorted cards, of which 1 is rare, 3 are uncommon, and 7 are common. Booster packs were generally shipped in groups of 36, creating booster boxes. Expansion sets typically contained 150 cards, and were only distributed as booster packs similar to those of a base set. Premium Starters consisted of two or three pre-built decks of fixed cards, typically reprints from earlier sets, but also introducing 10 new cards as well.
+
+Within a base set and expansion set, the cards were divided into groups based on their frequency of appearance, with rare cards being included the least frequent, uncommon cards slightly more frequent, and common cards being the most frequent. Also available in regular and premium starters were a specific number of fixed cards that always appeared in that packaging. Also available were ''draft packs'' which consisted of 1 ''draft'' card, 5 ''plot'' cards, 6 ''house'' cards and 8 ''locations'' that are generally useful to any deck, and allow for a more level competitive field during ''draft'' tournaments.
+
+In late 2007, the A Game of Thrones CCG was converted to the A Game of Thrones LCG (Living Card Game), which ended the random booster packs in favor of fixed packs, called Chapter Packs, released on a roughly monthly basis. Chapter packs consist of 60 fixed cards - 3 copies of 20 cards. The Core Set consists of 4 preconstructed decks consisting of Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, and Targaryen, and is marketed as a starting point for a new player. It will also include a game board, power tokens, gold tokens, as well as game pieces to use for the multiplayer titles.  Along with the switch to the LCG, there has also been more of a focus on the multiplayer aspect of the game, now referred to as Melee, rather than the head to head play, now referred to as Joust.
+
+
+
+
++ '''A Game of Thrones CCG card sets'''
+
+ Block
+
+ Set
+
+ Notes
+
+
+
+Westeros Block 
+
+ Westeros Edition 
+
+ Introduced House Stark, House Lannister, and House Baratheon
+
+
+
+ Sea of Storms 
+
+Introduced House Greyjoy
+
+
+
+ Premium Starter 
+
+ Included three pre-built decks for House Stark, Lannister, and Baratheon
+
+
+
+ A Flight of Dragons 
+
+ Introduced House Targaryen
+
+
+
+Ice and Fire Block 
+
+ Ice & Fire Edition
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ A Throne of Blades 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Ice and Fire Premium Starters 
+
+ Included two pre-built decks for House Greyjoy and Targaryen
+
+
+
+ A Crown of Suns 
+
+ Introduced House Martell
+
+
+
+Valyrian Block 
+
+ Valyrian Edition 
+
+ Introduced Influence and Agendas.
+
+
+
+ A Tourney of Swords 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Valyrian Premium Starters 
+
+ Included two pre-built decks for Houses Stark\Baratheon and Lannister\Martell
+
+
+
+ A Reign of Kings 
+
+
+
+
+
+Winter Block 
+
+ Winter Edition 
+
+
+
+
+
+ A Song of Twilight 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Winter Premium Starters 
+
+ Included two pre-built decks for House Greyjoy and Targaryen
+
+
+
+ A Song of Night 
+
+
+
+
+
+Iron Throne Block 
+
+ Iron Throne Edition 
+
+ Introduced new card templates and multiplayer titles. New mechanics include crests, and dual house cards.
+
+
+
+ A House of Thorns 
+
+ Themed around House Tyrell and Bolton.
+
+
+
+ Iron Throne Edition Legacy Pack 
+
+ Pack of 55 Fixed Cards, 45 reprints and 10 new cards.
+
+
+
+ A House of Talons 
+
+ Themed around House Arryn and the Clansmen.
+
+
+
+ Five Kings Block 
+
+ Five Kings Edition 
+
+ The final set in CCG format.
+
+
+
+
+
+
++ '''A Game of Thrones LCG Core Set and Expansions'''
+
+ Set
+
+ Expansion Symbol
+
+ Featured House
+
+ Note
+
+
+
+A Game of Thrones (Core Set)
+
+ 
+
+ Stark 
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+Baratheon 
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+Lannister 
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+Targaryen 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Kings of the Sea (Out Of Print) 
+
+ 
+
+Greyjoy 
+
+Set contains 60 cards and Greyjoy Resin House Card. Introduces the rules for the "Kingsmoot" multiplayer variant.
+
+
+
+ Princes of the Sun (Out Of Print) 
+
+ 
+
+Martell 
+
+Set contains 120 cards, two copies of 60 different cards. Introduces the rules for the "Civil War" joust variant.
+
+
+
+ Lords of Winter 
+
+ 
+
+Stark 
+
+Set contains 165 cards, three copies each of 55 different cards. Two deck building themes, the "Wolves of the North" and the "Tullys of Riverrun".
+
+
+
+ Kings of the Storm 
+
+ 
+
+Baratheon 
+
+Set contains 165 cards, three copies each of 55 different cards. Two deck building themes, "Power Rush" and the "Knights of the Realm".
+
+
+
+ Kings of the Sea (Revised Edition) 
+
+ 
+
+Greyjoy 
+
+Set contains 180 cards, three copies each of 60 different cards. The Greyjoy Resin House Card is no longer included.
+
+
+
+ Princes of the Sun (Revised Edition) 
+
+ 
+
+Martell 
+
+Set contains 180 cards, three copies of 60 different cards. Includes the rules for the "Civil War" joust variant.
+
+
+
+ Queen of Dragons 
+
+ 
+
+Targaryen 
+
+Set contains 165 cards, three copies each of 55 different cards. Two deck building themes, "Fire and Blood” and “Hosts of the True-Queen".
+
+
+
+ Lions of the Rock 
+
+ 
+
+Lannister
+
+Set contains 165 cards, three copies each of 55 different cards.
+
+
+
+
+
+
++ '''A Game of Thrones LCG chapter packs'''
+
+ Set
+
+ Expansion Symbol
+
+ Chapter Pack
+
+ Notes
+
+
+
+A Clash of Arms 
+
+  
+
+ War of the Five Kings 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Ancient Enemies 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Sacred Bonds 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Epic Battles 
+
+ Introduced the Epic Phase
+
+
+
+ Battle of the Ruby Ford 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Calling the Banners 
+
+ last chapter pack with black bordered cards
+
+
+
+A Time for Ravens 
+
+ 
+
+ A Song of Summer 
+
+ Introduced the Seasons mechanic
+
+
+
+ The Winds of Winter 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ A Change of Seasons 
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Raven's Song 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Refugees of War 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Scattered Armies 
+
+
+
+
+
+King's Landing 
+
+ 
+
+ City of Secrets 
+
+ Introduced the Shadows mechanic
+
+
+
+ A Time of Trials 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Tower of the Hand 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Tales of the Red Keep 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Secrets and Spies
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Battle of Blackwater Bay 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Defenders of the North 
+
+ 
+
+ Wolves of the North 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Beyond the Wall 
+
+
+
+
+
+ A Sword in the Darkness 
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Wildling Horde 
+
+
+
+
+
+ A King in the North 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Return of the Others
+
+ last of the 40 card chapter packs
+
+
+
+Brotherhood Without Banners 
+
+ 
+
+ Illyrio’s Gift 
+
+ start of the 60 card chapter packs
+
+
+
+ Rituals of R’hllor 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Mountains of the Moon 
+
+
+
+
+
+ A Song of Silence 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Of Snakes And Sand 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Dreadfort Betrayal 
+
+
+
+
+
+Secrets of Oldtown 
+
+ 
+
+ Gates of the Citadel 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Forging the Chain 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Called by the Conclave 
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Isle of Ravens 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Mask of the Archmaester 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Here to Serve 
+
+
+
+
+
+A Tale of Champions 
+
+ 
+
+ Tourney for the Hand 
+
+Introduced the "Joust" and "Melee" keywords
+
+
+
+ The Grand Melee 
+
+
+
+
+
+ On Dangerous Grounds 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Where Loyalty Lies 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Trial by Combat 
+
+
+
+
+
+ A Poisoned Spear 
+
+
+
+
+
+Beyond the Narrow Sea 
+
+ 
+
+ Valar Morghulis 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Valar Dohaeris 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Chasing Dragons 
+
+
+
+
+
+ A Harsh Mistress 
+
+
+
+
+
+ The House of Black and White 
+
+
+
+
+
+ A Roll of the Dice 
+
+
+
+
+
+A Song of the Sea 
+
+ 
+
+ Reach of the Kraken 
+
+ Introduced the naval enhancement
+
+
+
+ The Great Fleet 
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Pirates of Lys 
+
+
+
+
+
+ A Turn of the Tide 
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Captain's Command 
+
+
+
+
+
+ A Journey's End 
+
+
+
+
+
+Kingsroad 
+
+ 
+
+ The Banners Gather 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Fire and Ice 
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Kingsguard 
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Horn that Wakes 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Forgotten Fellowship 
+
+
+
+
+
+ A Hidden Agenda 
+
+
+
+
+
+Conquest and Defiance 
+
+ 
+
+ Spoils of War 
+
+ Introduced the "Prized X" keyword
+
+
+
+ The Champion's Purse 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Fire Made Flesh 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Ancestral Home 
+
+
+
+
+
+ The Prize of The North 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ A Dire Message 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Wardens 
+
+ 
+
+ Secrets and Schemes 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ A Deadly Game 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ The Valemen 
+
+
+
+
+
+ A Time for Wolves 
+
+
+
+
+
+ House of Talons 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ The Blue is Calling 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Promotional cards are usually provided as prizes for participating in FFG registered tournaments, by attending certain conventions, or buying other A Game of Thrones promotional packages.
+
+==Industry awards==
+
+The game's first base set - ''Westeros Edition'' - won the 2002 Origins Award for ''Best Trading Card Game of 2002''. The second base set - ''Ice and Fire Edition'' - followed next year and won the 2003 Origins Award for ''Best Card Game Expansion or Supplement of 2003''.
+
+==References==
+* 
+* 
+
+
+==External links==
+* agameofthrones.com - Official website
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/202_A_Feast_for_Crows.txt

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+
+
+
+
+
+'''''A Feast for Crows''''' is the fourth of seven planned novels in the epic fantasy  series ''A Song of Ice and Fire''  by American author George R. R. Martin. The novel was first published on October 17, 2005, in the United Kingdom, with a United States edition following on November 8, 2005.
+
+In May 2005, Martin announced that the "sheer size" of his still-unfinished manuscript for ''A Feast for Crows'' had led him and his publishers to split the narrative into two books. Rather than divide the text in half chronologically, Martin opted to instead split the material by character and location, resulting in "two novels taking place simultaneously" with different casts of characters. ''A Feast for  Crows'' was published months later, and the concurrent novel ''A Dance with Dragons'' was released on July 12, 2011. Martin also noted that the ''A  Song of Ice and Fire'' series would now likely total seven novels.
+
+''A Feast for  Crows'' was the first novel in the series to debut at number one on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list, a feat among fantasy writers only previously achieved by Robert Jordan and Neil Gaiman. In 2006 the novel was nominated for the Hugo Award, the Locus Award, and the British Fantasy Society Award. It has since been adapted, along with ''A Dance With Dragons'', for television as the fifth season of ''Game of Thrones'', though elements of the novel appeared in the series' fourth and sixth seasons.
+
+== Plot summary ==
+The War of the Five Kings is slowly coming to its end. The secessionist kings Robb Stark and Balon Greyjoy have been killed. One claimant to the throne, Stannis Baratheon, has gone to fight off invading wildling tribes at the northern Wall, where Robb's half-brother Jon Snow has become the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, the order responsible for guarding the Wall. The eight-year-old King Tommen Baratheon now rules in King's Landing under the regency of his mother, Cersei Lannister. The warrior woman Brienne of Tarth has been sent by Cersei's brother (and lover) Jaime Lannister on a mission to find Robb's sister Sansa Stark. Sansa is hiding in the Vale, protected by her mother's childhood friend Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish, who has murdered his wife Lysa Arryn and named himself Protector of the Vale and guardian of Lysa's son, the eight-year-old Lord Robert Arryn. 
+
+=== In the Seven Kingdoms ===
+
+==== Prologue in Oldtown ====
+Pate, a young apprentice at the Citadel in Oldtown, is studying to become a maester, a member of an ancient order of scholar-healers. He has stolen an important key to a depository of books and records at the request of a stranger in exchange for a reward; after turning over the key and receiving the reward, he dies abruptly from poison.
+
+==== King's Landing ====
+Following the death of Cersei's father Tywin, the late Hand of the King, Cersei's regency is marked by rampant cronyism, and her councils are staffed with incompetent loyalists and unreliable flatterers. She disregards advice from her uncle Kevan and her brother Jaime, alienating them both. Making matters worse is Cersei's increasing distrust of the powerful Tyrells, whose alliance is essential to the stability of the Lannister regime—particularly Tommen's fiancée Margaery Tyrell, whom Cersei believes to be the subject of a prophecy about a "younger, more beautiful queen" who will take away all that Cersei holds dear.
+
+Her incompetent management raises the kingdom's debts to the Iron Bank of Braavos and the Faith of the Seven. The Iron Bank refuses to grant new loans and demands immediate repayment, nearly crippling the economy of Westeros. To settle the crown's debts to the Faith, Cersei permits the restoration of that religion's military order, the Faith Militant, ignoring the danger to her own power. A scheme to falsely have the Faith put Margaery on trial for adultery backfires when the religious leadership imprisons Cersei herself on similar (correct) charges.
+
+==== Riverlands ====
+Cersei dispatches Jaime to the Riverlands to put down the remnants of the late Robb Stark's rebellion. He negotiates with Robb's great-uncle Brynden “the Blackfish” Tully to surrender the castle of Riverrun in exchange for his nephew Edmure‘s life. Though the siege ends bloodlessly, Brynden escapes. Jaime then receives word that Cersei, who has been arrested by the Faith, wants him to defend her in a trial by combat, but Jaime ignores her message and abandons her to her fate.
+
+Brienne's quest leads her all over the Riverlands, where she witnesses the devastation caused by the war. She acquires as traveling companions Podrick Payne, former squire to Jaime's brother Tyrion, and Ser Hyle Hunt, a knight who had once mocked her ugliness. Eventually she is captured by the Brotherhood Without Banners, an order that was once devoted to protecting the smallfolk of the Riverlands but is now commanded by the undead Catelyn Stark—Robb's mother, murdered with him but magically resurrected and set on vengeance. Catelyn, who has taken the name Lady Stoneheart, sentences Brienne to death for consorting with the Lannisters, but offers to let her live if she agrees to kill Jaime.
+
+==== The Vale ====
+In the remote castle of the Eyrie, Sansa poses as Littlefinger’s daughter Alayne, befriending young Lord Robert Arryn, managing the household, and receiving informal training in politics. During this time, Littlefinger appears to be carefully manipulating Robert's bannermen and securing control of the Protectorship of the Vale. He eventually reveals that he plans to betroth Sansa to Harrold Hardyng, the next in line to Robert's title; when the sickly Robert dies, Littlefinger intends to reveal Sansa's identity and claim her family stronghold of Winterfell in her name.
+
+==== Iron Islands ====
+On the Iron Islands, the rebellious realm of House Greyjoy, the late Balon Greyjoy's eldest surviving brother Euron returns from exile to claim the throne. To prevent this, his younger brother Aeron, a priest, calls a Kingsmoot to elect Balon's successor. Though Euron's claim is contested by his other brother Victarion and Balon's daughter Asha, eventually Euron is chosen as king for his promise to control dragons with an enchanted horn he possesses. The fleet of the Ironborn captures the Shield Islands, threatening House Tyrell's seat at Highgarden. Euron sends Victarion east to woo Daenerys Targaryen on his behalf, to thus gain a claim to the Iron Throne by marrying the daughter of a past king; but Victarion decides to woo her for himself instead.
+
+==== Dorne ====
+In the southern region of Dorne, Prince Doran Martell is confronted by three of his brother Oberyn's bastard daughters, who want vengeance for the death of their father, who was killed defending Tyrion Lannister from a false charge of murder. Because they are inciting the commonfolk, Doran has them imprisoned in the palace.
+
+A bold attempt by Doran's daughter Arianne to crown Tommen's sister Myrcella as queen of Westeros is thwarted. In the confusion, one of Arianne's co-conspirators, Ser Gerold "Darkstar" Dayne, attempts to kill Myrcella; she survives but her face is scarred, and a knight of Tommen's Kingsguard is killed. This strains the new Dornish alliance with the Lannisters and the Iron Throne. To his daughter, Doran reveals that her brother Quentyn has gone east to bring back "Fire and Blood" through an alliance with Daenerys.
+
+=== Braavos ===
+Arriving in Braavos, Arya Stark finds her way to the House of Black and White, a temple associated with the assassins known as the Faceless Men. As a novice there, Arya is taught to abandon her identity and pose as an anonymous girl called "Cat of the Canals", but her true identity asserts itself in the form of wolf dreams.
+
+Jon Snow has ordered Night's Watch steward Samwell Tarly to sail to the Citadel in Oldtown, to research the hostile creatures known as the Others and become a maester. Sam is accompanied by the aging Maester Aemon, the wildling girl Gilly, Gilly's newborn baby, and Dareon, another Night's Watch member. After the voyage is underway, Sam realizes that the child is actually the son of the wildling leader Mance Rayder, swapped with Gilly's son for his protection. Aemon becomes sick and the party waits in Braavos for his health to improve. After learning that Daenerys Targaryen possesses dragons, Aemon concludes that she is destined to fulfill a prophecy. Shortly after the party leaves Braavos (without Dareon), Aemon dies at the age of 102.
+
+Arya chances to meet Dareon and executes him as a deserter from the Night's Watch. The Faceless Men punish her for this unauthorized killing by feeding her a potion that causes blindness.
+
+At the end of the novel, Samwell arrives at the Citadel to begin his training. He meets the archmaester Marwyn, who tells him the maesters are plotting against magic, and leaves to find Daenerys. Samwell also encounters a fellow apprentice who introduces himself as Pate, connecting the prologue to the narrative.
+
+== Characters ==
+The story is narrated  from the point of view  of 12 characters and a one-off prologue point of view. Unlike its predecessors, the fourth novel follows numerous minor characters as well.
+* Prologue: Pate, a novice of the Citadel in Oldtown
+* Cersei Lannister, The Queen Regent
+* Ser Jaime Lannister, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard
+* Brienne, Maid of Tarth, a young warrior woman searching for Sansa and Arya Stark
+* Sansa Stark, pretending to be Petyr Baelish's  daughter "Alayne Stone" (her later chapters are titled as such)
+* Arya Stark, later referred to as "Cat of the Canals", beginning her training at the Temple of Him of Many Faces in the free city of Braavos
+* Samwell Tarly, a sworn brother of the Night's Watch
+* In the Iron Islands:
+** The Prophet, The Drowned Man: Aeron "Damphair" Greyjoy, Self-proclaimed servant of the Drowned god, youngest of Late King Balon's three surviving brothers
+** The Kraken's Daughter: Princess Asha Greyjoy, daughter of  Late King Balon of the Iron Islands
+** The Iron Captain, The Reaver: Prince Victarion Greyjoy, Captain of the Iron Fleet, one of Late King Balon's three surviving brothers
+* In Dorne:
+** The Captain of Guards: Areo Hotah, Captain of the Guards to Prince Doran Martell of Dorne
+** The Soiled Knight: Ser Arys Oakheart of the Kingsguard
+** The Queenmaker, The Princess in the Tower: Arianne Martell, daughter of Prince Doran and heir to Dorne
+
+== Editions ==
+'''Foreign-language editions'''
+* Bulgarian: Бард: "Пир за Врани"
+* Catalan: Alfaguara: "Festí de corbs" ("Feast of crows")
+* Chinese (Simplified): 重庆出版社(2008): "群鸦的盛宴" ("Feast for Crows").
