Line #47 Fanfic/ChasingDragons


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/banner1_9.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350: Justice and Vengeance. Sunset Banner art by Vaithun]]
3
4	An ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' fanfic written by [=MarshalofMontival=] on the Fandom AH section of AH.com. It can be viewed [[https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/chasing-dragons-asoiaf.453741/ here]], and also on Website/FanFictionDotNet [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13377244/1/Chasing-Dragons here]].
5
6	The story is an AU diverging at the start of Robert's Rebellion. The turning point is Rickard Stark, Eddard Stark's father, rather than riding to King's Landing to face Aerys, instead rallying his allies to lead an army to demand justice from the royal family.
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8	The story was inspired by ''Fanfic/SummerCrowns'' by [=DubiousScrivener=]. Making it a [[RecursiveFanfiction fanfic of a fanfic]] in many ways. This has caused issues at times with the story coming too close to its inspiration. But as the stories have grown apart in various ways that problem seems to have passed.
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10	While the Rebellion ends much sooner than in canon or ''Summer Crowns'', the premise of Rhaegar escaping to Essos remains the same.
11
12	The story has a good deal of character development and world building, the two often going hand in hand with the characters having to deal with new circumstances. It's also notable for not shying from the brutality of and nuance of medieval warfare and slavery. At the same time, its tone is somewhat more hopeful and optimistic than its inspiration.
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14	The story unexpectedly ended with a final chapter of the narrative on October 23, 2022, though there will be several appendices posted at a later date to finish WorldBuilding and filling out the timeline.
15	----
16	!!This story contains examples of:
17
18	* AChildShallLeadThem: [[spoiler: Viserys becomes the titular head of House Targaryean with Rhaegar's death.]]
19	* AdaptationalBadass: Thanks to being raised and trained by Arthur Dayne and Barristan Selmy, Viserys is an actual Targaryen warrior rather than a wannabe.
20	** Robert is every inch the solid, chivalrous, heroic badass twenty years after the rebellion instead of the drunken slob he degenerated to in canon. He is also a much more engaged and intelligent king then in canon, taking it upon himself to improve as a statesman after being forced to suffer an lopsided peace deal due to his ignorance.
21	** In canon, Ned was described as a mediocre swordsman who was better at commanding troops then fighting. Here, constant, [[TookALevelInBadass relentless training means Ned has graduated to a level of mastery]] he wouldn't achieve in canon. Justified, as Ned was driven to improve his skills after [[CurbStompBattle badly losing a duel]] with [[MasterSwordsman Arthur]] [[ArchEnemy Dayne]], despite having [[TheAce Jaime Lannister]] backing him up. They only survived because Arthur's side was losing the battle and he was forced to retreat.
22	** Downplayed with Samwell Tarly, but he possesses a little more skill with a blade as he was trained by one of Willas Tyrell's masters-at-arms (one specifically picked for his patience) instead of his [[AbusiveParents father]]. He is still middling at best and but in battle he can at least defend himself. He also gets a chance to display his talent for logistics and politics, managing the Eastern Expeditions' supplies.
23	** Theon Greyjoy was already a capable fighter and an excellent archer in canon. Here, he is a veritable OneManArmy.
24	* AdaptationalHeroism:
25	** Euron Greyjoy is far from the psychotic reaver of canon, instead being one of Stannis' most stalwart and loyal allies. [[spoiler: Subverted, as it turns out that he's playing a LongGame to take the Iron Throne for himself.]]
26	** Likewise Vicatarion, who in canon was little more than TheDragon to Balon and later a thug for Euron. Here, he's one of the great heroes of the Abolitionist Alliance.
27	** Instead of being a self-aggrandizing fool who would kill an innocent child on a whim, Gerold Dayne here has entered into Ned's service for the chance to restore his family's honor by killing Arthur and reclaiming Dawn from his fouled hands. Four years of drudge work in and around Myr has done little to curb his self-importance, however.
28	** Petyr Baelish avoids his canon role of throwing a kingdom into chaos out of hatred. He instead took the opportunity to join the Kingdom of Myr, first as a civilian administrator before becoming a secret agent for its newly-formed intelligence service.
29	** Instead of a vain traitor who stabbed his brother in the back for the sake of power, Renly is every bit loyal to his brother and his family; so loyal in fact he risks being exiled or even being executed to protect his nephew's accession because he doesn't trust Cersei.
30	* AdaptationNameChange: Instead of Seaworth, Davos takes the surname of Blacksail.
31	* TheAlliance:
32	** The Sunset Company[[spoiler:/Kingdom of Myr]] and Braavos ally against the slaver cities, with Westeros providing tactic but mostly unofficial support. Later on, Lorath becomes a Braavosi client state, and the Summer Islands begin providing resources and volunteers (though whether they formally join the alliance varies from island to island).
33	** In response to the growing abolitionist powers, the city-states of Slaver's Bay forge a cooperative Pact amongst themselves.
34	** Saath and Ibben eventually come together to draw a metaphorical line in the sand against Braavos' perceived expansionism.
35	** Also in response to the Abolitionist Alliance, Volantis and Lys grow closer and eventually form a mutual defense alliance known as the Valyrian League, with plans to draw in Norvos as well. Mantarys is later press-ganged into the League as well after Viserys leads Volantis' forces in crushing them in battle, while the League and Pact sign a mutual defense treaty and Volantis allies with Khal Drogo and the pirate lord Chang the Invincible.
36	* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Gregor Clegane's]] death might make readers cheer for the Myrmen for a moment.
