More Questions about the book.
I've been reading the first book and there are some things that I don't understand. No spoilers, please.
- What exactly happened with the Overthrowing of the old king and Ned and Robert?
- What exactly is the Night's Watch and the Wall
- How does Viserys get power when his sister marries Khal Drogo?
Thanks in Advance!
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They overthrew the king, a mad king called aerys who is the ancestor of Dany. It was the end of a bad war. The king was stabbed in the back by Jamie (hence why hes called kingslayer). The two youngest targeryens and their mother were killed violently by the mountain. And every other targareon was killed apart from Viserys and Danerys. In everyones defence there had been eons of bad kings and aerys made joffrey look tame
Nights watch are a band of men set up to defend the north from stuff beyond the wall. The wall was erected long ago. It used to be full of many great warriors. Now however as you have to swear off women for life and freeze your balls off at the wall for life most dont want to do it so its mostly made up of criminals now.
Viserys gave dany to drogo as dothraki custom is that he would repay viserys in time (viserys assumed by helping him get the seven kingdoms) unfortunatley viserys is an impatient idiot so we know hpw that turned out.
Ned and Robert were fighting together. Robert was in love with Ned's sister, Lyanna, but she was 'kidnapped by Rhaegar Targaryan, so Robert thought he was going to save her. Jaime kills the king, and is in the position to take the throne, but turns it over to Robert.
The nights Watch protect The Wall. It is a huge ice wall that separates the North from the Wildling territory north of The Wall. Some men volunteer to go to the wall, but men who are found guilty of crimes can be given the choice of going to the wall to serve or to deal with the punishment for their crime. Their oath forbids them to hold a title, marry, own land or father children for the rest of their lives. They are also not to get involved in any wars between the kingdoms. They are only to worry about their duties at The Wall.
Viserys is counting on the Dothraki to be his army and take Westeros back for him. He sold his sister for their help.
This is the best I can do without giving any spoilers.
Rhaegar Targaryen, eldest son of Aerys, the Mad King, kidnapped Ned Stark's sister, Lyanna. Ned's brother and father went to King's Landing to demand her release, but were executed. King Aerys demanded that Ned and Robert's guardian, Lord Jon Arryn, surrender them both to the crown and he refused, beginning the rebellion. The Tullys of Riverrun joined the rebellion when Ned and Jon Arryn married Lord Hoster Tully's daughters. Robert's grandmother was a Targaryen, putting him sixth in the line of succession, so even if it began as a simple defiance it soon turned into a war to overthrow House Targaryen and put Robert on the throne. Robert killed Rhaegar at the Battle of the Trident. The Lannisters took no part in the war until the very end, when Tywin sacked King's Landing, Ser Jaime killed Aerys, and Lannister bannermen killed Rhaegar's children. Aerys' pregnant sister-wife fled to the isle of Dragonstone with their son Viserys and soon gave birth to Daenerys, but died during or after labour. From there Viserys and Daenerys (the last Targaryens) were taken to Braavos by a few remaining loyalists. Ned's sister died at the Tower of Joy, where she was imprisoned. Ned returned from the war with Jon Snow. Robert, having lost his former betrothed Lyanna Stark, followed Jon Arryn's advice and married Cersei Lannister. Despite fighting for the Targaryens, the Martells of Dorne, Tyrells of the Reach, and several smaller houses were pardoned, again at Jon Arryn's urging.
On paper they're an independent military order, tasked with defending the Seven Kingdoms' northern borders. In practice they're a penal colony where the dregs of Westeros are sent as an alternative to execution. The Watch were founded to fight the Others (White Walkers), though they haven't been seen in several millenia, and so most people regard them as little more than a myth. Instead their primary enemies have been the Wildlings, barbaric tribes that occasionally attempt to invade the North. The Wall itself is a vast structure made of stone, ice, and magics, with a dozen or so castles on it's southern edge, most of them ruins by the time the books start.
He needs an army to retake the Iron Throne. The Dothraki are supposed to provide him one.