+* Chinese (Traditional): 高寶國際(2006): "群鴉盛宴" ("Feast for Crows").
+* Croatian: "Gozba vrana" ("Crows' Feast")
+* Czech: Talpress; "Hostina pro vrány" ("Feast for Crows")
+* Danish: Kragernes rige ("The Kingdom of the Crows")
+* Dutch: Luitingh-Sijthoff: "Een feestmaal voor kraaien" ("A Feast for Crows")
+* Estonian: Two volumes, hardcover : Varrak "Vareste pidusöök" ("Feast of Crows") book 1 & book 2
+* Finnish: "Korppien kestit" ("Feast of Crows")
+* French: Three Volumes, Hardcover: Pygmalion (2006–...): "Le chaos", "Les sables de Dorne", "Un Festin pour les Corbeaux" ("Chaos", "The Sands of Dorne", "A Feast For Crows").
+* German: Single volume, Fantasy Productions (2006): "Krähenfest" ("Crow's Feast", to be released). Two volumes, Blanvalet (2006): "Zeit der Krähen", "Die dunkle Königin" ("Time of the Crows", "The Dark Queen").
+* Greek: Anubis: "Βορά Ορνίων" ("Prey of Vultures")
+* Hebrew: "משתה לעורבים א\ב" ("Feast for Crows pts. A/B")
+* Hungarian: Alexandra Könyvkiadó: "Varjak lakomája" ("Feast of Crows")
+* Italian: Two volumes, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore (Hardcover 2006, 2007 – Paperback 2007, 2008): "Il dominio della regina", "L'ombra della profezia" ("The Rule of the Queen", "The Shadow of the Prophecy").
+* Japanese: Two volumes, hardcover : Hayakawa (2008), paperback : Hayakawa (2013): "乱鴉の饗宴" ("Feast of the War Crows") I and II
+* Korean: Eun Haeng Namu Publishing Co. :"까마귀의 향연" ("Feast for Crows")
+* Lithuanian: Alma Littera "Varnų puota" ("Crows' Feast")
+* Norwegian: Two volumes, "Kråkenes gilde" (The Crows' Feast), "Jern og sand" (Iron and Sand)
+* Polish: Two volumes, Zysk i S-ka: "Uczta dla wron: Cienie Śmierci", "Uczta dla wron: Sieć Spisków" ("A Feast for Crows: Shadows of Death", "A Feast for Crows: Web of Intrigues")
+* Brazilian Portuguese: Leya: "O Festim dos Corvos" ("The Crows Feast")
+* European Portuguese: Two volumes, Saída de Emergência: "O Festim de Corvos" ("A Feast of Crows"), "O Mar de Ferro" ("The Iron Sea")
+* Romanian: Paperback 2009, Hardcover 2011: "Festinul ciorilor" ("The Crows' Feast")
+* Russian: AST: "Пир стервятников" ("Vultures' Feast").
+* Serbian: Two Volumes, Лагуна: "Гозба за вране Део први", "Гозба за вране Део други" ("A Feast for Crows")
+* Slovenian: Vranja gostija ("A Feast for Crows")
+* Spanish: Gigamesh (2007): "Festín de Cuervos" ("Feast of Crows")
+* Swedish: Forum bokförlag: "Kråkornas fest" ("The Crows' Feast")
+* Turkish: Two volumes, Epsilon Yayınevi: "Buz ve Ateşin Şarkısı IV: Kargaların Ziyafeti – Kısım I & Kargaların Ziyafeti – Kısım II" ("A Feast for Crows")
+* Ukrainian: KM Publishing (2016): "Бенкет круків" ("The Feast of Crows")
+* Vietnamese: Two Volumes: "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 4A: Tiệc Quạ đen", "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 4B: Lời Tiền tri". ("Game of Thrones 4A: A Feast of Crows", "Game of Thrones 4B: The Prophecy")
+* Mongolian: Хэрээний найр ("Feast of Crow")
+
+== Publication ==
+Martin released the first four "Iron Islands" chapters of ''A Feast for Crows'' as a novella called ''Arms of the  Kraken'', published in the 305th edition of ''Dragon'' magazine, published in May 2003. Another chapbook featuring three Daenerys chapters was published for BookExpo 2005 although, following the geographical division of the book, these chapters were subsequently moved into the fifth volume in the series, ''A Dance with Dragons''.
+
+Martin originally planned for the fourth book to be called ''A Dance with Dragons'' with the story picking up five years after the events of ''A Storm of Swords'' (primarily to advance the ages of the younger characters). However, during the writing process it was discovered that this was leading to an overreliance on flashbacks to fill in the gap. After twelve months or so of working on the book, Martin decided to abandon much of what had previously been written and start again, this time picking up immediately after the end of ''A Storm of Swords''. He announced this decision, along with the new title ''A Feast for Crows'', at Worldcon in Philadelphia on September 1, 2001. He also announced that ''A Dance with Dragons'' would now be the fifth book in the sequence.
+
+In May 2005, Martin announced that his manuscript for ''A Feast for  Crows'' had hit 1527 completed pages but still remained unfinished, with "another hundred or so pages of roughs and incomplete chapters, as well  as other chapters sketched out but entirely unwritten." As the size of the manuscript for 2000's ''A Storm of Swords'', his previous novel, had been a problem for publishers around the world at 1521 pages, Martin and his publishers had decided to split the narrative planned for ''A Feast for  Crows'' into two books. Rather than divide the text in half chronologically, Martin opted to instead split the material by character and location:
+It  was my feeling ... that we were better off telling all the story for half the characters, rather than half the story for all the characters. Cutting the novel in half would have produced two half-novels; our approach will produce two novels taking place simultaneously, but set hundreds or even thousands of miles apart, and involving different casts  of characters (with some overlap).
+
+Martin noted that ''A Feast for  Crows'' would focus on "Westeros, King's  Landing, the riverlands, Dorne, and the Iron Islands," and that the next novel, ''A Dance with Dragons'', would cover "events in the east and north." Martin also added that the ''A  Song of Ice and Fire'' series would now likely total seven  novels. ''A Feast for  Crows'' was published months later on October 17, 2005, over five years after the previous volume in the series, ''A Storm of Swords''. The parallel novel ''A Dance with Dragons'' was released on July 12, 2011.
+
+== Release details ==
+* 2005, UK, Voyager , Pub date October 17, 2005, hardback
+* 2005, UK, Voyager , Pub date ? ? 2005, hardback (presentation edition)
+* 2005, US, Spectra Books , Pub date November 8, 2005, hardback
+* 2006, UK, Voyager , Pub date April 25, 2006, paperback
+
+== Reception ==
+Though ''A Feast for  Crows'' was the first novel in the sequence to debut at number one on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list, it received more negative reviews in comparison with the previous novels in the series.  Martin's decision to halve the plot in terms of character and location was highly controversial; many critics felt that this novel consisted of characters that people were less interested in.  ''Publishers Weekly'' said, "Long-awaited doesn't begin to describe this fourth installment in bestseller Martin's staggeringly epic Song of Ice and Fire. .... This is not Act I Scene 4 but Act II Scene 1, laying groundwork more than advancing the plot, and it sorely misses its other half. The slim pickings here are tasty, but in no way satisfying." Salon.com's Andrew Leonard said in 2011, "I don't care how good a writer you are: If you subtract your three strongest characters from your tale, you severely undermine the basis for why readers fell under your spell in the first place. It didn't work. But there was also a sense in ''A Feast of Crows'' that Martin had lost his way. The characters whose stories he did tell wandered back and forth across a landscape devastated by war and oncoming winter, but didn't seem to be headed anywhere in particular." Remy Verhoeve of ''The Huffington Post'' noted in their 2011 ''A Dance with Dragons'' review that the fifth volume had to "repair some of the damage done by ''A Feast for Crows'', which frankly felt as if it was written by a ghost writer at times." Both books had "the same structural problems", being "sprawling and incoherent", and in her opinion ''Feast'' has the less interesting characters. ''The Atlantic'' Rachael Brown said in their ''A Dance With Dragons'' review that ''Feast'' was "bleak and plodding" and "sorely missed" Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister, and Jon Snow.
+
+== Awards and nominations ==
+* Hugo Award – Best Novel (nominated) – (2006)
+* Locus Award for Fantasy  – Best Novel (nominated) – (2006)
+* British Fantasy Award – Best Novel (nominated) – (2006)
+* Quill Award – Best Novel (Science Fiction & Fantasy) (nominated) – (2006)
+
+== References ==
+
+* 
+
+== External links ==
+*  of author George R. R. Martin
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/207_Jon_Snow__character_.txt

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+
+
+'''Jon Snow''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones'', in which he is portrayed by English actor Kit Harington. In the novels, he is a prominent point of view character. He is one of the most popular characters in the series, and ''The New York Times'' cites him as one of the author's finest creations. Jon is a main character in the TV series, and his storyline in the season 5 finale generated a strong reaction among viewers. Speculation about the character's parentage has also been a popular topic of discussion among fans of both the books and the TV series.
+
+Jon is introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'' as the illegitimate son of Ned Stark, the honorable lord of Winterfell, an ancient fortress in the North of the fictional continent of Westeros. Knowing his prospects are limited by his status, Jon joins the Night's Watch, who guard the far northern borders from  the wildlings who live beyond The Wall. As the rest of the Starks face grave adversity, Jon finds himself honor bound to remain with the Watch. In ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), he joins a scouting party investigating the growing threat from the otherworldly "Others" beyond the Wall, and manages to infiltrate the wildlings. Jon learns of their plans to invade Westeros in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), and begins to fall in love with the fierce wildling woman Ygritte. He betrays them—and Ygritte—before they can attack, but the Night Watch's victory comes at a heavy price for Jon. Now the Lord Commander of the Watch, he appears briefly in 2005's ''A Feast for Crows''. Jon returns as a prominent character in a ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011), working to negotiate an alliance between the Night's Watch and the wildlings. The growing animosity he has attracted from among the Watch finally catches up with him, and he is forced to face the dire consequences.
+
+On the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', Jon's storyline follows the character's plot arc from the novel series, though season 6, season 7 and season 8 of the TV adaptation continue on from the events of Martin's latest published installment. Harington was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the role in 2016. He was also nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television in 2012, 2016 and 2017.
+
+
+==Character==
+===Description===
+In ''A Game of Thrones'', Jon Snow is introduced as the 14-year-old illegitimate son of Eddard "Ned" Stark, Lord of Winterfell, and half-brother to Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon. Jon is described as having strong Stark features with a lean build, long face, dark brown hair and grey eyes. Jon has the surname "Snow" (customarily used for illegitimate children in the North) and is resented by Ned's wife Catelyn, who views him as a constant reminder of Ned's infidelity. Jon is the same age as Robb and enjoys a warm relationship with his siblings, particularly the tomboy Arya (who resembles Jon and like him does not feel like she fits in). Ned treats Jon as much like his other children as propriety and his honor will allow. Still, as somewhat of an outsider, Jon has learned to be independent and to fend for himself when necessary. Jon idolizes his father, but is wounded by Ned's refusal to tell him about his mother. At the beginning of the story, Jon adopts the albino direwolf that he names Ghost. He later finds that at times he can "inhabit" the wolf and share its experiences.
+
+David Orr of ''The New York Times'' describes Jon as "a complex, thoughtful and basically good character". David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the creators and executive producers of the television adaptation of the series, explain that Jon is one of several characters in the series who must "face hard truths about the world they live in, and adapt themselves to those truths" because "The struggle many of them face is how to do that without losing their grip on who they are." Ned Stark teaches all his children about leadership, selflessness, duty and honor. Following his father's example becomes more difficult as Jon faces challenges to his identity as a man, a Stark, and a brother of the Night's Watch. Benioff and Weiss note that "Jon Snow tries to live with honor, while knowing that honor often gets his family members murdered." Writing for ''Variety'' about the season 6 episode "Battle of the Bastards", Laura Prudom suggests that Jon "has the same shortcomings" as his father: "he fights with honor against opponents who are all too willing to use that predictable morality against him".
+
+Jon is a prominent point of view character in the novels, and has been called one of Martin's "finest creations". Jon is introduced as the illegitimate son of a Northern lord who, realizing he is an outsider in his own family, follows his uncle to the far north and accepts the honorable duty of serving in the Night's Watch. But as much as he is a second-class Stark at home, initially his fellow recruits and brothers of the Watch set him apart as privileged and aloof. Jon adapts, soon proving himself to be wise, compassionate, and a natural leader. Over the course of the series, Jon's loyalty to the Watch and its vows, his family, and even Westeros itself are tested as he becomes embroiled in the efforts of the wildlings from Beyond the Wall to force their way back into the Seven Kingdoms. He lives among them as a spy for the Watch, sympathetic to their cause and becoming romantically involved with the tenacious Ygritte.  However he ultimately betrays them to defend The Wall. Later, as the newest Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, he pursues an alliance with the wildlings.
+
+Several reviews of 2011's ''A Dance with Dragons'' noted the return to the narrative of Jon, Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister, the three popular characters whom fans had missed most from the previous volume, ''A Feast for Crows''. These "favorites" had last been featured 11 years before in Martin's ''A Storm of Swords''. In ''A Dance with Dragons'', Jon's leadership of the Night's Watch is complicated by several unprecedented challenges, including a wildling alliance, the demands of would-be-king Stannis Baratheon and the conflicting factions developing within the Watch itself. ''The New York Times'' notes that "Jon’s leadership is the best hope of Westeros, so naturally he’s in imminent danger throughout ''A Dance With Dragons''." James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' called Jon's final chapter in ''A Dance with Dragons'' "a harsh chapter in terms of fan expectations. You go from this total high of Jon giving this rousing speech about going after the evil Ramsay Bolton, to this utter low of his men turning against him." Jon's presence in the forthcoming volume ''The Winds of Winter'' is uncertain.
+
+Asked what he thought was Jon’s biggest "mistake", Martin replied:
+
+
+===Parentage===
+
+The identity of Jon's mother has created much speculation among readers of the series, and guessing her identity was the test Martin gave Benioff and Weiss when they approached him in March 2006 about adapting his novels into a TV series. In the novels, Martin hints that she could be a servant named Wylla, or the noblewoman Ashara Dayne. The popular fan theory—called "R+L=J", an abbreviation of "Rhaegar + Lyanna = Jon"—proposes that Jon is not the son of Ned at all, but is actually the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Ned's younger sister Lyanna Stark.
+
+Though the character is presented as the illegitimate son of Ned Stark,  David Orr voiced the doubt of some readers when he wrote in ''The New York Times'' in 2011, "Jon Snow is presented as the illegitimate son of the Stark patriarch, although it's uncertain whether Stark is indeed his father." Actor Sean Bean, who portrays Ned in the HBO television series, said when asked in a 2014 interview about returning to the series to appear in flashbacks, "I've definitely got some unfinished business that needs to be resolved there. I'm obviously not Jon Snow's dad. And you need that to be revealed at some point, don't you?" The uncertainty arises from anecdotal evidence in the texts interpreted by readers to connect the mysterious maternity of Ned's son with the vague backstory of his sister Lyanna.
+
+As recounted by Ned in ''A Game of Thrones'', at a tourney years before the events of the novel, Rhaegar had shown public favor to Lyanna in the presence of his own wife, the Dornish princess Elia Martell. When Rhaegar and Lyanna disappeared a year later, her father Rickard and eldest brother Brandon confronted Rhaegar's father, the Mad King Aerys Targaryen, demanding that his son return the abducted Lyanna. Aerys had Rickard and Brandon brutally executed for their insolence, inciting Ned and his friend Robert Baratheon, Lord of  Storm's End and Lyanna's betrothed, to rebel against Aerys. In what later became known as Robert's Rebellion, Aerys was overthrown and Rhaegar was killed by Robert in single combat. After a bloody battle against three of Aerys' Kingsguard protecting the Tower of Joy in Dorne, Ned found Lyanna inside, in a "bed of blood." She died shortly after eliciting a promise from Ned. Once the war was won, he returned to Winterfell with his illegitimate son Jon.
+
+The R+L=J theory posits that rather than Rhaegar kidnapping Lyanna, they fell in love and ran away together. Living for a year in the Tower of Joy, they conceived a child—Jon. Rhaegar was killed in battle by Robert, and Lyanna died in childbirth. Ned promised Lyanna on her deathbed to claim the baby as his own to protect him from Robert, who sought to exterminate all Targaryens out of hatred and to secure his claim to the throne.
+
+HBO's ''Game of Thrones'' has included in its adaptation many of the "hints" identified by this theory. In the season 6 finale, "The Winds of Winter", Bran Stark has a vision of the past which shows Ned reuniting with a dying Lyanna in the Tower of Joy. Lyanna makes him promise to protect her son—Jon. An infographic subsequently posted on the HBO-controlled website MakingGameofThrones.com confirmed Rhaegar as Jon's father. Journalists later commented on the significance of two plot points in the season 7 episode "Eastwatch". One of Daenerys Targaryen's dragons, Drogon, approaches Jon calmly and allows the King in the North to pet him, seemingly recognizing him as a Targaryen. Later, Gilly learns from a book at the Citadel that a High Septon annulled Rhaegar's marriage, and married him to someone else in Dorne, suggesting the possibility that Jon is the legitimate son of Rhaegar and Lyanna. The season 7 finale episode "The Dragon and the Wolf" confirmed that Jon is indeed the legitimate son of Rhaegar and Lyanna, and that his birth name is actually Aegon Targaryen.
+
+==Storylines==
+===''A Game of Thrones''===
+
+
+Jon Snow is first introduced in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), as he and his five siblings adopt six orphaned direwolf cubs. Known by all as Ned Stark's illegitimate son and with Ned's wife Catelyn despising him, Jon has always felt removed from the rest of the Stark family. He resolves to join the Night's Watch, as his status as a bastard prevents him from holding lands or marrying into a good family. At The Wall, the other recruits resent Jon's aura of superiority, but he makes amends by helping them master swordplay. He also befriends Samwell Tarly, a cowardly lordling who, despite being helpless with weapons, displays an aptitude for book learning. Jon's independence and his compassion for the recruits invite the ire of the harsh master-at-arms Alliser Thorne, who sees Jon as a threat to his authority. Jon gains the notice of the Lord Commander, Jeor Mormont, who names Jon his personal squire and grooms Jon for command. After learning of his father's execution, Jon resolves to desert the Night's Watch and join his half brother Robb, but the other recruits convince Jon to remain loyal to his vows. The next night, the body of a fallen Night's Watch brother brought back from the other side of The Wall rises as an undead wight, and Jon saves Mormont's life by killing the creature. In thanks, Mormont gives Jon the House Mormont ancestral sword Longclaw, made of Valyrian steel, with a wolf's head handle custom made for Jon. Mormont then orders a Great Ranging beyond the Wall to learn more of this new threat.