37	* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: The final scene of the story is Stannis' son Lyonel being officially crowned as King of Westeros.
38	* BadassArmy: The Iron Legion, a Romanesque infantry consisting of former slaves and some Ironborn. Their competence is only exceeded by their hatred of slavers.
39	* BargainWithHeaven: On the eve of the showdown with Viserys' forces, Ned invokes the Old Gods to enact revenge on his enemies. While the exact details aren't known, it seems to be that in exchange for the battle strength for Ned's forces win, [[spoiler: Ned himself has to die]].
40	* BerserkButton:
41	** Robert and Ned both have one for Rhaegar. And Ned at least seems to have one for Arthur Dayne for the white knight's loyalty to Rhaegar.
42	** Rhaegar for his part has to reign in his temper at the sight of the Lannister banners.
43	* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: [[spoiler: During the sack of Tyrosh, a noblewoman sets herself and her household on fire to avoid being killed or raped. As a side effect, the resulting inferno burns down most of the inner city enclave.]]
44	* BigBadassBattleSequence: Due to the number of wars in this story, there's a lot. Some of the biggest are: The Battle of Tara, the Siege of Myr, the Battle of Narrow Run, the Battle of Novodomo, the Battle of Bloodstone, the Battle of the Agneiat, and the Battles of Ghoyan Drohe.
45	* BurnTheWitch: Septon Ryman and his followers start doing this to people they declare heretics.
46	* CargoShip: InUniverse, Lady Orobin Shipwright notes that her husband Franlan, Lord Captain of the Port of Myr, has shipbuilding as his first love. This doesn't really bother her, though she did have to spend a great deal of effort just to get him to impregnate her.
47	* CelibateHero: Averted with Robert. Though it's worth noting he has slowed down a great deal, which surprises Ned.
48	* CivilWar:
49	** Westeros goes through a ''lot'' of these during the early years of Stannis' reign:
50	*** The Red Viper Rebellion, [[spoiler: Oberyn's revolt against both the Iron Throne and Doran's rule of Dorne (when the latter refuses to support him). It ends with his forces being crushed and him being executed.]]
51	*** One starts to brew in the Reach as a group of pious lords calling themselves the "Lords Resolute", who are angered by Stannis' apparent refusal to do anything about the reformation movement growing in Essos and his perceived tyrannical actions (such as taxing the Faith and punishing nobles instead of pandering to them), begin plotting to rebel against him. Backed by Septon Ryman's radical faction of the Faith, they eventually launch a large rebellion in the Upper Mander region, which is soon confronted by the combined forces of Stannis' loyalists.
52	*** And just to make the above even more complicated, while it's still going on Balon Greyjoy launches his own rebellion for independence, causing the Faith to declare a holy war on the Ironborn in retaliation, alongside the Iron Throne's counterattack (though Stannis manages to ease them back on that). And then those few Ironborn who disagreed with the idea of rebelling against Stannis proceed to counter-rebel against Balon's rule.
53	*** After the collapse of the Upper Mander Rebellion, some Rymanist septons escape to the Riverlands and start spreading their message. Paranoia over this runs rampant, combined with the always fractious nature of the region, until practically every River Lord house is fighting each other in a complicated mess known as the Trident Wars.
54	*** A three-way conflict erupts in the Vale near the end of the story, between Arryn loyalists, supporters of the Old Faith, and the Mountain Clans.
55	** For a non-Westeros example: [[spoiler: after reactionaries launch a coup against the pragmatic abolitionists that have become the ruling faction in Norvos, a few of the latter survive and flee to create a government-in-exile in Braavosi territory, leading to fighting between those who support them and those loyal to the plotters.]]
56	* CombatByChampion: The conflict between Volantis and Mantarys is settled by one of these, as Viserys faces one of the monsters created by the latter city's warlocks in a one-on-one fight, and ultimately kills it.
57	* ConflictingLoyalties: Barristan is very disturbed by how the Targaryen court-in-exile has descended into enforcing slavery, seeing it as ungodly and a violation of his vow to protect the innocent... but at the same time he can't bring himself to break his ''other'' vow to obey his king without question.
58	* CoolUncle: Gerion and Tygett Lannister to Jaime. The Blackfish of course is still one to the Tullys.
59	* TheCoup:
60	** [[spoiler: After a pragmatic faction takes over Norvos and starts negotiating with Braavos to end slavery, reactionary forces seize power and purge the abolitionists.]]
61	** [[spoiler: After Stannis dies of plague and Renly becomes convinced that Cersei poisoned him so that her court faction can make Lyonel a PuppetKing, he places her and her supporters under arrest and puts King's Landing under martial law until Lyonel can return.]]
62	* CurbStompBattle:
63	** The battle outside Pentos between the Sunset Company and the Pentoshi nobility. The Sunset Company have six and half thousand armoured knights, veteran infantry and Ironborn reavers. The outnumbered Pentoshi have unblooded and untrained nobles, unarmoured sellswords and disloyal slave infantry. It was less a battle and more like a hunt.
64	** The Battle of Narrow Run between Khal Zirquo's 11,000 strong Dothraki ''khalasar'' and Ned Stark's Myrish army made up of knights, Westerosi longbowmen and most importantly, the highly disciplined and trained Iron Legion. The Myrish lost twelve knights and 278 legionaries killed with twice as many wounded. The Dothraki? ''Six thousand dead'' with another thousand too wounded to fight. Amongst the dead were all of Khal Zirquo's sons, bloodriders, most of his ''Kos'' and Khal Zirquo himself. With hundreds deserting in shame after the battle, Khal Zirquo's ''khalasar'' was not just defeated, ''it ceased to exist''.