+
+===''A Clash of Kings''===
+In 1998's ''A Clash of Kings'', Mormont leads a party of Night's Watch rangers beyond the Wall to investigate the disappearance of Jon's uncle Benjen, assess the intentions of the wildling leader Mance Rayder and learn more of the threat posed by the Others. Jon is sent out with a scouting party led by Qhorin Halfhand. On the journey, Jon comes upon a wildling lookout and takes the warrior girl Ygritte captive; though told to kill her, Jon lets her escape. Jon and Qhorin are subsequently captured by the wildlings. Qhorin, who faces certain execution at Mance's hands, commands Jon to infiltrate the wildlings and learn their plans, at any cost. Jon pretends to disavow the Night's Watch, and the wildlings force him to fight Qhorin to the death to earn their trust. With Qhorin's silent consent, Jon kills him with the aid of Ghost.
+
+===''A Storm of Swords''===
+As ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) begins, Jon has gained the trust of the wildlings by killing Qhorin, and marches with their host. He learns that Mance intends to breach the Wall and march south to escape the Others, crushing the Night's Watch if necessary. Jon finds himself torn between his growing love for Ygritte and his vows of celibacy. After climbing over The Wall with Ygritte and Tormund Giantsbane, Jon deserts them to warn the Watch of the impending attack. He helps defend Castle Black against the wildlings' initial attacks despite his lack of men and weapons. Ygritte is killed in the fighting, leaving Jon stricken. When the battle is won, Jon is arrested for desertion by Thorne and Janos Slynt, but is freed after convincing the judges of his loyalty. Still suspicious, Thorne orders that Jon be sent to kill Mance under the pretense of parley, but Jon's task is interrupted by the arrival of Stannis Baratheon's army.  Stannis offers to legitimize Jon and declare him Lord of Winterfell if he will align the North with Stannis. Though greatly tempted at the prospect of becoming a true Stark, Jon again chooses to remain loyal to his Night's Watch vows. With Sam's help, Jon is elected to the position of Lord Commander by acclamation.
+
+===''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance with Dragons''===
+Jon is not a POV character in 2005's ''A Feast for Crows'', but appears briefly from Sam's perspective as he sends Sam away from Castle Black with the Watch's Maester Aemon and Mance's newborn son to protect them from sacrifice by the Red Priestess Melisandre. Jon also gives Sam the specific mission of traveling to the Citadel in Oldtown to become a maester, so that he may better understand the threat of the Others and eventually succeed Maester Aemon.
+
+In ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011), after sending Sam away to the Citadel to become a Maester, Jon successfully negotiates the peaceful surrender of the remains of Mance's army. He promises to settle the wildlings in sparsely populated regions of the North, and allows some of them to join the Watch to garrison the many abandoned Night's Watch fortresses. Many members of the Watch dislike the idea of allowing their ancient enemies through the Wall and welcoming them into their ranks. Jon attempts to juggle the integration of the wildlings, growing unrest within the Night's Watch, and Stannis' attempts to use the Watch in his war for the Iron Throne, while trying to maintain the Watch's strict political neutrality. Already agitated by these unprecedented developments, a group of officers led by Slynt openly defies Jon's orders. When Slynt refuses to submit, Jon executes the man himself. Stannis explains to Jon his plan to attack the Dreadfort, but Jon advises him to instead rally the Mountain Clans and attack Deepwood Motte, the fortress of House Glover recently captured by the Ironborn. Stannis does so, winning the support of the Glovers and the Mormonts. Jon learns that his sister Arya is being married to Ramsay Bolton so that the Boltons may claim Winterfell. Unaware that the bride is actually Jeyne Poole, Jon sends Mance to rescue her while Stannis marches on Winterfell. Jon later receives a letter from Ramsay claiming that Stannis has been defeated and Mance is a prisoner. Ramsay demands hostages, else he will march on the Wall and kill Jon. Jon decides to seek out and kill Ramsay himself, but he is stabbed by his Night's Watch brothers seeking to uphold the Watch's neutrality before he can leave Castle Black.
+
+Jon's presence in the forthcoming volume ''The Winds of Winter'' is uncertain; when asked in 2011 by ''Entertainment Weekly'' "Why did you kill Jon Snow?", author Martin responded "Oh, you think he’s dead, do you?" Asked later whether Jon was killed or will survive, Martin responded with a laugh, "I will not comment on that."
+
+===Family tree===
+
+
+==TV adaptation==
+===Overview===
+Kit Harington plays the role of Jon Snow in the television series.
+
+Martin told ''Rolling Stone'' in 2014 that some early inquiries he received about adapting ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' suggested identifying the story's "important character" and focusing on that individual plot line: Jon and Daenerys Targaryen being the two most popular choices. Martin was not interested in sacrificing so much of the overall story. When the pilot for the HBO adaptation went into production years later, one of the first parts cast was Jon, with Kit Harington announced in the role in July 2009. Alfie Allen and Iwan Rheon had also auditioned for the role, and were brought into the show to play Theon Greyjoy and Ramsay Snow instead, respectively. In October 2014, Harington and several other key cast members, all contracted for six seasons of the series, renegotiated their deals to include a potential seventh season and salary increases for seasons five, six, and seven. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' called the raises "huge", noting that the deal would make the performers "among the highest-paid actors on cable TV". ''Deadline Hollywood'' put the number for season five at "close to $300,000 an episode" for each actor, and ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote in June 2016 that the performers would each be paid "upward of $500,000 per episode" for seasons seven and the potential eight. In 2017, Harington became one of the highest paid actors on television and will earn £2 million per episode for the show.
+
+The costumes of Ygritte, Jon Snow, and  Tormund Giantsbane in the show
+
+As the series premiered, ''TV Guide'' called Harington a "soulful heartthrob" whose Jon is idolized by his younger siblings and who "seeks purpose" by joining the Night's Watch. Creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss later noted that Jon "tries to live with honor, while knowing that honor often gets his family members murdered". They explained that he is one of several characters in the series who must "face hard truths about the world they live in, and adapt themselves to those truths. The struggle many of them face is how to do that without losing their grip on who they are." Matt Fowler of IGN wrote in 2013 that while Jon and Daenerys' storylines in season 1 and season 2 "felt very separate" from the rest of the series' plot, for the first time in season 3, "Jon's entire situation felt incorporated into the larger picture." Fowler also added that Jon's "oath-breaking romance with Ygritte added a lot of heat to the story". In May 2015, ''International Business Times'' called Jon "clearly the most popular character" of the series.
+
+In a 2015 interview Benioff said, "The problem with Jon is, he’s not a cautious man. It's the problem with him, and also the reason we love him. He is a hero, but heroes are inherently incautious." Weiss added, "At the end of the day, Jon is his father’s son, he’s a person who’s honorable to a fault and does the right thing even when the right thing is extremely dangerous to him personally." In the June 2015 season 5 finale "Mother's Mercy", Jon is stabbed to death by Alliser Thorne and several men of the Night's Watch after being labeled a traitor. With Martin's 2011 novel ''A Dance with Dragons'' vague on Jon's fate, Harington confirmed the character's death in an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', saying "I’ve been told I’m dead. I’m dead. I’m not coming back next season." He added, "I loved how they brought the orphan boy Olly in to be the person who kills me. I love how the storyline with Thorne was wrapped up." Benioff also said of the episode:
+
+
+
+Writing for ''The New York Times'', Jeremy Egner called Jon's demise "the biggest death on the show" since Ned Stark's beheading in season 1. Amid strong fan reaction over Jon's death on social media, immediately following the episode journalists began theorizing how the show could resurrect the character. Nate Jones of Vulture.com noted:
+
+
+A July 2015 sighting of Harington arriving in Belfast, a primary filming location for the series where other actors were arriving for season 6 script read-throughs, prompted further speculation about the character's return. However, a story in ''Vanity Fair'' pointed out that Charles Dance had been seen in Belfast the previous year after his character Tywin Lannister's death as well, and he only appeared in the first episode of the subsequent season as a corpse. Another photo that showed Harington on set in Belfast in a costume that varied from the Night's Watch outfit was published on September 25, 2015. A season 6 ''Game of Thrones'' promotional poster released in November 2015 featured a bloodied Jon.
+
+Jon is resurrected by Melisandre in "Home", the May 2016 second episode of season 6. Though calling it a "predictable move" for a television series, David Sims of ''The Atlantic'' praised the plot development as "the right choice" for the show's narrative. In a subsequent interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', Harington said:
+
+
+Joanna Robinson of ''Vanity Fair'' credited Jon's much-discussed cliffhanger death as a primary factor behind ''Game of Thrones'' subsequent 25% ratings increase for season 6. Harington's performance in season 6 earned the actor his first Primetime Emmy Award nomination in July 2016. Harington as Jon has the most screen time of any other character in the seven seasons released to date.
+
+===Storylines===
+====Season 1====
+Following the plot of ''A Game of Thrones'', in the first season Jon, the bastard son of Ned Stark, joins the Night's Watch. He arrives at the Wall with his direwolf Ghost in tow, to find that the order is a shadow of its former self. Raised to be a talented fighter with a strong sense of justice and honor, Jon is at first contemptuous of his fellow recruits, who are mostly lowborn, untrained fighters who are criminals and exiles. In "Lord Snow", he is persuaded by Tyrion Lannister to put aside his prejudices and helps some of the others with their weapons training. Jon befriends Samwell Tarly, an overweight, clumsy coward who is more an intellectual than a fighter. Jon takes his vows but is disappointed about being made steward to Lord Commander Jeor Mormont rather than a ranger in "You Win or You Die". Sam points out that Jon is likely being groomed for command. Jon saves Mormont from a wight in "The Pointy End", and in "Baelor" Mormont gives him the House Mormont ancestral sword Longclaw, made of Valyrian steel, with a wolf's head handle custom made for Jon, in thanks. Jon learns of his father's execution for treason in "Fire and Blood", and although tempted to leave the Wall to help his family, his sense of duty ultimately compels him to stay.
+
+====Season 2====
+In the second season, Jon witnesses the wildling Craster, an old man with many wives who marries his own daughters, sacrifice his newborn son to the White Walkers in "The Night Lands". Later, as part of a small scouting party led by Night's Watch ranger Qhorin Halfhand, Jon is tasked with killing a wildling prisoner, the woman warrior Ygritte. He finds himself unable to do so in "The Old Gods and the New", and she escapes, only to capture him with her comrades in "The Prince of Winterfell". Qhorin orders Jon to pretend to defect and join the wildlings to discover their plans. In "Valar Morghulis", Qhorin stages a fight and secretly instructs Jon to kill him to gain the wildlings' trust. Jon does and is taken to meet Mance Rayder, the wildlings' King-Beyond-the Wall.
+
+====Season 3====
+In the third season, Jon pledges his loyalty to Mance and travels with the wildlings, learning that they intend to scale the Wall and force their way south of the Wall. Ygritte seduces Jon, and they have sex in "Kissed by Fire". When Jon refuses to kill an innocent man to prove his loyalty in "The Rains of Castamere", he is attacked by the other wildlings but escapes. In "Mhysa", he is tracked by Ygritte, who shoots him with three arrows before he is able to escape again and return to Castle Black.
+
+====Season 4====
+In "Two Swords", Alliser Thorne and Janos Slynt call for Jon's execution for defecting to the wildlings, but Maester Aemon is convinced of Jon's loyalty to the Watch and sets him free. In "First of His Name", Jon leads an expedition to Craster's Keep, where some men of the Watch have mutinied and murdered Lord Commander Mormont. After defeating the mutineers, Jon is reunited with Ghost. Tormund's wildlings attack Castle Black while Mance's army besieges the Wall in "The Watchers on the Wall". The wildlings are successfully repelled, although Ygritte is shot and dies in Jon's arms. Before Jon can negotiate with or kill Mance, Stannis Baratheon's army arrives and routs the wildling camp, taking Mance prisoner in the season finale "The Children".
+
+====Season 5====
+In "The Wars to Come", Stannis enlists Jon as an intermediary between himself and Mance, hoping to add the wildling army to his own. Mance refuses to submit to Stannis, and the wildling king is burned at the stake by the red priestess Melisandre. In "The House of Black and White", Stannis offers to legitimize Jon and make him lord of Winterfell in exchange for his support. Jon is voted the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, initially tying with his nemesis Thorne but after the tie is broken by Maester Aemon's vote. Jon's intention to welcome the wildlings into Westeros and grant them lands south of the Wall further enrages Thorne's faction of the Watch, which holds a deep seated hatred for the wildlings. In "Hardhome", Jon travels by ship north of the Wall to the eponymous wildling village, seeking their support for his plan to ally the Night's Watch and the wildlings against the growing threat of the White Walkers. As some of the wildling clans board Stannis' ships to travel south, a massive force of wights, led by White Walkers and their Night King, attacks the village. Jon kills a White Walker with Longclaw, learning that not only dragonglass, but weapons forged with Valyrian steel, can destroy them completely. Jon and his group barely make it out alive, with only a fraction of the wildling forces. Jon then permits the wildling forces to pass through the Wall into the North. Shortly after returning to Castle Black in the season finale "Mother's Mercy", Jon is summoned to hear news of his missing uncle Benjen but is instead ambushed and stabbed to death by Thorne and his group of mutineers.
+
+====Season 6====
+In "The Red Woman", Davos Seaworth, Dolorous Edd, and other brothers of the Watch loyal to Jon barricade themselves in a room with Ghost and Jon's body, and an attack by Thorne and his men is thwarted by the arrival of Tormund and his wildlings. Davos encourages Melisandre to attempt to resurrect Jon in "Home", and although the ritual at first seems to fail, Jon suddenly awakens. After hanging Thorne, Olly, Bowen Marsh, and Othell Yarwyck for their treason in "Oathbreaker", Jon gives command of the Watch to Edd and prepares to leave Castle Black. In "Book of the Stranger", he is reunited with his half-sister Sansa Stark, who has fled her abusive husband Ramsay Bolton and now seeks Jon's aid in crushing the Boltons. Jon is hesitant until a threatening message arrives from Ramsay demanding Sansa's return and announcing Ramsay's possession of their brother Rickon. Jon, Sansa, Davos, Tormund, and Brienne of Tarth set off to recruit an army to take back Winterfell and rescue Rickon from Ramsay in "The Broken Man", but their forces grow to only half the size of Bolton's. As the armies face each other in "Battle of the Bastards", Ramsay lures Jon away from his allies by forcing Rickon to run the gap between them, only to fatally shoot Rickon in the back before he can make it across. With Jon being separated from his forces, Ramsay's army closes in on him, but Jon's allies reach him in time. A devastating battle ensues in which the outnumbered Stark forces are nearly slaughtered, until the Knights of the Vale from House Arryn arrive with Sansa and Petyr Baelish, and attack the Bolton army from the rear. Jon chases Ramsay back into Winterfell and beats him savagely, stopping before killing him. Sansa subsequently feeds Ramsay to his own hounds. In the season finale episode "The Winds of Winter", Bran Stark has a vision of the past which shows Ned reuniting with a dying Lyanna in the Tower of Joy. She makes him swear to protect her son Jon. Meanwhile, the Northern lords name Jon the King in the North.
+
+====Season 7====
+Attempting to bolster the North's defenses in "Dragonstone", Jon is frustrated when his authority is undermined by Sansa, who does not want him to repeat the mistakes that got their father Ned and brother Robb killed. Jon dismisses a message from Cersei Lannister that he swear his allegiance to her. In "Stormborn", he receives an invitation to Dragonstone from Tyrion, on Daenerys Targaryen's behalf. Subsequently, receiving a message from Sam that a hoard of obsidian lies beneath the ancient Targaryen castle, Jon decides to meet Daenerys, leaving a surprised Sansa as his regent. At Dragonstone, he declines swearing fealty to Daenerys in "The Queen's Justice" and instead asks for her assistance fighting the White Walkers. She demurs but permits him to mine the obsidian. In "Eastwatch", Daenerys is surprised when her dragon Drogon approaches Jon and allows the King in the North to pet him. Determined to convince Cersei that their true enemy is the army of the dead, Jon leads an expedition north of the Wall to capture a wight and bring it south to King's Landing. They manage to do so in "Beyond the Wall" but are surrounded by a horde of the Night King's minions. Daenerys arrives with her dragons, but the Night King kills one of them with an ice spear, forcing the others to flee without Jon. He is saved by the reappearance of his uncle Benjen, who is overtaken by the dead as Jon escapes back to the Wall. Daenerys vows to fight the White Walkers with Jon, and he agrees to swear fealty to her as his queen. In "The Dragon and the Wolf", the two negotiate a truce with Cersei, who agrees to join them in fighting the Night King's forces. Samwell Tarly learns that Jon was born Aegon Targaryen, the legitimate son and heir of Daenerys' brother Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Meanwhile, Jon and Daenerys finally give in to their growing feelings for each other and have sex, unaware that they are related by blood.
+
+====Season 8====
+In "Winterfell", Jon reunites with Bran and Arya while learning the Wall has been breached by the White Walkers. Though they have readied Winterfell for battle, Sansa and many Northern lords are livid over Jon bending the knee to Daenerys, with Sansa accusing him of being in love with her. Jon's bond with Daenerys continues to grow, and he rides one of her dragons, Rhaegal. Sam, who has left the Citadel for Winterfell, tells Jon the truth about his identity as Aegon Targaryen. Jon tells this to Daenerys in the crypt before the White Walkers arrive in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms". Jon survives the events of "The Long Night" and receives praise. This troubles Daenerys, who fears the people of Westeros would prefer Jon over her as the heir to the Iron Throne.
+
+In "The Last of the Starks", Jon assures Daenerys that he has no desire of taking the Iron Throne himself but refuses to keep his true identity and lineage secret from his family. He tells Sansa and Arya, the former seeing him as a preferable alternative to Daenerys and revealing the truth to Tyrion. Tyrion informs Varys, who implores Jon to take the Iron Throne in "The Bells". Jon refuses, but begins to doubt Daenrys' benevolence, when she impulsively burns soldiers and innocents, post surrender, as well as Varys for trying to subvert her authority. In the finale, "The Iron Throne", Jon listens to Tyrion, awaiting execution for treason. Jon can no longer deny how unhinged and blindly idealistic Daenerys has become, stabbing her during an embrace. Drogon spares Jon, while destroying the Iron Throne, carrying Daenerys' body off eastward.
+
+Jon is imprisoned by the Unsullied awaiting execution, however Tyrion convinces the lords of Westeros to set up a new system of kingship while the North is allowed to become an independent kingdom. Bran uses his position as the first elected "King of The Six Kingdoms" to arrange a compromise with Daenerys' supporters, with Jon condemned to spend the remainder of his days in the Night's Watch. In the final scene of the series, Jon is shown leaving Castle Black with Tormund, Ghost and the Wildlings to start a new life beyond the Wall.
+
+===Recognition and awards===
+Harington was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the role in 2016. He said, "It is a serious understatement to say that I am somewhat stunned ... For my work on ''Game of Thrones'' to be recognized in this way is an emotional moment for me. I could not be more humbled." Harington was also nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television for the role in 2012, 2016, and 2017. His other nominations include the Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series in 2012, the Young Hollywood Award for Actor of the Year in 2013, and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2016. IGN also nominated Jon Snow as its Best TV Hero in 2011.
+
+== References ==
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article_txt_got/208_Robb_Stark.txt

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+'''Robb Stark''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''.
+
+Introduced in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), Robb is the eldest son and heir of Eddard Stark, the honorable lord of Winterfell, an ancient fortress in the North of the fictional continent Westeros. He subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) and ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000). After his father is captured and executed by the Lannisters in King's Landing, he assembles his Northern bannermen and is crowned 'King in the North', seeking vengeance against the Lannisters and independence for his new kingdom. The stunning twist involving Robb and his Northern army at the wedding of his uncle Edmure Tully at the hands of House Frey and House Bolton in the third novel and the third-season episode "The Rains of Castamere" shocked both readers of the book and viewers of the TV series.
+
+Robb is portrayed by Scottish actor Richard Madden in the HBO television adaptation.
+
+== Character description ==
+Robb is 14 years old at the beginning of ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996). He is the oldest legitimate son of Eddard "Ned" Stark and his wife Catelyn, and has five siblings: Sansa, Arya, Bran, Rickon, and Jon Snow, Ned's illegitimate son. Robb is constantly accompanied by his direwolf, Grey Wind.
+
+As Ned's oldest legitimate son, Robb is heir to Winterfell. When Lord Eddard relocates to King's Landing to become the King's Hand, Robb remains at Winterfell to rule in his father's stead. After Eddard is beheaded by Ser Ilyn Payne, Robb is declared King in the North by his bannermen (rather than to bend the knee (swear fealty) to the Lannister king, Joffrey Baratheon), drawing the lords of the North and of the Riverlands to Robb's cause. Despite displaying a proficiency in military tactics in his victories against the Lannisters, Robb is ultimately betrayed and murdered by disgruntled allies Walder Frey and Roose Bolton, all under discreet command of Tywin Lannister at the wedding of Robb's uncle, Edmure Tully, to Frey's daughter Roslin.
+
+== Development, overview and reception==
+Robb Stark is not a point of view character in the novels and is mostly a background character. His actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other characters, such as his brother Bran's and mother Lady Catelyn's, as well as memories of Jon Snow's and Theon Greyjoy's.
+
+James Poniewozik of ''Time'' describes Robb as less eager to seek retaliation than his father Eddard but as more pragmatic.  Poniewozik's overview of the television version of Robb focuses on his role as a foil for Eddard:
+
+Robb has risen to take his father’s place, as a lord of Winterfell and as a focal character in the show. We never saw what kind of warrior Ned was in the field, but in King’s Landing, he fought a straight-ahead battle, telegraphing his moves, and died for it. Robb, seeing the Lannisters' numbers, shows himself capable of feints and deceptions—albeit at the cost of 2,000 men and the guilt of having sent them on a suicide mission.
+
+In the third novel, ''A Storm of Swords'', Robb is assassinated in an event called the Red Wedding, which was inspired by the Black Dinner and Glencoe Massacre from Scottish history.  George Martin has said that he decided to kill Robb Stark because he wished to keep the story difficult to predict: "I killed Ned because everybody thinks he’s the hero ... The next predictable thing is to think his eldest son is going to rise up and avenge his father. And everybody is going to expect that. So immediately killing Robb became the next thing I had to do."
+
+In their 2015 book, ''Game of Thrones and Business'', Tim Phillips and Rebecca Claire agree: 
+
+
+The Scottish actor Richard Madden has received positive reviews for his role as Robb Stark in the TV series.
+
+== Storylines ==
+Coat of arms of House Stark
+
+=== ''A Game of Thrones'' ===
+When his father leaves for King's Landing to be made King Robert Baratheon's Hand, Robb becomes acting Lord of Winterfell.  After his father's arrest for presumed treason, he marches south with an army in attempt to free his father.  To secure passage through the Green Fork at the vital crossing of the Twins, Robb consents to the marriage to one of Walder Frey's daughters or granddaughters negotiated by his mother Lady Catelyn Tully.  After crossing the river, he surprises and destroys the Lannister army besieging Riverrun, capturing Jaime Lannister in the process.  Upon hearing of his father's execution at King's Landing, Robb is crowned the King in the North by his bannermen and King of the Trident by the Riverlands lords.
+
+=== ''A Clash of Kings'' ===
+Robb continues to win victories against the Lannister army, and earns the nickname "Young Wolf" for his ferocity in battle.  He sends his mother Lady Catelyn to negotiate an alliance with Renly Baratheon, but Renly is assassinated by his brother Stannis Baratheon with blood magic from the red priestess Melisandre.  As Stannis and the Starks still share a common enemy, Robb invades the Westerlands in order to strategically assist Stannis's campaign against the Lannisters.  He also sends Theon Greyjoy to Pyke in hope to win the alliance of Theon's father Balon Greyjoy, ruler of the Iron Islands.  However Balon decides to take advantage and attack the North instead.  Theon joins his father and seizes Winterfell by surprise, where he is believed to have murdered Robb's youngest siblings Bran and Rickon, though in reality they have escaped and gone into hiding.
+
+=== ''A Storm of Swords'' ===
+During one of his assaults in the Westerlands, Robb is wounded, at the same time learns the news of his brothers' apparent murder.  Falling ill due to mourning and injury, he falls in love with the noble maiden in charge of nursing him, Jeyne Westerling, and takes her virginity.  To preserve Jeyne's honor, Robb marries her, rescinding his previous marriage arrangement with House Frey, causing the Freys to desert his army.  Meanwhile, Stannis Baratheon, who has suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Blackwater, is urged by Melisandre to use blood magic with leeches to curse the three rival kings Joffrey Baratheon, Robb Stark, and Balon Greyjoy.
+
+After Stannis' defeat at the Blackwater, Robb withdraws from the Westerlands and returns to Riverrun to attend the funeral of his grandfather Lord Hoster Tully.  Upon returning, Robb learns that his mother Lady Catelyn has secretly released the prisoner Jaime Lannister in the hope of exchanging her hostage daughter Sansa in King's Landing.  This leads to the mutiny of Lord Rickard Karstark, whose two sons were slain by Jaime during the Battle of Whispering Woods, forcing Robb to execute Lord Rickard and lose the Karstark support.  As the war situation is looking bad, Robb tries to repair the alliance with the Freys, by bargaining his uncle Edmure Tully to marry Roslin Frey, hence rebuilding the marriage alliance.  The Freys then demand that Robb personally attend the wedding at the Twins as a gesture of apology.
+
+On their way to the Twins, Robb learns that Balon Greyjoy has accidentally died, and the ironborn commanders are returning to the Iron Islands to attend Kingsmoot.  He decides to lead his army to retake the North immediately after the wedding is complete.
+
+He soon learns that his sister Sansa has been forcibly married to Tyrion Lannister. To prevent the Lannisters from claiming Winterfell through Sansa's child by Tyrion, Robb, against the opposition of his mother Catelyn, disinherits Sansa and signs a decree legitimizing his half-brother Jon Snow as his heir if Robb happens to die with no children, and he requests the Night's Watch release Jon from service.  Robb then entrusts the decree to Lord Galbart Glover and Lady Maege Mormont, sending them to secretly sail up the Neck seeking contact with Howland Reed, Lord of Greywater Watch, so he can launch a coordinated attack to recapture the strategically crucial Moat Cailin.  However at the Twins, the Northern convoy, who are unarmed in attendance to the wedding, are betrayed and massacred by the Freys during the wedding feast, in an event known as the "Red Wedding".  Robb is personally murdered by his chief vassal, Lord Roose Bolton, who has also secretly defected to the Lannisters and been rewarded with the title Warden of the North.
+
+=== Family tree of House Stark ===
+
+
+== TV adaptation ==
+Richard Madden plays the role of Robb Stark in the television series.
+
+Robb Stark is played by Richard Madden in the television adaption of the series of books. There are some slight differences between Robb's TV portrayal and the book version. Due to the child characters' ages being increased, Robb's age is changed from fourteen to seventeen-years-old at the start of the series. Instead of marrying Jeyne Westering (as in the novels), he marries a healer from Volantis named Talisa Maegyr, who is also killed during "The Red Wedding". And while Robb is a background character in the books, not having any chapters told from his perspective, he is listed ahead of Michelle Fairley, who plays POV character Catelyn Stark in the books, in the opening credits of many episodes, and we see the Stark's storyline in seasons two and three revolve more around Robb in the viewers' eyes as opposed to the readers'.
+
+James Poniewozik comments in ''TIME'', on Madden's performance in "The Pointy End": "both the script and Richard Madden show in deft, quick strokes how the crisis focuses him. (This is another case where having a live actor does a better job of showing a transition that seemed more abrupt in the book.)"
+
+Madden said that he learned that the character would be killed off early on but otherwise read the books season by season, focusing primarily on the scripts: "I'm, as an actor, forced to bend the path I put Robb on and change it and keep the surprises coming. Hopefully, I managed to do that."
+
+===Storylines===
+Robb Stark is the oldest son of Eddard and Catelyn Stark's and the heir to Winterfell. His direwolf is called Grey Wind. Robb becomes involved in the war against the Lannisters after his father, Ned Stark, is arrested for treason. Robb summons his bannermen for war against House Lannister and marches to the Riverlands. Eventually, crossing the river at the Twins becomes strategically necessary. To win permission to cross, Robb agrees to marry a daughter of Walder Frey, Lord of the Twins. Robb leads the war effort against the Lannisters and successfully captures Jaime. After Ned is executed, the North and the Riverlands declare their independence from The Seven Kingdoms and proclaim Robb as their new King, "The King in the North".
+
+Robb wins a succession of battles in season two, earning him the nickname "The Young Wolf". However, he feels that he botched the political aspects of war. He sends Theon to the Iron Islands hoping to broker an alliance with Balon Greyjoy, Theon's father. In exchange for Greyjoy support, Robb as the King in the North will recognize the Iron Islands' independence. Robb also sends his mother Catelyn to deal with the brothers Stannis Baratheon and Renly Baratheon, each of whom is fighting (against each other and against Robb) to be the rightful King. Theon and Catelyn fail in their missions, and Balon launches an invasion of the North. Robb falls in love with Talisa Maegyr, a healer from Volantis, due to her kindness and spirit. Despite his mother's protest, Robb breaks his engagement with the Freys and marries Talisa in the season two finale.
+
+In season three, upon learning of the death of his grandfather, Lord Hoster Tully, Robb travels with his party north to Riverrun for the funeral, where the young King is reunited with his great-uncle, Brynden Blackfish, and his uncle, Edmure Tully, the new lord of Riverrun. While at Riverrun, Robb makes the decision to execute Lord Rickard Karstark for the murders of two teenage squires related to the Lannisters. That decision loses the support of the Karstarks and leads Robb to make the ultimately fatal decision to ask the Freys for their alliance.
+
+Robb is killed in the Red Wedding massacre (season three, episode nine), after witnessing the murder of his pregnant wife and their unborn child. Lord Roose Bolton personally executes Robb, stabbing him through the heart while taunting, "the Lannisters send their regards", transmitting a message Jaime Lannister (who had no knowledge of Bolton's impending treason) asked Bolton to transmit, when Bolton was leaving for the Twins. After Robb is murdered, his corpse is decapitated, Grey Wind's head is sewn on in its place, and the corpse is paraded around as the Stark forces are slaughtered by the Freys and the Boltons.
+
+Although House Lannister strips House Stark of all lands and titles after Robb's failed rebellion against the Iron Throne, Robb and Catelyn are later avenged in season six and in "Dragonstone" (season seven, episode one), when Jon Snow and Sansa Stark successfully overthrow House Bolton and retake Winterfell. Jon is crowned the King in the North by the remaining Northern lords, wildlings, and Knights of the Vale, restoring Stark rule in the North in the process. Meanwhile, Robb's youngest sister Arya Stark returns to Westeros, murders Walder Frey, and later uses his face to disguise herself as Frey, to poison all of his sons and male descendants at the Twins, ultimately avenging the Red Wedding and exterminating House Frey.
+
+==In other media==
+
+In his article "The War in Westeros and Just War Theory", Richard H. Corrigan uses Robb to illustrate the concepts of just cause and right intention in the decision to go to war: "Robb is not only fighting this war to ensure that his fellow Northerners have a just king Robb's cause.  He is also doing it to avenge his father, Ned, and to recover his sisters Arya and Sansa Robb's intention." Corrigan speculates that Robb may be suffering from cognitive dissonance and says that, ethically, once Robb has achieved his cause, he is obligated to cease fighting even if he has not yet avenged his family.
+
+Robb's decision to renege on his promise to marry one of Walder Frey's daughters features heavily in the fifth chapter of Tim Phillips and Rebecca Clare's ''Game of Thrones and Business'', "Keep Your Word: Robb Stark discovers too late the dangers of broken promises in business deals."
+
+== References ==
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/209_Mockingbird__Game_of_Thrones_.txt

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+
+
+"'''Mockingbird'''" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 37th overall. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alik Sakharov. It aired on May 18, 2014.
+
+The title refers to the symbol of House Baelish, Littlefinger's house.
+
+This episode marks the final appearance of Kate Dickie (Lysa Arryn).
+
+==Plot==
+
+
+===In King's Landing===
+Jaime refuses to be Tyrion's champion due to his poor performance with his left hand. Bronn tells Tyrion that Cersei's champion is the Mountain and that she will wed Bronn to Lollys Stokeworth. Bronn refuses to be Tyrion's champion and admits his own fear of the Mountain's fighting prowess. Oberyn wants vengeance for Elia and tells Tyrion that he will be his champion.
+
+===At Castle Black===
+Jon suggests to Thorne to block the passage through the Wall to prevent Rayder's army from coming through, but his request is denied.
+
+===At Dragonstone===
+Melisandre tells Selyse that the Lord of Light needs Shireen to depart Dragonstone with them.
+
+===In the Riverlands===
+Brienne and Podrick stop at an inn, where they meet Hot Pie, who tells them about his journey with Arya. Podrick and Brienne decide to go to the Vale because Lysa is Sansa's and Arya's last living relative with money. Arya and Sandor are attacked by Biter and Rorge, who were part of the Night's Watch caravan that Arya travelled with. After Sandor kills Biter, Rorge explains that the bounty is on Sandor's head because of killing Lannister soldiers. Arya kills Rorge.
+
+===In Meereen===
+Daenerys tells Jorah that she ordered Daario to retake Yunkai and kill all the remaining masters. Jorah tells that if Ned Stark had done the same to him when he sold slaves, he would not be there to advise her. She orders Jorah to tell Daario to take Hizdahr with him to advise the masters in conforming to her rule.
+
+===At the Eyrie===
+Petyr tells Sansa that he loved Catelyn and killed Joffrey to avenge her. Petyr kisses Sansa and Lysa sees them. After Lysa threatens Sansa, Petyr admits to Lysa that he ever truly loved Catelyn and pushes her through the Moon Door.
+
+== Production ==
+The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
+"Mockingbird" adapts part of material from ''A Storm of Swords'', chapters 65, 66 and 80 (Arya XII, Tyrion IX & Sansa VII). It also adapts chapter 20 (Brienne IV) from ''A Feast for Crows'' as well as chapter 2 (Daenerys I) from ''A Dance with Dragons''. Additional material comes from Sansa II of ''A Game of Thrones'', Tyrion V of ''A Storm of Swords'' and Daenerys VI of ''A Dance With Dragons''.
+
+== Reception ==
+=== Ratings ===
+The episode was watched by 7.20 million viewers during its premiere hour, setting a new series high. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.639 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.095 million timeshift viewers.
+
+=== Critical reception ===
+"Mockingbird" received critical acclaim. Rotten Tomatoes reported a score of 100% based on reviews from 36 critics with an average score of 9 out of 10. The site's consensus is that "Though the episode mostly sets the table for future events, it remains chock-full of action, suspense, surprise, and raw human emotion."
+
+=== Accolades ===
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Year
+
+ Award
+
+ Category
+
+ Nominee(s)
+
+ Result
+
+
+
+ 2014
+
+ Hollywood Professional Alliance
+
+ Outstanding Color Grading
+
+ Joe Finley
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2015
+
+ American Society of Cinematographers
+
+ Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series
+
+ Fabian Wagner
+
+ 
+
+
+
+== References ==
+
+
+== External links ==
+
+*  at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/20_Light_of_the_Seven.txt

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+
+
+
+"'''Light of the Seven'''" is a piece in the HBO's series ''Game of Thrones'', the television series adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' by George R. R. Martin. It first played during the season six finale of the show and was composed by Ramin Djawadi in 2016. The "Light of the Seven" is the first time piano is used in the music for ''Game of Thrones''. It was nominated by the International Film Music Critics Association for Film Music Composition of the Year.
+
+==Background==
+In an interview, Djawadi spoke about "Light of the Seven", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, "The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about the 'Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score." Djawadi had tried other instruments, including playing the whole tune with harp, but none of them sounded right, eventually he settled on the colder sound of the piano.
+
+Djawadi said: "It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction." Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, "The Rains of Castamere", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, and Djawadi instructed the boys to sing in such a way that although it is "not out of tune, but you get that feeling of Something’s wrong." Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying "The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately — the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well."
+
+In another interview, Djawadi talked about the process, saying, "That was the big guidance for me, in how I wanted to build this piece, It's a different instrument, and I put it in an upper register, but the idea is that it's building something that stays the same but changes over time. Of course, now that I say that, people might be like, 'No, it's not really that.' And it's not staying true to the form. Obviously the picture is guiding me, so I have to pull back and break away from it. I couldn't keep it as a passacaglia all the way through. But there are definitely moments where it defaults to that."
+
+==Composition==
+"Light of the Seven" has a duration of approximately ten minutes. When Djawadi originally composed the piece, he intended at first to make it a passacaglia. The instrumentation of "Light of the Seven" consists of piano, organ, strings and two boy soloists. On why he decided to use two young soloists instead of a full choir, Djawadi said, "I felt that two of them were more haunting than using a full choir, because it's a smaller environment, when they're running around in the catacombs."
+
+==Credits and personnel==
+Personnel adapted from the album liner notes.