65	** The battle of Tickclose Field rivals Culloden for the sad massacre that Stannis inflicts on the Reach's minor nobility. Despite being outnumbered at least three to one, the Reachmen knights charge home believing their cause was just and that the Seven would help secure their victory over the Tyrant Stannis; only they charged too far away from their infantry and archers. Most of them are cut down by Stannis's crossbowmen and spearmen, with their infantry giving up and running for the hills.
66	** Khal Drogo's horde vs the Confederation of the Darkwash, which ends with the Dothraki wiping out every village in the region.
67	* CycleOfRevenge: Khal Pobo unites a massive Dothraki horde to wage war against the Kingdom of Myr in order to avenge the death of his own Khal at the Battle of Narrow Run. In turn, Robert swears revenge against the Dothraki for the depravities performed on his subjects.
68	* DeathByAdaptation:
69	** [[spoiler: Gregor Clegane]] falls during the fighting against Myr.
70	** [[spoiler: Balon, Aeron, and Euron Greyjoy, as well as Rodrick Harlaw and Smalljon Umber,]] all die during the Greyjoy Rebellion.
71	** [[spoiler: Randyll Tarly]] and [[spoiler: Stannis Baratheon]] die from ThePlague that hits King's Landing at the start of the Fourth Slave War.
72	** [[spoiler: Owen Merryweather]] is killed at the Battle of Haven by the Dothraki.
73	** [[spoiler: Brynden Tully]] is killed at the Battle of the Agneiat.
74	** [[spoiler: Yohn Royce]] is killed during the Mountain Clans' rebellion.
75	* DeathSeeker: Ser Brus Buckler becomes this after circumstances force him to abandon half his forces at the Battle of Piper's Creek and leaving him to be declared a coward.
76	* DecadentCourt:
77	** While not as bad as canon yet, an excerpt from the Flash Papers set around the time of the Lords Resolute rebellion notes that factions and infighting are starting to grow in Stannis' court, with Ser Harry's narration implying it's only going to get worse.
78	** We see this start to develop in later chapters, as the court becomes divided between Stannis and Cersei's underlings, with the latter also providing a foothold for the Faith to gain greater influence. And that's without all the other Great Houses sending courtiers to represent their interests as well.
79	** There's also Renly, who while loyal to Stannis is building his own faction in order to counter Cersei's influence on the court.
80	* DecapitatedArmy:
81	** [[spoiler: When Khal Pobo is killed in battle, his horde falls into disarray and flees.]]
82	** [[spoiler: Similarly, when Drogo is killed, his alliance of khalasars breaks apart back into its constituent members, each going their own way.]]
83	* DefectorFromDecadence: The group of Ironborn under Harras Harlaw grow disgusted with Balon's leadership (especially the restoration of thralldom), so they not only leave the Iron Islands but side with the Iron Throne against his rebellion.
84	** After the [[ThePurge Night of Flames]], many of the pirates that the Tyroshi hired to defend their harbor grow disgusted with their brutality; any that don't desert defect over to the Abolitionists.
85	* DefiantToTheEnd:
86	** [[spoiler: Oberyn Martell]] plays this straight reportedly at his execution.
87	** [[spoiler: Brus Buckler]] is taken prisoner by the Dothraki when they overrun Campora, and offered the chance to live if he orders the remaining defenders to surrender. He refuses, insulting Khal Pobo to his face until the latter kills him in a rage.
88	** For daring to act as Stannis' messenger and incidentally inspiring Urrigon to flee with Asha, Balon has Rodrick Harlaw sentenced to death. Rodrick responds by spending the entire sentencing and every moment up to his decapitation snarking, calling Balon a fool, and telling him to just GetItOverWith.
89	* DespairEventHorizon: Doran Martell [[spoiler: crosses it seemingly after Oberyn rebels against him and the Iron Throne. Likely he knew such a rebellion was doomed and faced with either abandoning his brother to Stannis or joining him and dooming House Martell, he completely falls apart]]. Subverted in that he is reportedly recovering as time goes on.
90	* DestinationDefenestration: When the Old Faith seize control of Gulltown, the much hated Gerold Arryn, along with his new wife and in-laws, are thrown out the window of the Pearly Sept to their deaths in a mockery of the Arryns throwing people out the Moon Door.
91	* DidntThinkThisThrough: Aside from all the other consequences that he ''couldn't'' have anticipated, [[spoiler: Jaime's decision to abandon his inheritance in Westeros means that Myr has lost his potential as their greatest and most influential supporter in the Seven Kingdoms]].
92	* DividedWeFall: Any hope that the remnants of the Grand Army had of escaping from Ghoyan Drohe intact falls apart due to its internal factionalism -- the Tattered Prince's mercenaries (most of the Grand Army's remaining cavalry) desert and flee, while the Volantene Militia and the Exile Company turn on each other when the Militia realizes that the Company is planning on using them as a diversion to cover their own escape.
93	* DragonWithAnAgenda: [[spoiler: Euron is playing loyal servant to Stannis in order to position himself as a replacement as Hand when Jon Arryn retires, and from there set himself to become regent for Stannis' children upon eliminating him, then marrying one of his daughters when they come of age and taking the Iron Throne for himself.]]