+
+
+* Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer
+
+* David Benioff – liner notes
+* D.B. Weiss – liner notes
+
+
+==Live performances==
+Djawadi performing "Light of the Seven" at the ''Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience''.
+Djawadi has performed the piece with a live orchestra at the Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience, which consisted of 24 dates in cities across the United States and Canada.
+
+==Reception==
+The piece received universal praise from critics and fans, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the "real winner" of the season finale. Djawadi responded to the universal praise the composition got, saying, "I never would have thought that would happen, It's so exciting because it's such a special finale."
+
+==Aftermath==
+A remixed version of "Light of the Seven" was used in a season 7 trailer. The final motif from this piece is used in the season 6 track "Hear Me Roar", and is also used from season 7 onwards in tracks involving Cersei Lannister and her machinations, such as "The Long Farewell" or "No One Walks Away from Me", acting as an alternate theme to "The Rains of Castamere" for her character.
+
+==Charts==
+
+
+
+
+
+ Chart (2016)
+
+ Peakposition
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+==Accolades==
+===Awards and nominations===
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Year
+
+ Award
+
+ Category
+
+ Nominee(s)
+
+ Result
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2016
+
+ International Film Music Critics Association
+
+ Film Music Composition of the Year
+
+ Ramin Djawadi
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+==See also==
+*''Game of Thrones'' Theme
+*Music of Game of Thrones
+
+==References==
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/210_The_Mountain_and_the_Viper.txt

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+
+
+"'''The Mountain and the Viper'''" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of HBO's acclaimed fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 38th overall. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alex Graves. It aired on June 1, 2014.
+
+This episode marks the final appearance of Pedro Pascal (Oberyn Martell).
+
+==Plot==
+
+
+===At the Wall===
+Mole's Town is attacked by wildlings, but Ygritte spares Gilly and her son
+
+===At Moat Cailin===
+Theon enters Moat Cailin and gives the terms for their surrender to Ralf Kenning. Ralf declines, but is murdered by one of his men, who agrees. However, after the Ironborn open the Moat's gates, Ramsay's army slaughters them. As a reward for retaking the Moat, Roose legitimizes Ramsay as a true Bolton. Bolton's army and Reek depart for their new seat at Winterfell.
+
+===In Meereen===
+Barristan receives a letter with the Hand of the King's seal. The letter is Jorah's royal pardon signed by Robert for spying on Daenerys. Jorah admits his spying on Daenerys and she exiles him.
+
+===In the Vale===
+Petyr is interrogated by the nobility of the Vale about Lysa's death. He claims that Lysa committed suicide. Lord Yohn Royce demands to speak with Sansa, who reveals her identity, corroborates Petyr's story and convinces them of his innocence. Petyr, Sansa and Robin leave the Eyrie to tour the Vale. Sansa dyes her hair black to hide her identity. Sandor and Arya arrive at Bloody Gate, only to be informed of Lysa's death, by Donnel.
+
+===In King's Landing===
+Tyrion's trial by combat begins. Oberyn knocks Gregor to the ground, but instead of finishing him, Oberyn screams at him to confess that Tywin gave him the order to kill Elia and her children. Gregor knocks Oberyn down, confessing to the murder of Elia and her children and crushing Oberyn's skull with his hands. Tywin sentences Tyrion to death for regicide.
+
+==Production==
+===Writing===
+The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
+This episode contains content from three of George Martin's novels: ''A Storm of Swords'', chapters Daenerys V, Daenerys VI, and Tyrion X; ''A Feast for Crows'', chapters Alayne I and Alayne II; and ''A Dance with Dragons'', chapter Reek II.
+
+==Reception==
+=== Ratings ===
+"The Mountain and the Viper" was watched by an estimated 7.17 million people during its first airing. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.811 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.062 million timeshift viewers.
+
+=== Critical reception ===
+The episode received high praise from critics and audiences alike, with the fight between Prince Oberyn and the Mountain being hailed as the episode's highlight. On Rotten Tomatoes it obtained a 97% score, based on 32 reviews, with an average rating of 9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "With one of the most gruesome scenes to date, 'The Mountain and the Viper' delivers a tense, twisty final scene well worth the wait."
+
+Writing for ''The A.V. Club'', Emily VanDerWerff gave the episode an A- and praised the staging of the final fight by director Alex Graves. Erik Adams, also writing for the ''A.V. Club'' gave the episode an A. Terri Schwartz, writing for Zap2it.com, wrote the episode was "one of the strongest ''Game of Thrones'' episodes to date, and that's just the type of episode that the death of Oberyn Martell deserves."
+
+===Awards and nominations===
+
+
+
+
+
+ Year
+
+ Award
+
+ Category
+
+ Nominee(s)
+
+ Result
+
+
+
+ 2014
+
+Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Fantasy Series
+
+ Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, and Rob Cameron
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
+
+ Ramin Djawadi
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2015
+
+ ADG Excellence in Production Design Award
+
+ One-Hour Single Camera Fantasy Television Series
+
+ Deborah Riley
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ SFX Awards
+
+ Best TV Episode
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Hugo Awards
+
+ Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
+
+ David Benioff, Alex Graves, and D. B. Weiss
+
+ 
+
+
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+
+*  at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/211_The_Watchers_on_the_Wall.txt

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+
+
+"'''The Watchers on the Wall'''" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the fourth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 39th overall. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Neil Marshall. It aired on June 8, 2014.
+
+Like season two's "Blackwater" (also directed by Marshall), the episode focuses exclusively on one storyline: the Wildling assault on Castle Black and the Wall, and the Night's Watch defense, led by Ser Alliser Thorne and Jon Snow.
+
+==Plot==
+As they keep watch atop the Wall for the coming invasion, Jon and Samwell discuss Jon's relationship with Ygritte during his time with the wildlings. At a nearby camp, the Thenn Warg scouts the Wall using an owl, while Ygritte declares that Jon is hers to kill. In the library of Castle Black, Sam and Maester Aemon discuss Gilly, who arrives at the castle. Their reunion is cut short by horns signaling that Mance Rayder's army has arrived. Jon sees a massive fire burning on the north side of the Wall, and he and his brothers complete preparations for battle. Sam finds Gilly and her baby shelter in the kitchen, and joins the defense after kissing her goodbye.
+
+Ygritte reports that the castle's entrance is undermanned, and Styr orders the group to attack. As Thorne readies the archers, another horn informs him the castle is being attacked from both sides. Alliser leaves charge of the Wall to Slynt and heads for the castle to battle the Thenns. Slynt proves an inept commander, and Grenn tricks him into going to the castle, leaving Jon in charge. Several giants and a woolly mammoth attempt to pull up the Wall gate, and Jon sends Grenn with men to defend the passage. At the castle, Thorne is wounded by Tormund and is taken to be treated. Sam and Pyp shoot at the wildlings with crossbows, but Pyp is shot through the neck by Ygritte. Sam ascends the Wall, killing the Thenn Warg, and informs Jon that the courtyard is overrun, and Jon leaves charge of the Wall to Edd.
+
+Returning to the south side of Castle Black, Jon leads the remaining Night's Watch, along with his direwolf, Ghost. Jon kills Styr after taking a severe beating, and is confronted by Ygritte. She hesitates as they smile at each other, and Olly shoots her in the back. As Ygritte and Jon reminisce that they should have stayed in the cave together, she dies in his arms. Edd leads a successful defense, and the wildling army appears to withdraw. Tormund, hit by several arrows, is captured on Jon's orders.
+
+In the morning, Jon tells Sam that he will go north of the Wall to kill Mance. They find Grenn and his men have died killing a giant, and Jon tells Sam to have their bodies burned. Jon gives Sam his sword, Longclaw, before departing.
+
+==Production==
+The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
+This episode adapts content from the ''A Storm of Swords'' chapters Jon VII, Jon VIII and Jon IX.
+
+"The Watchers on the Wall" marks the return of director Neil Marshall, whose previous episode for the show as director was "Blackwater". Marshall also makes a cameo appearance in the episode as an archer on the Wall.
+
+==Reception==
+=== Ratings ===
+"The Watchers on the Wall" was watched by an estimated 6.95 million people during its first airing. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.748 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.072 million timeshift viewers.
+
+=== Critical reception ===
+The episode received a score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 33 reviews, the lowest score of the season. The site's consensus reads: "While "The Watchers of the Wall" lacks the emotional punch of previous episodes this season, it succeeds as an action-packed hour with cinema-worthy visuals."
+	
+James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' wrote, "the episode was an intense rousing hour of heroism and heartbreak that set a new bar for what this show – and TV – can do." Another positive review came from Terri Schwartz of Zap2it.com, who wrote, "As the most expensive episode of the series, the Battle at Castle Black felt like an equivalent of ''The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' Battle of Helm's Deep." David Malitz of ''The Washington Post'' was more negative about the episode, writing, "Aside from the major moment with Jon Snow and Ygritte it was hard to feel too emotionally invested in anything that happened. And as visually exciting as it was to watch everything unfold, the ending was surprisingly unfulfilling."
+
+===Accolades===
+Neil Marshall was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for this episode.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Year
+
+ Award
+
+ Category
+
+ Nominee(s)
+
+ Result
+
+
+
+ 2014
+
+ Primetime Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
+
+ Neil Marshall
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series
+
+ Tim Kimmel, Jed M. Dodge, Tim Hands, Paula Fairfield, David Klotz, Bradley C. Katona, Brett Voss, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and Dylan T. Wilhoit
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One-Hour)
+
+ Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, and Mathew Waters
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Gold Derby TV Awards
+
+ Best Drama Episode
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ 2015
+
+ Golden Reel Award
+
+ Best Sound Editing in Television – Short Form: Music
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Visual Effects Society
+
+ Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal/Live Action Broadcast Program
+
+ Dan Breckwoldt, Martin Furman, Sophie Marfleet, and Eric Andrusyszyn
+
+ 
+
+
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+
+*  at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/212_The_Children__Game_of_Thrones_.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,214 @@
+
+
+
+"'''The Children'''" is the fourth season finale of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 40th overall. The tenth and final episode of the fourth season, the episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alex Graves.
+
+"The Children" received overwhelming acclaim from critics, with praise directed at the deaths of Shae and Tywin Lannister, Bran reaching the Heart Tree and the fight scene between Brienne and Sandor "The Hound" Clegane.
+
+This episode marks the final appearances of Sibel Kekilli (Shae), Rose Leslie (Ygritte) and Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Jojen Reed). It also marks the final appearance of Rory McCann (Sandor Clegane) until the sixth-season episode "The Broken Man".
+
+==Plot==
+
+
+===In Meereen===
+Daenerys receives a citizen who wants to be sold back into slavery because he feels his life as a slave was better than as a freedman. Next citizen brings charred bones of his daughter, who was killed by Drogon. Drogon has not returned and Daenerys chains her two other dragons Rhaegal and Viserion as a precaution.
+
+===Beyond the Wall===
+Jon meets Rayder and tells him that he wants to discuss an end to their conflict. A massive cavalry charge led by Stannis and Davos overruns the wildling encampment. Mance surrenders and Stannis takes him captive, on Jon's suggestion. Bran's group reach the large Heart Tree. Jojen is killed by a group of wights, but Hodor, Meera and Bran are saved by a Child of the Forest, who leads them to meet an old man, who tells Bran that while he will never be able to walk again, he will be able to fly.
+
+===In King's Landing===
+Gregor lies dying from Oberyn's poisoned spear, but Qyburn says that he can save him and Cersei ousts Pycelle from his laboratory and gives Clegane's care over to Qyburn, who tells the procedure may change him, but will not weaken him. Cersei tells Tywin that, if forced to marry Loras, she will admit her incest with Jaime and that her children are the issue of such. In the dungeons, Tyrion awaits his execution, but Jaime helps him escape. Tyrion, before escaping, sneaks into the Tower of the Hand and kills Shae and Tywin. Tyrion then escapes on a ship bound for Essos with help from Varys, who boards with him.
+
+===In the Vale===
+Brienne and Podrick find Sandor and Arya. Brienne recognizes Arya and tells her about her oath to Catelyn. Sandor is unconvinced of her loyalties and after a brutal fight, Brienne knocks Sandor off a cliff and unsuccessfully searches for Arya. After they leave, Arya leaves Sandor to die and boards a ship to Braavos. She shows a captain the coin Jaqen gave her.
+
+==Production==
+
+===Writing===
+The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
+The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, This episode contains content from two of George Martin's novels, ''A Storm of Swords'', chapters Jon X, part of Jon XI, Jaime IX, Tyrion XI, and Arya XIII,
+and ''A Dance with Dragons'', chapters Daenerys I, Daenerys II, and Bran II.
+
+===Filming===
+"The Children" was directed by Alex Graves. The Thingvellir National Park in Iceland was used as the location for the fight between Brienne and The Hound.
+
+==Reception==
+
+===Ratings===
+"The Children" was watched by 7.09 million Americans during its premiere hour, a 32% increase from the previous season finale. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.850 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.085 million timeshift viewers.
+
+===Critical reception===
+The episode received universal acclaim. All 35 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes were positive, with an average score of 9.5 out of 10. The site's consensus reading, "Capping off the best season of ''Game of Thrones'' to date, "The Children" provides enough satisfying plot developments for a finale, while its twists and turns leave you wanting more."
+
+IGN writer Matt Fowler called it a "strong seasonal send-off with tons of violent twists, and turns." Sean T. Collins of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote, "Sometimes ''Game of Thrones'' is a widescreen epic fantasy, other times it's a small-scale study of violent lives. At its best – and "The Children" is certainly this show at its wide and wild best – ''Game of Thrones'' is all of these things, simultaneously." TVLine named Rory McCann and Gwendoline Christie the "Performers of the Week" for their physical acting in their fight sequence, and wrote that it "was one of the finest examples of the form in recent TV history – absolutely too epic to ignore."
+
+===Omission of Lady Stoneheart===
+
+After the episode premiered, some fans of the novel series voiced their displeasure over the omission of Lady Stoneheart, a character from the end of ''A Storm of Swords''. This was in part fueled by a photo posted to Instagram two months earlier by actress Lena Headey that many fans assumed was a confirmation of the character's inclusion in the finale. A day later, director Alex Graves stated that the character was never planned to appear in the fourth season, and that he did not know whether she would appear in the fifth.
+
+In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', actress Michelle Fairley stated that the character may not ever be included in the TV series, though she did not give a definite confirmation either way.
+
+===Piracy===
+The episode set a BitTorrent record with about 1.5 million downloads within 12 hours and set a record for 250,000 users sharing the file at the same time.
+
+====Awards and nominations====
+
+
+
+
+
+ Year
+
+ Award
+
+ Category
+
+ Nominee(s)
+
+ Result
+
+
+
+ 2014
+
+ Primetime Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
+
+ David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
+
+ 
+
+
+
+Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
+
+ Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series
+
+ Jane Walker and Barrie Gower
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Special and Visual Effects
+
+ Joe Bauer, Joern Grosshans, Steve Kullback, Adam Chazen, Eric Carney, Sabrina Gerhardt, Matthew Rouleau, Thomas H. Schelesny, and Robert Simon
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Hollywood Professional Alliance
+
+ Outstanding Sound 
+
+ Tim Kimmel, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Paula Fairfield, Brad Katona and Jed M. Dodge
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Outstanding Visual Effects
+
+ Joe Bauer, Sven Martin, Jörn Grosshans, Thomas Schelesny and Matthew Rouleau
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ IGN Awards
+
+ Best TV Episode
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ IGN People's Choice Awards
+
+ Best TV Episode
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+2015
+
+ Cinema Audio Society Awards
+
+ Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour
+
+ Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Brett Voss
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ American Society of Cinematographers
+
+ Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series
+
+ Anette Haellmigk
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Directors Guild of America Award
+
+ Dramatic Series
+
+ Alex Graves
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Golden Reel Award 
+
+ Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: FX/Foley
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Dialogue / ADR
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Visual Effects Society
+
+ Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Photoreal/Live Action Broadcast Program
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+
+*  "The Children" at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/213_Valyrian_languages.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,1615 @@
+
+
+
+The '''Valyrian languages''' are a fictional language family in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, and in their television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''.
+
+In the novels, High Valyrian and its descendant languages are often mentioned but not developed beyond a few words. For the TV series, linguist David J. Peterson created the High Valyrian language, as well as the derivative languages Astapori and Meereenese Valyrian, based on the fragments given in the novels. Valyrian and Dothraki have been described as "the most convincing fictional tongues since Elvish".
+
+==High Valyrian==
+
+In the world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', High Valyrian occupies a cultural niche similar to that of Latin in medieval Europe.  The novels describe it as no longer being used as a language of everyday communication, but rather as a language of learning and education among the nobility of Essos and Westeros, with much literature and song composed in Valyrian.
+
+===Creation===
+David J. Peterson, creator of the spoken Valyrian languages for ''Game of Thrones''
+To create the Dothraki and Valyrian languages to be spoken in ''Game of Thrones'', HBO selected the linguist David J. Peterson through a competition among conlangers. The producers gave Peterson a largely free hand in developing the languages, as, according to Peterson, George R. R. Martin himself was not very interested in the linguistic aspect of his works. The already published novels include only a few words of High Valyrian, including ''valar morghulis'' ("all men must die"), ''valar dohaeris'' ("all men must serve") and ''dracarys'' ("dragonfire"). For the forthcoming novel ''The Winds of Winter'', Peterson has supplied Martin with additional Valyrian translations.
+
+Peterson commented that he considered Martin's choice of ''dracarys'' unfortunate because of its (presumably intended) similarity to the Latin word for dragon, ''''. Because the Latin language does not exist in the fictional world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', Peterson chose to treat the similarity as coincidental and made ''dracarys'' an independent lexeme; his High Valyrian term for dragon is ''zaldrīzes''. The phrases ''valar morghulis'' and ''valar dohaeris'', on the other hand, became the foundation of the language's conjugation system. Another word, ''trēsy'', meaning "son", was coined in honour of Peterson's 3000th Twitter follower.
+
+Peterson did not create a High Valyrian writing system at the time, but he commented that he "was thinking something more like Egyptian's system of hieroglyphs—not in style, necessarily, but in their functionality. Egyptians had an alphabet, of sorts, a couple of phonetically-based systems, and a logography all layered on top of one another." In the third season's episode "The Bear and the Maiden Fair", Talisa is seen writing a Valyrian letter in the Latin alphabet, because according to Peterson, "it didn't seem worthwhile to create an entire writing system for what ultimately is kind of a throwaway shot".
+
+At the start of June 2013, there were 667 High Valyrian words.