94	* DramaticIrony: The mystical plague that Arthur employed to hobble the Westerosi ended up contributing to the Targaryens' defeat. With Stannis dead from said plague, Samwell could not be certain of the intentions Lyonel's court had regarding Myr and a royal missive to Ser Harry had him suspect that part of their goal was to ensure that the Myrish army suffered some significant damage in the conflict so they would not meddle in the ongoing troubles across the sea. Having come to respect Robert during his time in Essos, this leads him to order a decisive charge that disrupted a large Volantene flanking attack and rendered them vulnerable to a Myrish response.
95	* DrivenToSuicide:
96	** [[spoiler: After Jaime breaks off their betrothal and she realizes that Tywin and her father are going to foist her off on Tyrion to maintain the alliance, Lysa jumps out a window in despair.]]
97	** [[spoiler: Barristan ultimately throws himself on his sword rather than continue to support Viserys' alliance with the slavers.]]
98	* DroppedABridgeOnHim:
99	** Upon bumping into Jaime in the Summer Islands, Urrigon Greyjoy challenges him to a duel in order to avenge Tywin's acts against the Iron Islands. Cut to Jaime some time later, ruminating on how quick the duel was.
100	** Wendel Manderly contracts a tropical disease while visiting the Summer Islands and dies offscreen.
101	** [[spoiler:Gerion Lannister]] is assassinated offscreen by Stallen Naerolis when the latter gets a lucky break and spots him during a rare moment of low personality security.
102	** [[spoiler:Owen Merryweather]] and [[spoiler: Khal Drogo]] both die during the Battle of Haven, but neither death is shown in detail, simply being mentioned in passing by the narration.
103	** [[spoiler: Yohn Royce]] is killed during an offscreen ambush by the Mountain Clans.
104	* DrowningMySorrows:
105	** The Watch commander of Gulltown is doing this when Harry Flash arrives to investigate the Old Faith situation in the Vale, due to Denys Arryn's heavy-handed attempt to stomp out the movement only leading to widespread unrest and a burgeoning potential CivilWar.
106	** Jaime spends some time on the Summer Islands doing this in light of how his life has spiraled ever since [[spoiler: renouncing his inheritance]]. It lasts until a local priest smacks some sense into him and offers to help him redeem himself.
107	* DueToTheDead: After [[spoiler: Viserys]] dies and his body ends up in the possession of the abolitionists, some of Robert's commanders suggest chucking the corpse in the river. Septon Deryk instead offers to perform last rites and a proper burial despite having been on opposite sides, viewing it as something everyone deserves. Robert sees his point and lets him do it.
108	* DuelToTheDeath: Victarion and Dagmar have one over whether or not the Ironborn in Essos should aid Balon's rebellion in Westeros.
109	* EnemyMine: The Golden Company (descendants of the Blackfyre rebellions) and the Dragon Company/Exile Company (primarily composed of TheRemnant of the Targaryens) put aside their historical animosity and work together to survive the political viper's nest that is Volantis.
110	* EngineeredHeroics: [[spoiler: Donys incites a slave rebellion in Volantis, and ensures that all other forces that can deal with it are neutralized, so that Viserys can lead the Exile Company in saving the city. All in order to make Viserys beloved by the populace and give him leverage into joining the city's political leadership.]]
111	* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes:
112	** Rhaegar gets his BerserkButton pushed by the sight of Lannister banners because of what happened to his wife and children.
113	** [[spoiler: The two members of the Myrish Remnant we meet hate the Kingdom of Myr because of the deaths of their loved ones in the fall of Myr and the war leading up to it.]]
114	** Euron Greyjoy, who isn't [[spoiler: quite]] as bad as in canon, fondly remembers his father and despises Balon for ruining the man's life work with his rebellion. Also, there's the matter of Balon possibly being responsible for the deaths of their stepmother and half-brother, which Euron is disgusted by.
115	* EvenEvilHasStandards:
116	** Daario at the Battle of Tara, despite being horrified and having a chance to escape, refuses to abandon his brothers in arms.
117	** We get POV from a minor Myrish aristocrat, who shows that on the surface at least, cruelty to slaves is frowned upon. Apparently the rules are far looser in the countryside though.
118	* EveryoneHasStandards: It's noted by in-universe future historical documents that even the violent standards of the time, the Dothraki's utter obliteration of the Confederation of the Darkwash, and the subsequent slaughter of all its inhabitants who weren't then enslaved, horrified everyone who learned of it.
119	** When the Tyroshi preemptively massacre their slaves when it looks like the city will be under siege, the pirates they hired to protect their harbor are so disgusted that many of them desert.
120	** The Dothraki have issues with genocide and slavery but even they take the sanctity of a peace banner deadly seriously. [[spoiler: Ned violating this and murdering Khal Zirquo and his bloodriders beneath a peace banner not only sullies his reputation permanently but earns the eternal enmity of the Dothraki people.]]
121	* ExactWords: Drogo promised the magister who sold out Qohor to him that no Dothraki would harm him or his household. Now, their ''horses'' on the other hand...
122	* TheExile:
123	** For breaking his Kingsguard oath by killing Aerys, Jaime is exiled from Westeros for seven years, to be served in the Sunset Company. [[spoiler: At the end of that time, he ultimately chooses to stay in Myr, to Tywin's outrage.]]
124	** At the end of the story, [[spoiler: Renly and the key members of his coup against Cersei voluntarily go into exile outside Westeros at Lyonel's command, until such time as Tywin can no longer enact revenge.]]
125	** To secure Brandon's rule, Ned is forced to accept that he can never return to the North alive.