+
+===Phonology===
+
+
+
++ Consonants
+
+
+
+ Labial
+
+ Dental
+
+ Alveolar
+
+ Palatal
+
+ Velar
+
+ Uvular
+
+ Glottal
+
+
+
+ Nasal
+
+ m /m/
+
+
+
+ n /n/
+
+ ñ /ɲ/
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Plosive
+
+ p /p/
+
+ b /b/
+
+
+
+ t /t/
+
+ d /d/
+
+ j /j/
+
+ k /k/
+
+ g /ɡ/
+
+ q /q/
+
+
+
+
+
+ Fricative
+
+ v /v/
+
+ (th /θ/)
+
+ s /s/
+
+ z /z/
+
+ (kh /x/)
+
+ gh /ɣ/
+
+ h /h/
+
+
+
+
+
+ Approximant
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Trill
+
+
+
+
+
+ rh /r̥/
+
+ r /r/
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Lateral
+
+
+
+
+
+ l /l/
+
+ lj /ʎ/
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Notes:
+:a.  and  are not native to High Valyrian but are present in some loanwords, such as the Dothraki ''arakh''.
+:b.  varies between  ~ .
+:c.  varies between  ~  ~ .
+:d.  varies between  ~ .
+
+
+
+
+
++ Vowels
+
+
+
+ Front
+
+ Central
+
+ Back
+
+
+
+ Close / High
+
+ ī, i (iː, i)ȳ, y (yː, y)
+
+ 
+
+ ū, u (uː, u)
+
+
+
+ Mid
+
+ ē, e (eː, e)
+
+ 
+
+ ō, o (oː, o)
+
+
+
+ Open / Low
+
+ 
+
+ ā, a (aː, a)
+
+
+
+Vowels with a macron over them (ī, ȳ, ū, ē, ō and ā) are long, held for twice as long as short vowels. Some words are distinguished simply by their vowel length in High Valyrian. The rounded vowels  and  may not be pronounced in modern High Valyrian, as a non-native or prestige language and did not survive into the descendant languages. As a result, while Daenerys Targaryen's first name may generally be pronounced  by characters in ''Game of Thrones'', in High Valyrian it would have been closer to , with a diphthong in the first syllable and a rounded vowel in the last. The long vowels have also been lost in some derived languages; in season 3 of ''Game of Thrones'', we hear Astapori Valyrian, from which all long vowels have been lost.
+
+Syllable stress is penultimate unless the penultimate syllable is light and the antepenultimate syllable is heavy, in which case stress is on the antepenultimate. As a highly inflected language, word order is flexible (a feature lost in derived languages), but sentences with relative clauses are head-final.
+
+===Grammar===
+
+====Nouns====
+There are four grammatical numbers in High Valyrian—singular, plural, paucal and collective. For example, ''vala'' "man" (nom. sing.); ''vali'' "men" (nom. pl.); ''valun'' "some men" (nom. pau.); ''valar'' "all men" (nom. coll.). The collective can itself be modified by number as a new noun declension, for example ''azantys'' "knight, soldier" (nom. sing.) → ''azantyr'' "army" (nom. coll.); ''azantyr'' "army" (nom. sing.) → ''azantyri'' "armies" (nom. pl.).
+
+Nouns have eight cases—nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, locative, instrumental, comitative and vocative, though the instrumental and comitative are not distinguished in all declensions, nor are the genitive, dative and locative always distinguished in the plural. Both prepositions and postpositions are used to form other cases; for example, the ablative is formed with the preposition ''hen'' + the locative (e.g. ''hen lentot'', "from a house") while the superessive is formed with the postposition ''bē'' following the genitive (e.g. ''lento bē'', "on top of a house").
+
+There are four grammatical genders, which do not align with biological sex. The Valyrian names for the genders are:
+
+: ''hūrenkon qogror''—"lunar class",
+: ''vēzenkon qogror''—"solar class",
+: ''tegōñor qogror''—"terrestrial class",
+: ''embōñor qogror''—"aquatic class".
+
+Animate and individuatable nouns are generally in the lunar or solar classes, while other nouns are generally classified as terrestrial or aquatic. The names of the classes derive from the nouns themselves, which are prototypical members of each gender. Peterson describes Valyrian gender as being inherent but more predictable from phonology than gender in French, with some of the derivational properties of the noun classes of Bantu languages. As a result of the phonological predictability, many words for humans (which tend to end ''-a'' or ''-ys'') are lunar or solar; many foods and plants (often ending ''-on'') are terrestrial.
+
+According to Peterson, "what defines declension classes in High Valyrian" can be divined by paying "close attention to the singular and plural numbers" and noting "where cases are conflated and where they aren't". In the following tables, adjacent case conflations are merged into the same table cell; other cases that share a form with another are underlined.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+ First declension(Lunar: ''vala'', "man")
+
+ 
+
+ Second declension(Solar: ''loktys'', "sailor")
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+ Paucal
+
+ Collective
+
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+ Paucal
+
+ Collective
+
+
+
+ Nominative
+
+ vala
+
+ vali
+
+ valun
+
+ valar
+
+ loktys
+
+ loktyssy
+
+ loktyn
+
+ loktyr
+
+ Nom.
+
+
+
+ Accusative
+
+ vale
+
+ valī
+
+ valuni
+
+ valari
+
+ lokti
+
+ loktī
+
+ loktyni
+
+ loktyri
+
+ Acc.
+
+
+
+ Genitive
+
+ valo
+
+ valoti
+
+ valuno
+
+ valaro
+
+ lokto
+
+ loktoti
+
+ loktyno
+
+ loktyro
+
+ Gen.
+
+
+
+ Dative
+
+ valot
+
+
+ valunta
+
+ valarta
+
+ loktot
+
+
+ loktynty
+
+ loktyrty
+
+ Dat.
+
+
+
+ Locative
+
+ valā
+
+
+ valunna
+
+ valarra
+
+ loktȳ
+
+ loktī
+
+ loktynny
+
+ loktyrry
+
+ Loc.
+
+
+
+ Instrumental
+
+ valosa
+
+ valossi
+
+ valussa
+
+ valarza
+
+ loktomy
+
+ loktommi
+
+ loktyssy
+
+ loktyrzy
+
+ Instr.
+
+
+
+ Comitative
+
+ valoma
+
+ valommi
+
+ valumma
+
+ valarma
+
+
+
+ loktymmy
+
+ loktyrmy
+
+ Com.
+
+
+
+ Vocative
+
+ valus
+
+ valis
+
+ valussa
+
+ valarza
+
+ loktys
+
+ loktyssys
+
+ loktyssy
+
+ loktyrzy
+
+ Voc.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+ Paucal
+
+ Collective
+
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+ Paucal
+
+ Collective
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+ First declension
+
+ Second declension
+
+
+
+====Verbs====
+Nouns have four grammatical numbers, but verb conjugations have only been described in the singular and the plural; paucals trigger plural agreement and collectives trigger singular agreement. There are two paradigms of verbs, those with a stem ending with a consonant and those with a stem ending with a vowel; the tables below show examples of three tenses in the active voice. It is possible to tell which paradigm is in use from the first person plural indicative—consonant stems will always end in ''-i'', whereas vowels stems will end in ''-ī''. Verbs with stems ending in a vowel follow a pattern where that stem-terminal vowel might change—''-a'' and ''-i'' do not change, ''-e'' becomes ''-i'', but ''-o'' and ''-u'' both become ''-v''. Verb stems may never end in a long vowel or a diphthong. There is a subjunctive mood that is not only used in subordinate clauses, but also in all negative statements.
+
+
+
+
+ Consonantal verbs(''manaeragon'', "to raise" or "to lift")
+
+
+
+ 
+
+ Present tense
+
+ 
+
+ Perfect tense
+
+ 
+
+ Imperfect tense
+
+
+
+
+ Indicative mood
+
+ Subjunctive mood
+
+
+ Indicative mood
+
+ Subjunctive mood
+
+
+ Indicative mood
+
+ Subjunctive mood
+
+
+
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+
+
+ First person
+
+ manaeran
+
+ manaeri
+
+ manaeron
+
+ manaeroty
+
+
+
+ manaertan
+
+ manaerti
+
+ manaerton
+
+ manaertoty
+
+
+
+ manaerilen
+
+ manaerilin
+
+ manaerilon
+
+ manaeriloty
+
+
+
+ Second person
+
+ manaerā
+
+ manaerāt
+
+ manaerō
+
+ manaerōt
+
+
+
+ manaertā
+
+ manaertāt
+
+ manaertō
+
+ manaertōt
+
+
+
+ manaerilē
+
+ manaerilēt
+
+ manaerilō
+
+ manaerilōt
+
+
+
+ Third person
+
+ manaerza
+
+ manaerzi
+
+ manaeros
+
+ manaerosy
+
+
+
+ manaertas
+
+ manaertis
+
+ manaertos
+
+ manertosy
+
+
+
+ manaeriles
+
+ manaerilis
+
+ manaerilos
+
+ manaerilosy
+
+
+
+ Imperative
+
+ manaerās
+
+ manaerātās
+
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Infinitive
+
+ manaeragon
+
+ 
+
+
+ manaertagon
+
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Participle
+
+ manaerare, manaerarior
+
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Vowel verbs (stem ending -a)(''limagon'', "to cry")
+
+
+
+ 
+
+ Present tense
+
+ 
+
+ Perfect tense
+
+ 
+
+ Imperfect tense
+
+
+
+
+ Indicative mood
+
+ Subjunctive mood
+
+
+ Indicative mood
+
+ Subjunctive mood
+
+
+ Indicative mood
+
+ Subjunctive mood
+
+
+
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+
+
+ First person
+
+ liman
+
+ limī
+
+ limaon
+
+ limaoty
+
+
+
+ limatan
+
+ limati
+
+ limaton
+
+ limatoty
+
+
+
+ limēlen
+
+ limēlin
+
+ limēlon
+
+ limēloty
+
+
+
+ Second person
+
+ limā
+
+ limāt
+
+ limaō
+
+ limaōt
+
+
+
+ limatā
+
+ limatāt
+
+ limatō
+
+ limatōt
+
+
+
+ limēlē
+
+ limēlēt
+
+ limēlō
+
+ limēlōt
+
+
+
+ Third person
+
+ limas
+
+ limasi
+
+ limaos
+
+ limaosy
+
+
+
+ limatas
+
+ limatasi
+
+ limatos
+
+ limatosy
+
+
+
+ limēles
+
+ limēlis
+
+ limēlos
+
+ limēlosy
+
+
+
+ Imperative
+
+ limās
+
+ limātās
+
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Infinitive
+
+ limagon
+
+ 
+
+
+ limatagon
+
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Participle
+
+ limare, limarior
+
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Vowel verbs (stem ending -e)(''sōvegon'', "to fly")
+
+
+
+ 
+
+ Present tense
+
+ 
+
+ Perfect tense
+
+ 
+
+ Imperfect tense
+
+
+
+
+ Indicative mood
+
+ Subjunctive mood
+
+
+ Indicative mood
+
+ Subjunctive mood
+
+
+ Indicative mood
+
+ Subjunctive mood
+
+
+
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+
+
+ First person
+
+ sōven
+
+ sōvī
+
+ sōvion
+
+ sōvioty
+
+
+
+ sōvetan
+
+ sōveti
+
+ sōveton
+
+ sōvetoty
+
+
+
+ sovīlen
+
+ sovīlin
+
+ sovīlon
+
+ sovīloty
+
+
+
+ Second person
+
+ sōvē
+
+ sōvēt
+
+ sōviō
+
+ sōviōt
+
+
+
+ sōvetā
+
+ sōvetāt
+
+ sōvetō
+
+ sōvetōt
+
+
+
+ sovīlē
+
+ sovīlēt
+
+ sovīlō
+
+ sovīlōt
+
+
+
+ Third person
+
+ sōves
+
+ sōvesi
+
+ sōvios
+
+ sōviosy
+
+
+
+ sōvetas
+
+ sōvetis
+
+ sōvetos
+
+ sōvetosy
+
+
+
+ sovīles
+
+ sovīli
+
+ sovīlos
+
+ sovīlosy
+
+
+
+ Imperative
+
+ sōvēs
+
+ sōvētēs
+
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Infinitive
+
+ sōvegon
+
+ 
+
+
+ sōvetagon
+
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ Participle
+
+ sōvere, sōverior
+
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+====Adjectives====
+Adjectives have three declension classes. Like verbs, adjectives only have two number forms—a singular, which is also used for the collective, and a plural, also used for paucal numbers. Adjectives may be both prepositive (e.g. "the ''white'' shoe") or post-positive (e.g. "the body ''politic''"); when prepositive some further rules apply.
+
+Several forms of elision and consonant assimilation occur with prepositive adjectives:
+
+* With inflections of two syllables (such as ''kast'''oti''''' in several class  plurals), the second syllable is often lost to elision; word-final ''-t'' is also lost before consonants—compare ''ader'''ot''' ābrot'' ("to the quick woman") with ''ader'''o''' Dovaogēdot'' ("to the quick Unsullied").
+* When such elision causes a word-final ''-z'' (such as with the class  ''kasta'' becoming ''kastyzy'' (nom.) and ''kastyzys'' (voc.) in the lunar plurals, below), the final ''-z'' is devoiced to ''-s'' when it precedes a voiceless consonant—compare ''kast'''ys''' hobresse'' ("blue goats") with ''kast'''yz''' dāryssy'' ("blue kings"), both forms from ''kastyzy'', the lunar nominative plural.
+* If the syllable in question is vowel–consonant–vowel, then only the final vowel is elided—compare ''ānogro ēl'''ȳro''''' ("of the first blood") to ''ēl'''ȳr''' ānogro'' ("of the first blood").
+* Whereas instrumental forms are generally listed as containing ''-s-'' or ''-ss-'' and comitative forms generally contain ''-m-'' or ''-mm-'', some nouns use only the ''s''-forms in both cases and some nouns use the ''m''-forms for both. When this occurs, the consonant in question experiences consonant harmony, causing the use of what might otherwise be a comitative form for an instrumental and vice versa,  where the forms appear to be instrumental ("by means of the ... men", "by means of the ... rains"), despite being comitative ("accompanying the ... man", "accompanying the ... rains").
+* Finally, word-final ''-m'' is decreasingly common in High Valyrian. Contracted inflections that end in ''-m'' will often assimilate to ''-n'' unless the next word begins with a vowel or a labial consonant.
+
+=====Class I adjectives=====
+Class  adjectives decline differently for each of the four noun classes. The exemplar is ''kasta'', meaning "blue and green". As before, in the following tables, adjacent case conflations are merged into the same table cell; other cases that share a form with another are underlined.
+
+
+
+
+ Class  adjectives(''kasta'', "blue and green")
+
+
+
+ 
+
+ Singular
+
+ 
+
+ Plural
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+ Lunar
+
+ Solar
+
+ Terrestrial
+
+ Aquatic
+
+
+ Lunar
+
+ Solar
+
+ Terrestrial
+
+ Aquatic
+
+
+
+
+ Nominative
+
+ kasta
+
+ kastys
+
+ kaston
+
+ kastor
+
+
+ kasti
+
+ kastyzy
+
+ kasta
+
+ kastra
+
+ Nom.
+
+
+
+ Accusative
+
+ kaste
+
+ kasti
+
+
+
+
+ kastī
+
+
+
+ Acc.
+
+
+
+ Genitive
+
+ kasto
+
+ kastro
+
+
+ kastoti
+
+ kastroti
+
+ Gen.
+
+
+
+ Dative
+
+ kastot
+
+ kastrot
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Dat.
+
+
+
+ Locative
+
+ kastā
+
+ kastȳ
+
+ kastot
+
+
+
+ kastoti
+
+ kastī
+
+ kastoti
+
+
+ Loc.
+
+
+
+ Instrumental
+
+ kastosa
+
+ kastosy
+
+ kastoso
+
+ kastroso
+
+
+ kastossi
+
+ kastrossi
+
+ Instr.
+
+
+
+ Comitative
+
+ kastoma
+
+ kastomy
+
+ kastomo
+
+ kastromo
+
+
+ kastommi
+
+ kastrommi
+
+ Com.
+
+
+
+ Vocative
+
+ kastus
+
+ kastys
+
+ kastos
+
+
+ kastis
+
+ kastyzys
+
+ kastas
+
+ Voc.
+
+
+
+ 
+
+ Lunar
+
+ Solar
+
+ Terrestrial
+
+ Aquatic
+
+
+ Lunar
+
+ Solar
+
+ Terrestrial
+
+ Aquatic
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+ Singular
+
+
+ Plural
+
+
+
+
+Notes:
+:a. See note about consonant harmony assimilation above.
+
+
+=====Class II and III adjectives=====
+Adjective classes  and  both conflate rather more forms, failing to distinguish between solar and lunar nouns and failing to distinguish between terrestrial and aquatic nouns. Class  also has some subclasses, that have not yet been detailed. The exemplars used here are the class  adjective ''adere'' ("sleek, smooth, slippery, fast, quick") and the class  adjective ''ēlie'' ("first").
+
+Class  adjectives also experience vowel changes when subject to the elision described above. When a lunar or solar form is elided to a syllable containing ''-ȳ-'' (such forms are highlighted in the table below), this ''-ȳ-'' mutates to ''-io-''; this does not occur with terrestrial or aquatic forms. Compare:
+
+: ''valosa ēl'''ȳse'''''—"with the first man" (''vala'' is a lunar noun of the first declension)
+: ''ēl'''ios''' valosa''—"with the first man"
+: ''daomȳssi ēl'''ȳssi'''''—"with the first rains" 
+: ''ēl'''ȳs''' daomȳssi''—"with the first rains"
+
+
+
+
+
+ Class  adjectives(''adere'', "sleek, smooth, slippery, fast, quick")
+
+
+
+ 
+
+ Solar / Lunar
+
+ Terrestrial / Aquatic
+
+
+
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+
+
+ Nominative
+
+ adere
+
+ aderi
+
+ aderior
+
+ aderiar
+
+
+
+ Accusative
+
+
+
+
+ Genitive
+
+ adero
+
+ aderoti
+
+ aderȳro
+
+ aderȳti
+
+
+
+ Dative
+
+ aderot
+
+
+
+
+ Locative
+
+ aderē
+
+
+
+
+ Instrumental
+
+ aderose
+
+ aderossi
+
+ aderȳso
+
+ aderȳssi
+
+
+
+ Comitative
+
+ aderome
+
+ aderommi
+
+ aderȳmo
+
+ aderȳmmi
+
+
+
+ Vocative
+
+ aderes
+
+ aderis
+
+ aderios
+
+ aderīs
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Class  adjectives(''ēlie'', "first")
+
+
+
+ 
+
+ Solar / Lunar
+
+ Terrestrial / Aquatic
+
+
+
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+ Singular
+
+ Plural
+
+
+
+ Nominative
+
+ ēlie
+
+ ēlī
+
+ ēlior
+
+ ēliar
+
+
+
+ Accusative
+
+
+
+
+ Genitive
+
+ ēlio
+
+ ēlȳti
+
+ ēlȳro
+
+ ēlȳti
+
+
+
+ Dative
+
+ ēliot
+
+
+ ēlȳrot
+
+
+
+
+ Locative
+
+ ēliē
+
+
+
+
+ Instrumental
+
+ ēlȳse
+
+ ēlȳssi
+
+ ēlȳso
+
+ ēlȳssi
+
+
+
+ Comitative
+
+ ēlȳme
+
+ ēlȳmmi
+
+ ēlȳmo
+
+ ēlȳmmi
+
+
+
+ Vocative
+
+ ēlies
+
+ ēlīs
+
+ ēlios
+
+ ēlīs
+
+
+
+
+
+Notes:
+:a. See note about consonant harmony assimilation above.