126	** Essos is awash with exiled warriors who chose to flee Westeros rather then submit to Stannis's rule after he crushed their rebellions, including Dornishmen, Ironborn and even a few survivors of the Upper Mander rebellion. Some sign on with the Kingdom of Myr whilst others join the Targaryens.
127	** At the end of the Fourth Slave War, the Tattered Prince and his men cut a deal with the Abolitionists to go into exile in neutral Lorath instead of facing death or imprisonment, in exchange for helping liberate Norvos from the reactionaries.
128	** According to an offhand comment by Gerold Dayne in one of the Appendices, at some point during the reign of Robert's son Durran, Jaime got exiled ''again'' for [[NoodleIncident unspecified reasons]].
129	* EyeScream:
130	** How Viserys finishes off the monster champion of Mantarys in their duel.
131	** [[spoiler:This is also how Viserys meets his end at the hands of Gerold Dayne.]]
132	* FakeUltimateHero: Apparently Ser Harry Flash gains an impressive reputation as on of the great knights of his time. And according the Flash Papers he doesn't deserve it, at all and knows it.
133	* FantasyCounterpartCulture: The newly formed Kingdom of Myr is similar to the historical Crusader States, particularly the Latin Empire of Constantinople and the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
134	** The Iron Legion's military composition, which includes a corps of Engineers known as the "Pioneers", its origins as a multi-ethnic and multi-national force and its' fanatical devotion to the state make it a ringer for the [[LegionOfLostSouls French Foreign Legion.]]
135	* FantasyCounterpartReligion: The Faith of the Seven continues to serve as a counterpart to Christianity. Following the various schisms, the main (Baelorite) branch is more clearly based on Catholicism, with the Jonothorians being a counterpart to Lutheranism, the Rymanists being a counterpart to Calvinism, and the Old Faith being a counterpart to Presbyterianism/Puritanism.
136	* FictionalCurrency: The Kingdom of Myr eventually starts minting its own money, in order to stabilize its economy and give itself an identity further distinct from Westeros. They settle on gold crowns, silver shields, and copper pennies, all with Robert's face printed on them.
137	* FictionalPoliticalParty: Following the First Slave War, two factions emerge in Braavos -- the Sharks (who want to join the Sunset Company in crushing the slaver cities) and the Whales (who want to let the Westerosi do all the hard work while they profit from it).
138	* TheFundamentalist:
139	** In response to Septon Jonothor's growing reformation movement, a reactionary "Old Faith" counter-movement springs up, holding to a strict interpretation of the Seven and their teachings, and calling for the overthrow of any nobles who don't agree with them, which eventually evolves to calling for an abolition of any hierarchy beyond the village level.
140	** There's also Septon Ryman and his followers, who believe in predestination and uniform doctrine. Whereas the Old Faith is to date still all talk, Ryman actually inspires many Reach lords in the Upper Mander to outright rebel against Stannis' regime in response to not meeting their standards. And they later start burning perceived heretics at the stake.
141	** Cersei, of all people, starts becoming this in reaction to all the stress factors in her life (being unable to give Stannis a second son, nearly dying after birthing her twin daughters, [[spoiler: Jaime refusing to come home]], etc.), becoming a strict follower of the mainstream Baelorite Faith.
142	* GeneralFailure: When the Sunset Company takes Pentos, the Pentoshi nobility in the hinterlands rally together to try and retake the city. They do pretty much ''everything'' wrong. First, they choose to face the Westerosi in an open field instead of continuing the more effective hit-and-run tactics of their hired sellswords, despite the inferior quality of most of their troops. Next, despite having arrived at the Westerosi camp and having a slight advantage in numbers, they delay battle for two days to discuss their next moves; this allows the Sunset Company to bring in reinforcements so they end up losing even this small advantage and now have to face a veritable BadassArmy that outnumbered their own by almost two to one. Their worst decision by far however, was to supplement their meager forces with field slaves to fight on their behalf...against people who are ''freeing'' slaves. It wasn't until battle was drawn and the slave infantry almost immediately turned on them that the Pentoshi commander realize what a bad idea this was.
143	* GhostCity:
144	** [[spoiler: Tyrosh is utterly wiped out by the Abolitionist Alliance, with Braavos building a military outpost on the remains.]]
145	** Drogo sacks Qohor, killing or enslaving the entire population and burning down everything except the outer walls.
146	* GiveMyRegardsInTheNextWorld: Before their climactic showdown, Robert tells Viserys that when he reaches the Seventh Hell, he should give Robert's regards to Rhaegar.
147	* TheGoodKing:
148	** Robert has gained a reputation as this In-Universe.
149	** Stannis also seems to be fairly popular with the men he leads in war at least.
150	** Contrary to his father or even his canon self, Viserys grows up to be a fine warrior and leader of men.
151	* GodzillaThreshold: For Braavosi ships, raising a black flag is this, as it's an order to fight to the death, and is only given if there's no other choice [[spoiler: such as at the Battle of Tyrosh, when they're overwhelmed by the Tyroshi fleet and have nowhere to go]].
152	* GovernmentInExile:
153	** The Targaryen loyalists set up a court in exile in Myr, which maintains the trappings even after they're forced to flee the city and reorganize as the Company of the Dragon. [[spoiler: The "True Myrish" also set up a government in exile in Tyrosh, and after that city falls as well they merge with the Company of the Dragon, which renames itself the Exile Company.]]
154	** [[spoiler: After reactionaries seize power in Norvos from the pragmatic abolitionists, one of the leading members of the latter flees the city and is granted asylum in a Braavosi military fort, where he establishes a government in exile.]]