+:b. See note about vowel changes in elision above.
+
+
+=== Duolingo course ===
+
+On  a course in High Valyrian for English speakers began to be constructed in the Duolingo Language Incubator. David J. Peterson is one of the contributors to the course. The beta version was released on July 12, 2017. In April of 2019, the course was updated in anticipation of Game of Thrones' eighth and final season. As a part of this update, Peterson created audio for the course's lessons and exercises.
+
+==Derivative languages==
+In the world of the novel and TV series, the Nine Free Cities of Essos speak variants of High Valyrian, described by the character Tyrion in ''A Dance with Dragons'' as "not so much a dialect as nine dialects on the way to becoming separate tongues". The cities of Slaver's Bay speak related languages, descended from High Valyrian with the substrate of the local Ghiscari languages. Peterson noted that with regard to the vocabulary of the derived languages, "If it’s got a j in an odd place, it’s probably Ghiscari in origin."
+
+Peterson described the relationship between High Valyrian and the Free Cities languages as being similar to that between classical Latin and the Romance languages, or more accurately between Classical Arabic and the modern varieties of Arabic, in that High Valyrian is intelligible, with some difficulty, to a speaker of a local Essoan language.
+
+===Astapori Valyrian===
+
+The first derivative Valyrian language to be featured in the series was Astapori Valyrian, a variety from the city of Astapor in Slaver's Bay. It appeared in the third-season premiere episode "Valar Dohaeris".  Peterson created the Astapori dialogue by first writing the text in High Valyrian, then applying a series of regular grammar and sound changes to simulate the changes in natural languages over a long period of time.
+
+For example, Astapori Valyrian has lost all long vowels (designated with a macron) and most diphthongs. Between vowels, b, d, g have become v, ð, ɣ; subsequently, p, t, k have become b, d, g in the same environment.
+As a result, an "Unsullied" is rendered as ''Dovaogēdy''  in High Valyrian, but as ''Dovoghedhy''  in Astapori. Similarly, Astapori Valyrian has lost the case system of High Valyrian, so the word order is more reliably subject–verb–object (SVO) and the four genders of High Valyrian have been reduced to two, with three definite articles: ''ji''  (animate singular, derived from High Valyrian ''ziry''  "him/her (accusative)"), ''vi''  (inanimate singular, derived from High Valyrian ''ūī''  "it (accusative)"), and ''po''  (plural, derived from High Valyrian ''pōnte''  "them (accusative)"). There is also an indefinite article, ''me'' , derived from High Valyrian ''mēre''  ("one"). Word stress is less predictable than in High Valyrian, but commands are stressed word-finally (for example: ''ivetrá'').
+
+=== Meereenese Valyrian ===
+
+
+Meereenese Valyrian appears in Seasons 4 and 6 of ''Game of Thrones''. Like Astapori Valyrian, it lacked long vowels as well as the sound /y/. However, its phonology departs considerably more from High Valyrian; for example, "Unsullied" is ''Thowoá'' θo.woˈa, whereas in High Valyrian it is ''Dovaogēdy'' do.vao.ˈɡeː.dy and in Astapori Valyrian it is ''Dovoghedhy'' do.vo.ˈɣe.ði.
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+*  www.dothraki.com—A site managed by David J. Peterson, where he blogs about the languages he's constructed for ''Game of Thrones''
+*  Tongues of Ice and Fire wiki—fan wiki collating information about the constructed languages in ''Game of Thrones''
+**  Learning High Valyrian on the Tongues of Ice and Fire wiki
+**  Learning Astapori Valyrian on the Tongues of Ice and Fire wiki
+*  Tongues of Ice and Fire forums, including Valyrian-specific discussion threads (for  beginners and about  language updates).
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/214_Dothraki_language.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,349 @@
+
+
+The '''Dothraki language''' is a constructed fictional language in George R. R. Martin's fantasy novel series ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. It is spoken by the Dothraki, a nomadic people in the series's fictional world. The language was developed for the TV series by the linguist David J. Peterson, working off the Dothraki words and phrases in Martin's novels.
+
+, the language comprised 3163 words, not all of which have been made public. In 2012, 146 newborn girls in the United States were named "Khaleesi", the Dothraki term for the wife of a ''khal'' or ruler, and the title adopted in the series by Daenerys Targaryen. Dothraki and Valyrian have been described as "the most convincing fictional tongues since Elvish".
+
+==Development==
+David J. Peterson, creator of the Dothraki spoken language for ''Game of Thrones''
+
+The Dothraki vocabulary was created by David J. Peterson well in advance of the adaptation. HBO hired the Language Creation Society to create the language, and after an application process involving over 30 conlangers, Peterson was chosen to develop the Dothraki language. He delivered over 1700 words to HBO before the initial shooting. Peterson drew inspiration from George R. R. Martin’s description of the language, as well as from such languages as Estonian, Inuktitut, Turkish, Russian, and Swahili.
+
+David J. Peterson and his development of the Dothraki language were featured on an April 8, 2012 episode of CNN's ''The Next List''. He went on to create the Valyrian languages for season 3 of ''Game of Thrones''.  Peterson and his development of Dothraki were also featured on the January 8, 2017 episode of ''To Tell the Truth''.
+
+===Language constraints===
+The Dothraki language was developed under two significant constraints.  First, the language had to match the uses already put down in the books. Secondly, it had to be easily pronounceable or learnable by the actors. These two constraints influenced the grammar and phonology of the language: for instance, as in English, there is no contrast between aspirated and unaspirated stops.
+
+==Phonology and romanization==
+David Peterson has said, "You know, most people probably don't really know what Arabic actually sounds like, so to an untrained ear, it might sound like Arabic. To someone who knows Arabic, it doesn't. I tend to think of the sound as a mix between Arabic (minus the distinctive pharyngeals) and Spanish, due to the dental consonants."
+
+Regarding the orthography, the Dothraki themselves do not have a writing system—nor do many of the surrounding peoples (e.g., the Lhazareen). If there were to be any written examples of Dothraki in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' universe, it would be in a writing system developed in the Free Cities and adapted to Dothraki, or in some place like Ghis or Qarth, which do have writing systems.
+
+=== Consonants ===
+There are 23 consonant phonemes in the Dothraki language. Here the romanized form is given on the left, and the IPA in brackets.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+ Labial
+
+ Dental
+
+ Alveolar
+
+ Postalveolar
+
+ Velar
+
+ Uvular
+
+ Glottal
+
+
+
+ Plosive
+
+ voiceless
+
+ 
+
+ t t
+
+
+
+ 
+
+ k k
+
+ q q
+
+
+
+
+
+ voiced
+
+ 
+
+ d d
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ g ɡ
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Affricate
+
+ voiceless
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ ch tʃ
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ voiced
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+
+
+ j dʒ
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Fricative
+
+ voiceless
+
+ f f
+
+ th θ
+
+ s s
+
+ sh ʃ
+
+ kh x
+
+
+
+ h h
+
+
+
+ voiced
+
+ v v
+
+
+
+ z z
+
+ zh ʒ
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Nasal
+
+ m m
+
+ n n
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Trill
+
+
+
+
+
+ r r
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Tap
+
+
+
+
+
+ r ɾ
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Approximant
+
+ central
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+ y j
+
+ w w
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ lateral
+
+ 
+
+ l l
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+The letters  and  do not appear in Dothraki, although  appears in the digraph . 
+
+ and  seem to appear only in names, as in ''Pono'' and ''Bharbo''. These consonants were used in the past but have since developed into  and . They can still be used as variants of  and .
+
+Voiceless stops may be aspirated. This does not change word meaning.
+
+The geminates of consonants marked with digraphs have a reduced orthography:
+*  represents  (not )
+*  represents  (not )
+*  represents  (not )
+*  represents  (not )
+*  represents  (not )
+
+=== Vowels ===
+Dothraki has a four vowel system shown below:
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Vowels
+
+
+
+ '''i''' /i/
+
+
+
+ '''e''' /e/
+
+
+
+ '''o''' /o/
+
+
+
+ '''a''' /a/
+
+
+
+There are no diphthongs.
+
+In the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' books,  never occurs as a vowel, appearing only after , and only in names, as in ''Jhiqui'' and ''Quaro''.
+
+In sequence of multiple vowels, each such vowel represents a separate syllable.  Examples: ''shierak''  ('star'), ''rhaesh''  ('country'), ''khaleesi''  ('queen').
+
+The vowels  are realized as  after .  turns into  after dental consonants.  can be pronounced as  after .
+
+==Grammar==
+
+===Parts of speech===
+Though prepositions are also sometimes employed, the language is foremost inflectional. Prefixes, suffixes and circumfixes are all used. Verbs conjugate in infinitive, past, present, future, two imperatives and (archaic) participle; they also agree with person, number and polarity. Nouns divide into two classes, inanimate and animate. They decline in five cases, nominative, accusative, genitive, allative and ablative. Animate nouns also decline according to number.
+
+===Word order===
+The basic word order is SVO (subject–verb–object). In a basic sentence, the order of these elements (when all three are present) is as in English: first comes the subject (S), followed by the verb (V), and then the object (O).
+:'''Khal ahhas arakh.''' ''The Khal (S) sharpened (V) the arakh (O).''
+
+When only a subject is present, the subject precedes the verb, as it does in English:
+:'''Arakh hasa.'''
+:''The arakh (S) is sharp (V).''
+
+In noun phrases there is a specific order as well. The order is as follows: demonstrative, noun, adverb, adjective, genitive noun, prepositional phrase. Prepositions always precede their noun complements. but adjectives, possessor and prepositional phrases all follow the noun:
+:'''jin ave sekke verven anni m'orvikoon'''
+:this father very violent of.mine with.a.whip
+:''this very violent father of mine with a whip''
+
+Adverbs normally are sentence final, but they can also immediately follow the verb. Modal particles precede the verb.
+
+In the episode "Andy's Ancestry" from the United States television show ''The Office'', Dwight Schrute created the Dothraki phrase "throat rip" by placing "throat" in front to make it the accusative. Peterson adapted that language technique and called it the "Schrutean compound".
+
+==Sample==
+: '''Nevakhi vekha ha maan: Rekke, m'aresakea norethi fitte.'''
+: 
+: seat. exist. for  there. with.coward. hair. short
+: ''There is a place for him: There, with the short-haired cowards.''
+
+==Notes==
+
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+*  The official Dothraki blog at dothraki.com
+*  The Dothraki Language Wiki at wiki.dothraki.org
+*  The LCS blog about the language at dothraki.conlang.org
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/217_The_Rogue_Prince.txt

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+
+
+'''''The Rogue Prince, or, a King's Brother''''' is a novelette by George R. R. Martin, published in the 2014 Bantam Spectra anthology ''Rogues''. It is set on the continent of Westeros of Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, hundreds of years before the events of ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) during the reign of King Viserys I Targaryen. ''The Rogue Prince'' serves as a prequel to Martin's 2013 novella ''The Princess and the Queen'' and focuses on the reign of Viserys I, from his grandfather Jaehaerys I Targaryen's death to his own. It chronicles the evolving relationship between Viserys and his brother Prince Daemon, and the king's plan for succession to his daughter from his first marriage even though he has a son from his second marriage, which cements a rivalry within the Targaryens that plays out in ''The Princess and the Queen''.
+
+The work is presented as the writing of the fictional Archmaester Gyldayn, also the "author" of Martin's ''The Princess and the Queen''.
+
+==Plot==
+
+Near the end of King Jaehaerys I's long reign, a succession crisis emerges when his second son Baelon dies, leading to a Great Council to decide who should be the old king's heir.  Jaehaerys's elder son Aemon also died some years before, leaving behind a daughter named Rhaenys - but there are many who prefer Baelon's 26 year old son Viserys, due to his gender.  Despite standard succession law that the elder brother's children should come first, Viserys wins the council by a ratio of twenty votes to one, and is declared the rightful heir.  On the old king's death two years later, Viserys succeeds him on the Iron Throne.  Rhaenys's husband, however, is the powerful lord Corlys Velaryon, and this estranges the Velaryons from the royal court.
+
+King Viserys, married to Aemma of House Arryn, names their daughter Rhaenyra as his successor, ahead of his hot-tempered and mercurial younger brother Daemon (the titular "rogue prince").  This decision contradicts the new inheritance law established at the Great Council, which should put a male heir ahead of any female one, but Daemon's reputation is so scandalous that Viserys's powerful advisor Otto Hightower eagerly goes along with it.  Queen Aemma, however, later dies in childbirth, to a son that lives only a day.  Viserys later re-marries to Alicent Hightower, Otto's daughter, and they succeed in producing a male heir, Aegon; but Viserys never rescinds his choice of Rhaenyra to succeed him. The king and queen subsequently have a daughter (Helaena) and two more sons (Aemond and Daeron).  
+
+As the years pass, a rivalry develops between Rhaenyra and her stepmother Alicent - and two rival court factions develop around each of them.  At a major tournament, Rhaenyra appears wearing a distinctive Targaryen-black dress, while Alicent wears one of the green dresses she favors.  The two rival factions start copying this clothing style, with Rhaenyra's followers wearing black, and the Alicent/Aegon camp wearing green - leading to the two groups being dubbed "the Blacks and the Greens".  Meanwhile, the Velaryons remain as a third major faction, but excluded from power at the royal court.  Due to his adventures in the far east, Corlys Velaryon is still one of the wealthiest men in Westeros - and eventually, the isolated Daemon gravitates to the Velaryon camp as well, by marrying Corlys and Rhaenys's daughter Laena (producing two daughters, Baela and Rhaena).  
+
+Together, Daemon and Corlys launch a proxy war in the Stepstones island chain, raising an army of mercenaries to carve out territory from pirate enclaves - aided by the large Velaryon fleet, and Daemon's dragon Caraxes, who soon earns a reputation as "the Blood Wyrm", battle-hardened from all the blood he has spilled.  Daemon is briefly crowned as the new king of the Stepstones (mostly ruling over pirates), but this makes other regional powers grow wary.  After defeating Volantis to the east, the other southern Free Cities - Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh - set aside their differences to unite as a triple-alliance with a shared government (inaccurately called "the Kingdom of the Three Daughters" of Valyria - or "the Triarchy", even though it is neither a kingdom nor a triarchy).  The Triarchy at the eastern end of the island chain allies with independent Dorne at the western end of the Stepstones, and in subsequent years they apply more and more pressure on Daemon's mini-kingdom until he tires of the conflict and withdraws back to King's Landing.
+
+Meanwhile, the willful young Rhaenyra is infatuated with Ser Criston Cole of the kingsguard, but through unclear circumstances is later rumored to be in a relationship with Ser Harwin Strong. Pressured by her father, Rhaenyra eventually submits to an arranged marriage with her cousin Laenor Velaryon (son of Corlys, brother of Laena).  Their marriage is unhappy, as Laenor is infamously an effete and foppish homosexual (Daemon is lustfully bisexual, but also a fierce warrior).  Rhaenyra gives birth to three sons, but none of them have classic Targaryen features of white-blonde hair and purple eyes - which could be due to Rhaenyra's Arryn mother, but combined with widespread rumors of Laenor's sexuality, leads the Greens to whisper persistent rumors that they are really bastards fathered by Harwin Strong.   
+
+Animosity between Rhaenyra and Alicent also puts their children at odds with one another. In rapid succession, Laenor dies in a suspicious quarrel, and Laena dies after a stillbirth.  At Laena's funeral, Rhaenyra's sons brawl with Alicent's son Aemond when he tries to claim Laena's dragon Vhagar:  as the older Aemond begins to overpower them, one pulls out a knife, ending up in Aemond losing one eye, but succeeding in claiming Vhagar - the greatest living dragon.
+
+Not long after, the realm is shocked to learn that Rhaenyra and her uncle Daemon married ''each other'', without asking Viserys's leave.  This unites the estranged Velaryons with Rhaenyra's faction of Blacks, and they become one of her biggest supporters against the Greens.  They have two sons — another Aegon and Viserys.  Alicent's son Aegon also marries his sister Helaena, and they produce three young children: twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, and baby Maelor.  The Hightowers, meanwhile, remain the biggest supporters of Alicent's Aegon, and her father Otto becomes Hand of the King for many years.  The Hightowers increasingly whisper that according to the Great Council at the death of Jaehaerys I, a male heir should come ahead of a female one, and thus Aegon should inherit throne ahead of Rhaenyra - even though Otto himself once ignored that precedent of the council, when he wanted young Rhaenyra to be heir ahead of her uncle Daemon (a hypocrisy not lost on the Blacks).  Rhaenyra's followers also counter that had the Great Council followed standard inheritance, Aemond's daughter Rhaenys should still have inherited ahead of Baelon's son Viserys, in which cause Rhaenyra's sons with Laenor would rank ahead of Aegon anyway (which only encourages the Greens to double-down on the accusation that they are really bastards).
+
+The subsequent death of King Viserys - in his bed, from old age and poor health - sets the stage for ''The Princess and the Queen'', and the outbreak of the Dance of the Dragons.
+
+==Development==
+The story was to be included in the companion book ''The World of Ice & Fire'' but was removed because the book was becoming too long for the original concept of a fully illustrated book. It and several other stories appeared in abridged versions in other anthologies.
+
+==References==
+
+
+==External links==
+* 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/218_Olenna_Tyrell.txt

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+
+
+
+'''Olenna Tyrell''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of high fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation, ''Game of Thrones''.
+
+Olenna is first mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) and appears in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) and ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005). She is the matriarch of the powerful House Tyrell, the largest and second wealthiest of the eight Great Houses of Westeros. Olenna is characterized by her cunning, ambition, and sharp wit (the latter of which being the foundation for her title, '''the Queen of Thorns''', alongside the Tyrell sigil of a rose). Although her family is allied with the Lannisters in King's Landing, she often finds her own machinations at odds with theirs, especially those of Tywin Lannister. She, along with Petyr Baelish, is responsible for the death of King Joffrey Baratheon during his wedding to her granddaughter and protégé, Margaery.
+
+Olenna is portrayed by veteran English actress Diana Rigg in the HBO television adaptation, who has received significant critical praise for her portrayal. Rigg has received Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performances in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2018.
+
+==Character profile==
+Olenna Tyrell, also known as the Queen of Thorns, is a former Redwyne and the mother of Mace Tyrell. She is described as a wizened and cunning old woman with a wicked wit and a sharp tongue, and is known for openly stating her opinion.
+
+Olenna is not a point of view character in the novels, so her actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Sansa Stark and Cersei Lannister. Olenna is mostly a background character in the novels.