155	* GroinAttack: Viserys does this to the monster champion of Mantarys to gain an advantage over it.
156	* HandicappedBadass: Brandon Stark might be so crippled by his time as a prisoner to the Mad King that he can barely walk unaided, but proves that he's still as fierce a ruler as any Stark before him when he needs to be.
157	* HeelRealization:
158	** An odd heroic example. After witnessing the horrors of the sex slave industry firsthand in Pentos, Robert seems to be reexamining how he treats women. Even claiming to a disbelieving Ned that he has stuck to a single mistress since Pentos. How far this will go or last remains to be seen.
159	** Robert gets hit with it again after [[spoiler: after the Battle of Narrow Run]]. He realizes that a good deal of Ned's HeroicBSOD is due to him delegating too much to his friend who has gone through even more than him in recent years.
160	* HopeSpot: During the Siege of Tyrosh, after the Abolitionists take the harbor and overrun the walls, the Tyroshi manage to shut the gates to the inner city and repel all attempts to take it. They have enough supplies to last months and are confident they can last at least until winter sets in, whereas they'd have the leverage to end the siege peacefully. Then the Tyroshi commander gets word that one of their councilors rigged her manse with wildfire...
161	* HighPriest:
162	** After Jonothor's faction of those who schism from the main Faith organize themselves properly, they appoint him to the position of First Septon.
163	** The Old Faith abhor hierarchy, with their only real leadership being a general assembly of representations from each of their congregations. However, in Essos at least, Septon Deryk has enough influence to act as first among equals.
164	* HighTurnoverRate: The position of Master of Whispers under Stannis' regime, as everyone to hold the post has either resigned or been fired, usually due to failing to anticipate one or another of the rebellions that have popped up.
165	* HyperCompetentSidekick:
166	** Gregor Clegane serves this for Jaime in battle. For all his moral shortcomings, Gregor readily demonstrates he is good at his job as a bodyguard.
167	** Donys Rahtheon is this to Ser Arthur. He supplies their OffscreenVillainDarkmatter and serves as their spymaster. Arthur may be the face and military leader, but its pretty clear they would be nowhere near as well off without the magister handling things behind the scenes.
168	* IHaveNoDaughter: [[spoiler: When Praela betrays and abandons her father, in-laws and baby daughter, Donys makes it very clear she is dead to him. In his POV we even see he refuses to think of her by name.]]
169	* IdiotBall:
170	** Averted. The story diverges with Rickard Stark deciding to play it safe and bring an army with him to confront Aerys.
171	** The Magisters of Pentos [[spoiler: try and use slave soldiers against invaders who are freeing slaves. The result is fairly predictable.]]
172	* IllegalReligion: One of the many draconian laws Stannis subjugates the Ironborn to after crushing Balon's Rebellion is to ban worship of the Drowned God, on the grounds that the religion is blamed for fueling the Ironborn's RapePillageAndBurn culture. This forces devout Drowned God worshippers to either continue to do so in secret, or flee to Robert's more religiously tolerant kingdom in Myr.
173	* InSpiteOfANail: Despite wildly different circumstances, Viserys still ends up planning to marry off a female relative to Khal Drogo for an alliance, in this case it being his niece Visenya.
174	* ItsPersonal: The primary Baratheon-Targaryen conflict is a deeply personal one for a few figures on both sides, mainly Ned, Arthur and Viserys. This is not the case with Robert, however, for whom it stopped being personal ever since the Sunset Company freed their first slave in Pentos.
175	* JerkassHasAPoint: Walder Frey is still his [[SarcasmMode usual pleasant self]], but he does truthfully point out to Harry Flash that the fragile peace between the various religious factions in Westeros is only being held together by Stannis' iron will. As Walder points out, once he's gone and his son Lyonel (whom an increasingly fanatical Cersei has more influence than Stannis over) has taken the throne, things are bound to explode. [[spoiler:It’s implied at the end that Walder’s prediction ends up being less accurate than it had any right to be, partially thanks to Lyonel’s close friendship with Theon Greyjoy, but it is mentioned in passing that tensions do boil over to some degree.]]
176	* JurisdictionFriction: The Royal Orders, as Stannis' personal armies, can supersede local law enforcement like the City Watch, much to the ire of the latter.
177	* JustTheFirstCitizen:
178	** At the height of his power while in Myr, Rhaegar effectively rules the city-state, but never styles himself king. Instead, he settles for the titles of Governor of the South and Protector of the City.
179	** [[spoiler: Viserys eventually becomes King of Volantis in all but name, after being elected to a Triarch seat by huge public approval and granted direct control of all military assets, which grants him greater power than the other two Triarchs.]]
180	** Mycan Banderis is officially just the Chief Minister of Norvos' GovernmentInExile, with the Voice of Noom being the nominal head of state. However, he quickly reduces the Voice to a PuppetKing and wields all the real power, and when Norvos itself is liberated from the reactionaries, he rules it effectively as a dictator for a year before other members of the government can arrive to reestablish control.
181	* KangarooCourt: [[spoiler: The Braavosi set one up in Pentos after seizing it. The best outcome for the accused is being sentenced to work as galley oarsmen, having lost all their wealth.]]
182	* KickedUpstairs: [[spoiler: After Jaime's refusal to return to Westeros (and Lysa's suicide as a result) taints relations between Westeros and Myr, and causes tensions amongst Myr's nobility over whether he was right to do so, Robert sends him off as part of the embassy to the Summer Islands. It's nominally an important position, but is really just a means of getting him out of the way until things calm down.]]
183	* KingInTheMountain: After dying at the Second Battle of Ghoyan Drohe and his body disappearing afterwards, [[spoiler: Ned Stark]] is mythologized as merely being in hiding healing from his wounds, and will return when Myr needs him the most.
184	* KnowledgeBroker: The mysterious figure known as the Kindly Man, who controls the criminal underworld in Myr by trading in information. [[spoiler: It's very strongly implied that he's Varys.]]
185	* KnowWhenToFoldEm:
186	** After the Old Faith rebels overwhelm the Arryn loyalists in Gulltown, the few surviving members of the local garrison give up and flee by sea.
187	** After the Abolitionists break the Valyrian League's back at Ghoyan Drohe, the Tattered Prince sues for a separate peace, agreeing to aid the Abolitionists in liberating Norvos from the Slavers in exchange for he and his men being allowed to go into exile in neutral Lorath.
188	** When Norvos is being overrun by the Abolitionists, what's left of the city's navy quickly surrenders rather than keep up a futile fight defending the surrounded docks.
189	* LaResistance: [[spoiler: Oberyn Martell tries this after failing to defeat Stannis in a conventional war. While it works seemingly alright for awhile, after his death it's stated In-Universe that his movement either broke up or degenerated into banditry.]]
190	* LetsGetDangerous: Braavos as a whole gets a case of this [[spoiler: when the Sharks come into power after the Battle of Tyrosh]].
191	* LetMeGetThisStraight: Stannis' reaction when he hears that Cersei threw an ink pot in Praela's face for not-so-subtly calling her fat.
192	* MercyKill: [[spoiler: When Lyn Corbray is mortally wounded in battle, he orders Joren Potts to finish him off rather than let him linger in pain until he dies naturally.]]
193	* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: The slave revolts in Essos boil down to this.
194	* TheMole: Balon has one in Stannis' court, feeding him information that helps prepare for his rebellion. [[spoiler: It's Euron, who is [[FeedTheMole feeding him bad information]], in order to set him up for a fall.]]
195	* MutualKill: [[spoiler: Arthur Dayne and Ned Stark]] do this during the Second Battle of Ghoyan Drohe, the latter drowning the former in a river, who mortally stabs him with his last breath.
196	* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Arthur Dayne's motivation with serving the Targaryeans still. Could extend to other loyalists.
197	* MysticalPlague: As the Fourth Slave War starts, Arthur employs a warlock to magically enhance a disease and unleash it on King's Landing to keep Westeros out of the fighting. WordOfGod is that it's redspots, the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' version of chickenpox, but made so powerful that it's deadly to adults.
198	* NeverFoundTheBody:
199	** Aeron Greyjoy's body is never recovered when he's supposedly killed at the Battle of Fair Island. As such, when a Drowned Priest claiming to be him appears years later to lead an unsuccessful rebellion against mainland occupation of the Iron Islands, it's unclear whether it's really him or not.
200	** [[spoiler: Ned Stark]]'s body disappears after he dies in the Second Battle of Ghoyan Drohe, carried away by the river he dies in and never being recovered. This leads to the InUniverse myth being born that HesJustHiding.
201	* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler: Stallen's assassination of Gerion guarantees that war will break out between Myr and Volantis, far ahead of the latter's planned time table.]]
202	* NoodleIncident: Ser Harry Flash is involved in some sort of incident at the Barrows while visiting the North on an errand from Stannis, but no details are given.
203	* NotInThisForYourRevolution: Ser Lyn Corbay is only interested in gaining wealth, fame and whatever power he can from the wars. He is hardly the only one.
204	* NoTrueScotsman: Arthur Dayne's cousin Gawen tracks him down in Volantis and demands he duel him for the right to wield Dawn, as he feels that Arthur is no longer honorable enough to be the Sword of Morning. Arthur, fully assured in how he's kept to his oaths as a Kingsguard, is far from impressed.
205	* ObstructiveBureaucrat: While Norvos is ruled by its priests, it's actually administered by a byzantine arrangement of councils and committees with a complex checks-and-balances system which means that it usually takes forever to get anything done.
206	* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: Harry Flash prevents a post-Balon second Ironborn rebellion by killing the movement's leader in combat.
207	* OhCrap: Ser Brynden's reaction [[spoiler: when Ned cuts down Khal Zirqo.]]
208	* TheOrder:
209	** Upon becoming king, Stannis creates a few of these. With the exception of the first, he adds the title of Grand Master of each to the list of hereditary titles held by the King on the Iron Throne.
210	*** The Royal Order of the Storm, the replacement for the Kingsguard.
211	*** The Royal Order of the Sun, a standing army designed to enforce royal authority in Dorne following the Red Viper Rebellion.
212	*** The Royal Order of the Knights of the Crown, a standing army for the Crownlands, members of which also serve as marines in the royal fleet.
213	*** The Order of the Sea, which is set up to help manage the Iron Islands after their rebellion is crushed.
214	** A non-Stannis example: After the schism in the Faith between the traditionalists in the Great Sept of Baelor and the Myr-based reformists led by Septon Jonothor, the Order of the Sunset is founded as a fraternal organization for Baelorite knights living in the Kingdom of Myr. The Jonothorans, meanwhile, found the Knights of the First Sept of Myr to serve the same purpose for themselves.