+
+==Storylines==
+Coat of arms of House Tyrell
+
+In ''A Storm of Swords'', she plots to have Sansa taken to Highgarden to marry her grandson Willas. This plan is foiled by the Lannisters, who force Sansa to marry Tyrion Lannister. According to Littlefinger later in ''A Storm of Swords'', in order to shield Margaery from King Joffrey's cruelty, Olenna had actually been the one who murdered Joffrey at his wedding. Margaery would later go on to marry the younger brother, Tommen Baratheon.
+
+==TV adaptation==
+Lady Olenna, better known as "The Queen of Thorns", is the sharp-witted grandmother of Loras and Margaery. In the adaptation, Olenna is the matriarch of, and the true power behind, House Tyrell. She is also aware of and is generally unconcerned with her grandson Loras's homosexuality. Olenna implies that both closet matriarchy and tolerance of "sword-swallowers" are considered relatively normal in the Reach.  She is notably one of the few characters that Tywin Lannister treats as an equal.
+
+Olenna is played by the British actress Diana Rigg in the television adaption of the series of books. Commenting on the casting of Diana Rigg, David Benioff said “you don’t audition Dames, they audition you”. Rigg highly praised the show after being cast as Olenna, saying that she "couldn’t ask for better lines – I’m so lucky. I could be sitting at home crumbling but I'm not." Speaking on the character, Rigg said that Olenna "says all the things that other people dare not say".
+
+Remarking on the series and the character:
+
+I wasn't aware I was getting involved in something so huge. I really had no idea. She is also pretty evil; I'm good at evil.
+
+Remarking on the costumes of the series:
+
+Also the costume is terrific. I don’t have to spend hours in make-up and I’m in a wimple, it’s great. I adore it, I absolutely adore it.
+
+Executive producer D. B. Weiss said of Rigg's final scene as Olenna, "What I love about the way she plays the scene is that even though you leave the scene knowing she’s soon going to be dead shortly after you cut to black you still feel like she won. She’s probably the only character to win her own death scene."
+
+====Season 3====
+After learning the abuses Sansa Stark suffered by Joffrey, Olenna figured out that Margaery could avoid the same fate by using Joffrey's love of violence. Varys warns Olenna that Petyr Baelish has designs on Sansa, who, given the death or disappearance of all her brothers, is now the key to the North. Olenna thus secretly plots to have Sansa marry Loras. Her plan is foiled by Loras himself, who accidentally reveals it to his new lover, one of Baelish's spies. Baelish informs Tywin Lannister, who has Sansa marry his son Tyrion Lannister instead. To secure the Reach, Tywin orders his daughter Cersei to marry Loras. Lady Olenna is at first against this because Cersei is too old (and therefore unlikely to have more children) and because of the scandal of her incestuous affair with her twin brother Jaime. But after Tywin threatens to make Loras join the celibate Kingsguard, which would make Joffrey and Margaery's children the heirs of Reach, Olenna admits defeat and praises Tywin for getting the best of her.
+
+====Season 4====
+Olenna conspires with Petyr Baelish to murder Joffrey, so as to protect Margaery from Joffrey's beastly nature – it is Olenna who actually does the deed, using a poison Petyr arranged to have smuggled into the wedding on Sansa's person. Quietly admitting her actions, Olenna  advises Margaery to become acquainted with her new match, Tommen Baratheon, Joffrey's younger brother and heir, before Cersei turns him against her. Olenna returns to Highgarden shortly afterwards.
+
+====Season 5====
+When Loras is arrested by the recently reinstated Faith Militant for his homosexuality, Margaery writes to her grandmother who returns to the capital in order to protect her grandchildren from Cersei's schemes. But, mistakenly believing Loras's arrest was simply meant to humiliate House Tyrell, she helplessly assists to Olyvar's testimony which incriminates her grandson, as well as to Margaery's incarceration for perjuring herself in front of the gods in an effort to protect her brother. She later confronts the High Sparrow without results and has a secret meeting with Littlefinger who, blackmailed by Olenna for his part in Joffrey's death and in order to placate his role in her grandchildren's imprisonment in providing Olyvar to Cersei, gives valuable information about Lancel and Cersei's adulterous relationship. This results in the latter's arrest by the Faith Militant.
+
+====Season 6====
+Olenna takes steps to free Margaery from the High Sparrow and retake power from the Faith Militant, but the plan is thwarted when Tommen forges an alliance with the Faith and becomes the High Sparrow's new puppet. Margaery feigns loyalty and manages to instruct Olenna to leave the city when the High Sparrow threatens her life.
+
+Cersei's plotting ultimately causes the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor, killing Margaery, Loras, Mace, and the High Sparrow. A grieving Olenna is invited to Dorne to meet with Ellaria Sand, who has seized control of the region and declared open rebellion against the Lannisters. In Dorne, Ellaria presents Varys, who persuades Olenna to support Daenerys Targaryen, having been a secret Targaryen loyalist all along. Olenna sends the Tyrell fleet to Meereen to assist in taking Daenerys' forces to Westeros.
+
+====Season 7====
+During a meeting with Daenerys' allies at Dragonstone, Olenna displays her initial unease about Tyrion Lannister's plan to attack King's Landing using the Tyrell and Dornish forces, but eventually agrees. After the meeting, Daenerys asks Olenna to stay to talk with her. Daenerys acknowledges that Olenna has joined forces with her to exact revenge for her family, and not out of any loyalty to her. Olenna advises Daenerys not to listen to "wise men" such as Tyrion, as that is how she has stayed alive all these years: ignoring them. She then tells her the lords of Westeros are all sheep, and Daenerys is a dragon, so she should *be* a dragon.
+
+In "The Queen's Justice", Jaime Lannister seizes control of Highgarden on Cersei's orders. He confronts Olenna, granting her a painless death by poison, putting it in her cup of wine as she watches. She drinks the entire cup all at once with no hesitation, and then admits her responsibility for Joffrey's death, wanting Cersei to know who had done it.
+
+=== Family tree of House Tyrell ===
+
+
+=== Recognition and awards ===
+Diana Rigg has received positive reviews for her role as Olenna Tyrell in the TV series. Screen Rant called Rigg's performance full of energy and fun, saying that the character is "refreshing" and has "sassy put-downs and blunt talk, she is likely the closest thing to comic relief we have in the show."
+
+She received several award nominations for her portrayal of Olenna Tyrell. For her performance in the series she earned the Gold Derby TV Awards
+for Best Drama Guest Actress in 2013, 2015 and 2018. Other nominations include the Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018, the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series in 2013 and 2014, and the Gold Derby TV Awards for Best Drama Guest Actress in 2014.
+
+==References==
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/21_The_Bear_and_the_Maiden_Fair__song_.txt

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+
+
+"'''The Bear and the Maiden Fair'''" is a folk song in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', and it is sung in the television series adaptation ''Game of Thrones''.  The lyrics are provided by George R. R. Martin in the original novel; Ramin Djawadi composed the tune's music in 2012, at the request of the series creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and the recording, by The Hold Steady, was arranged by Tad Kubler.
+
+==History==
+The US indie rock band The Hold Steady recorded "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" for season 3. Brienne and Jaime's captors (who include musician Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol, in a cameo appearance) sing the song in episode 3 of that season ("Walk of Punishment"), and The Hold Steady's recording is played over the end credits. The recording was released on a seven-inch record on April 20, 2013.
+
+In the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels, "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" is a traditional song popular among people of all social classes throughout Westeros. It recounts the story of a bear, "All black and brown / And covered with hair", who traveled to a summer fair, and smelled "on the summer air ... The maid with honey / In her hair!" Although she vowed that she'll "never dance / With a hairy bear", he "lifted her high / Into the air", and "licked the honey / From her hair", until she "sighed and squealed / And kicked the air", eventually agreeing to go off with her "bear so fair".
+
+==Credits==
+* The Hold Steady – band, primary artist
+* Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer
+* David Benioff – liner notes
+* George R.R. Martin – lyricist
+* D.B. Weiss – liner notes
+* Tad Kubler - arrangement
+
+==See also==
+*''Game of Thrones'' Theme
+*Music of ''Game of Thrones''
+
+==References==
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

article_txt_got/224_The_Night_Lands.txt

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+
+"'''The Night Lands'''" is the second episode of the second season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. The episode is written by the showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alan Taylor. It was first released on April 2, 2012 via the online service HBO GO in some European countries, including the Netherlands, Poland and Slovenia. Cable television first broadcast it on April 8, 2012.
+
+The plot continues with some of the storylines from the season premiere: the Night's Watch caravan heading to the Wall is interrupted by a pair of City Watch guards looking for Gendry, the Small Council receives the terms proposed by King in the North Robb Stark, Daenerys waits in the desert for the return of the three riders she had sent out, and Theon Greyjoy returns to his homeland of the Iron Islands.
+
+"The Night Lands" was positively received by critics, who noted the many pivotal character moments as a highlight in the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 3.76 million in its initial broadcast. The episode is titled after the Dothraki language term for death.
+
+==Plot==
+===In King's Landing===
+Tyrion Lannister exchanges threats with Lord Varys. The Small Council ignores Robb Stark's peace terms, as well as the request by the Night's Watch for more men and their report of encounters with the undead. When City Watch Commander Lord Janos Slynt refuses to reveal who ordered the purge of King Robert Baratheon's bastard children, Tyrion exiles him to the Night's Watch, replacing him with Bronn. Cersei confronts Tyrion, who realizes King Joffrey Baratheon ordered the purge, warning his sister, "it will be difficult to rule over millions who want you dead."
+
+===At Dragonstone===
+Davos Seaworth and his son, Matthos, recruit the pirate Salladhor Saan and his fleet to join them in the war. Melisandre seduces Stannis Baratheon, promising him a son if he gives himself completely to the Lord of Light.
+
+===On the Iron Islands===
+Returning to his homeland, Theon Greyjoy tries to seduce a young woman, Yara. At Pyke, Theon presents his father Balon with Robb's offer that will make Balon King of the Iron Islands. Balon refuses, wishing to take his crown with Yara, revealed to be Theon's sister, at the helm of his fleet. Theon realises Balon's intention is to take the North for himself.
+
+===In the Red Waste===
+Rakharo's horse returns to Daenerys Targaryen's camp carrying his severed head, which Ser Jorah Mormont explains is a message from another khal, and Daenerys vows revenge.
+
+===On the Kingsroad===
+City Watchmen search the caravan for Gendry but are turned away by Yoren. Gendry tells Arya Stark that he knows she is a girl, and she reveals she is actually Arya Stark after learning that her father met Gendry before he was executed.
+
+===At Craster's Keep===
+Samwell Tarly asks Jon Snow about taking Gilly, one of Craster's daughter-wives, with them but Jon refuses. Gilly is pregnant, and Jon wonders what happens to Craster's sons. That night, Jon follows Craster taking a newborn child into the woods, and sees a White Walker retrieve the baby, but Craster knocks Jon unconscious.
+
+==Production==
+Alan Taylor directed "The Night Lands", his fourth directed episode in the series.
+
+===Writing===
+The episode was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on original material from George R. R. Martin's second book of the series, A Clash of Kings. It includes most of the plot from chapters Arya II, Tyrion II, Arya III, Theon I, part of Daenerys I, Tyrion III, part of Arya V, part of Tyrion V, part of Jon III and part of Theon II (chapters 6, 8–12, 19–20, 23–25 respectively).
+
+One of the main deviations from the books was the removal of the character of the new commander of the City Watch, Ser Jacelyn Bywater, his role merged with the already introduced Bronn. Another character that was excluded was Aeron Damphair, who was not present to welcome his nephew Theon at the Iron Islands. Instead, he was received by his sister, in a scene that took place much later in the books.
+
+Also, some scenes that are only subtly implied in the original were made explicit in the episode. The scenes depicting Craster delivering a newborn son to the White Walkers and the sexual relationship between Stannis and Melisandre were written into the show by the producers.
+
+The episode was directed by Alan Taylor, making it the fourth episode he directed for the show. Taylor would direct three more episodes of the show, two of them in Season Two and one in Season Seven.
+
+===Casting===
+Theon Greyjoy's family is cast in this episode. The role of his father Balon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands, went to the English actor Patrick Malahide. The character of his sister was renamed from the original books (from Asha to Yara) in order to avoid confusion with the already established character Osha (the wildling captive at Winterfell), and Gemma Whelan was chosen to play the role. After seeing Whelan and Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy) acting together, the show creators assured that they made "an insanely good pair of siblings." Alfie Allen's sister, the English pop star Lily Allen, asserted that she had been offered the role of Yara Greyjoy, but had turned it down due to some scenes potentially being awkward to film. Alfie Allen, however, vehemently denied his sister's claims.
+
+Also introduced, in this episode, are the three caged recruits, traveling with the Night's Watch caravan. The three characters were briefly seen in the last season's finale, played by uncredited extras. For this season they were, Andy Beckwith as Rorge, Gerard Jordan as Biter, and the German actor Tom Wlaschiha as the mysterious Jaqen H'ghar of the free city of Lorath. Wlaschiha had not known of the show before auditioning on tape from Berlin, but was able to screen a few episodes during a meeting with the producers and director Alan Taylor. He quickly became an enthusiast, reading the first books of the series within a couple of days.
+
+Finally, the part of the Lyseni pirate Salladhor Saan went to Lucian Msamati. Msamati's physical appearance, a Black, British actor of Tanzanian descent, contrasts with Sallahdor's portrayal in the books, where he is described with the typical fair-haired and fair-skinned look of the free city of Lys.
+
+===Filming locations===
+The harbour of Ballintoy was redressed as the port of Pyke.
+The episode introduces the new location of Pyke, the Greyjoys' seat of power on the Iron Islands. Scenes set there were filmed at Lordsport Harbour, Ballintoy, in Northern Ireland's County of Antrim. The filming at the Harbour took place on August 18, 19 and 22, 2011, and from August 15 there was a limited public access to the zone. The local shops and fishermen, who had to temporarily berth their boats at the nearby town of Ballycastle, were compensated by the production.
+
+Other locations in Northern Ireland were used once again, including the interiors in the Paint Hall studio in Belfast.
+
+==Reception==
+
+===Ratings===
+The ratings of the episode remained steady with the last week's season premiere. The number of viewers of the first airing reached 3.76 million viewers, with a rating of 1.9 in the relevant 18-49 demographic - just a little behind the series record of 3.9 reached in the last installment in what commentators considered a strong accomplishment. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 0.851 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week.
+
+The day after the release of the rating of this second episode HBO announced the renewal of the show for a third season.
+
+===Critical reception===
+"The Night Lands" received positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 12 reviews of the episode and judged 83% of them to be positive with an average score of 8.5 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Moodier than the premiere and full of dark intrigue, 'The Night Lands' introduces viewers to exotic new locations in Westeros and delivers some pivotal character moments." Matt Fowler of IGN rated the episode 8 out of 10 and called it "a satisfying follow-up to the premiere filled with less-than-monumental happenings." He referred to the episode as "a great place-holder episode", comparing it to the first-season episode "The Kingsroad". In a review targeted at those who have read the source novels, The A.V. Club's Emily VanDerWerff gave it an A- and remarked: "This is a strong and confident episode of the show, and it takes us easily enough from the Red Wastes to Beyond the Wall to Melisandre and Stannis having sex on a giant exposition table, seemingly without breaking a sweat." She also commented positively on the themes of the episode, which she believed were the definition of good leadership and the negative side of patriarchy. In addition, the reviewer thought that the episode was indicative of the series turning from "a ridiculously entertaining show" to "something on the level of ''Breaking Bad'' or ''Mad Men''.
+
+On the other hand, WhatCulture's Patrick Koch was more critical of the episode. In his ranking of the first 40 ''Game of Thrones'' episodes (seasons 1-4), Koch placed "The Night Lands" at number 40, calling the Greyjoy plotline on Pyke "supremely non-interesting." Simon Abrams, writing for ''Slant Magazine'', gave the episode a mixed review compared to the premiere, referring to "The Night Lands" as "a bit of a let-down" and "not as thematically cogent as last week's episode." In his episode recap for ''Entertainment Weekly'', James Hibberd noted that the amount of sex in the first season of ''Game of Thrones'' was "probably the biggest point of debate among viewers" and observed that this episode "might have been the most sex-focused hour yet." Indeed, the episode was cut short by the Dubai-based broadcaster Etisalat during its initial airing due to concerns about nudity. According to ''The National'', previous episodes had been aired on Etisalat with "minimal editing."
+
+== References ==
+
+
+== External links ==
+
+*  "The Night Lands" at HBO.com
+* 
+* 
+
+
+
+
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+

article_txt_got/228_Souad_Faress.txt

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+
+
+'''Souad Adel Faress''' (born 25 March 1948) is a Ghanaian stage, radio, television and film actress. She is best known for her portrayal of the solicitor Usha Gupta, in the long-running BBC Radio 4 serial ''The Archers'' and for her role as the High Priestess of the Dosh Khaleen in the sixth season of the HBO series ''Game of Thrones''.
+
+==Biography==
+Faress was born in 1948 in Accra, Ghana, to Irish and Syrian parents. She studied drama at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and lives in London. She has been exploring playwriting as a medium since before 2004. Faress completed a writing course at City Literary Institute adult education college. Her other skills include dancing, horse riding, cricket and yoga.
+
+===Career===
+Faress appeared in two episodes of the BBC serial ''I, Claudius'' (1976) as a slave girl (shouting fire) and as a dancer who at Messalina's (second and bigamous) marriage party realises troops are coming to arrest them. In another early BBC appearance, she played the character Selma in the ''Blake's 7'' episode 'Horizon'. Since then, Faress has had substantial roles in films such as ''My Beautiful Laundrette'' (1985) and ''Sixth Happiness'' (1997), as well as much stage work around the UK.
+
+In October 2001 she appeared briefly in ''Coronation Street'' as Dev Alahan's mother Umila.
+
+Souad Faress also appeared as the Old Rani in ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' serial ''The Mad Woman in the Attic'' in October 2009.
+
+In October 2014, it was announced that Faress would perform in ''Hurried Steps'', Sharon Wood's translation of "Passi Affrettati by Dacia Maraini. The play's narratives were mainly sourced from Amnesty International, the subject matter including rape, honour killings, sex trafficking and other issues of violence against women.
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+Between 2010 and 2011 she played Jay Faldren's grandmother,  Maryam Shakiba, in ''Casualty''.
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+Faress appeared in an episode of popular nursing drama ''No Angels'' as lead character, Anji Mittel's aunt Di. Faress appeared briefly as a hospital doctor in "The Dead of Jericho", the first episode of ''Inspector Morse''.
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+In 2016 she joined the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' in Season 6 as the High Priestess of the Dosh Khaleen. Faress will also be appearing in ITV drama ''Brief Encounters'', "a loose adaptation of Ann Summers CEO Jacqueline Gold's memoirs, ''Good Vibrations''."
+
+==See also==
+* List of Ghanaian actors and actresses
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+==References==
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+== External links ==
+*
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