215	** The Brotherhood of the Broken Chain is established to serve as the Kingdom of Myr's PraetorianGuard. Unlike the Kingsguard they're not expected to serve for life or renounce having families, but they ''are'' expected to protect the royal family with fanatical devotion.
216	* OutGambitted:
217	** During the Greyjoy Rebellion, Balon has his forces pull back from Fair Isle enough to draw the royal forces into invading the island to take on the token force holding it, so that the Iron Fleet can then return and destroy the royal fleet to strand the army there... all of which Euron and Stannis see coming, so after initially invading the island they return their forces to the ships under cover of darkness, leaving them at full strength when the Ironborn attack, giving the royals the upper hand.
218	** [[spoiler: Bloodraven foresees Euron's LongGame and arranges events to have him killed during the above-mentioned battle at Fair Isle.]]
219	* PeaceConference: The Peace of Pentos, which ends the First Slave War.
220	* PleaseSelectNewCityName:
221	** [[spoiler: After Tyrosh is sacked by the Abolitionist Alliance and annexed by Braavos, the latter rename it Martyros.]]
222	** After Balon's Rebellion is crushed and the Iron Islands occupied by the mainland, the city of Lordsport is renamed Euronsport in honor of Euron's loyal service to Stannis [[spoiler: and his death during the rebellion]] and made the headquarters of the Order of the Sea.
223	* PoliceBrutality: Due to direct orders from Denys, the Arryn men-at-arms in Gulltown crack down harshly on anyone who shows even remote interest in the Old Faith, including viciously assaulting crowds who gather to hear their septons speak (regardless of if they're actually interested or just heckling).
224	* PraetorianGuard:
225	** Stannis replaces the defunct Kingsguard with the Order of the Storm (or "Stormguard" for short), which has the same duties but more expanded ranks.
226	** The Brotherhood of the Broken Chain serves as this to Robert.
227	* PrivateMilitaryContractors: Sellsword companies initially make up the bulk of the Slaver forces. Some adapt, others don't.
228	** The Company of the Rose is nearly wiped out during the battle of Pentos. Afterwards, the survivors switch sides and take a contract with Braavos, training the city guard of the new Braavosi ruled Pentos.
229	** The Golden Company join up with the Targaryen exiles after they take power in Volantis.
230	* PuppetKing: The Norvoshi GovernmentInExile is technically led by the priest known as the Voice of Noom, but Chief Archivist Mycan Banderis quickly reduces him to a figurehead and sets himself up as Chief Minister.
231	* PuppetState:
232	** While Mantarys is allowed to keep its own government after being brought to heel by Volantis, a Volantene military force stays present to make sure they follow Volantis' lead.
233	** Lys essentially becomes this to Braavos at the end of the Fourth Slave War, as Braavosi troops are permanently stationed on the islands to make sure they hold to the terms of the peace treaty they were forced to accept with the Abolitionist Alliance.
234	* ThePurge:
235	** [[spoiler: When the Ironborn's rebellion is crushed, all but the few loyalist Houses have virtually all their men killed in battle or executed afterwards.]]
236	** After Volantis brings Mantarys to heel, the city's warlocks and the monsters they bred are all killed in moral outrage.
237	* RapePillageAndBurn: Even the Blackfish accepts this as a reality of war in a time where soldiers are paid in plunder and the chance to rampage. The Ironborn embrace it, and for Lyn Corbay it is his specialty.
238	** Corbray takes this further after being assigned as the warden of the border with Tyrosh. Knowing the Kingdom's border is new and weak and that the Tyroshi can muster vast numbers of men and resources against them, Corbray embarks on a massive ''Chevauchée'' where he and his men invade the Tyroshi borderlands, strip it of anything that can be carried with them and burning anything that can't. The express intention of the raid is to render the Tyroshi frontier incapable of supporting an invading army, therefore securing the Myrish border.
239	* ReassignedToAntarctica:
240	** Gerold Arryn serves as Master of Whispers for the first few years of Stannis' reign, but after failing to see the Red Viper Rebellion coming he's dismissed and sent back to the Vale to head up law enforcement in Gulltown. And when he screws that up with heavy-handed policies that nearly lead to revolt, he's sent off in quasi-exile to fight the mountain clans.
241	** For sleeping with an Old Faith member while undercover, and therefore making himself of questionable loyalty in the eyes of some, Ser Harry Flash is assigned to temporarily join the Order of the Sea in the Iron Islands.
242	* {{Realpolitik}}:
243	** When it becomes clear that Tyrosh is going to lose the Third Slave War, Lys cuts all ties with their traditional partner, instead grabbing up as much of their territory as possible.
244	** When Lorath is forced to abandon its neutrality and pick a side between the Abolitionist Alliance and the Slaver cities, it chooses the safer option of ''not'' pissing off the combined military might (and fanatical abolitionism) of Braavos and Myr, instead beginning a process of slow emancipation for its slaves.
245	** Lady Shipwright despises Victarion for his raping and pillaging during the fall of Myr, but still plays nice with him for the sake of her House having such a powerful ally.
246	** Due to the upheaval brought to western Essos' status quo since the Sunset Company's arrival, the dominant faction in Norvos decides to pursue a treaty with the abolitionists in which they will enact a slow manumission of their slave population in exchange for being allowed to annex Qohor's former territories unmolested. In the eyes of this faction, the small sacrifice of this change to their culture will bring their city greater glory in the long-term. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, reactionaries decide to stage a coup rather than let this happen.]]
247	** In response to Lorath's capitulation to Braavos, which they see as part of Braavosi colonialist expansion, Saath and Ibben band together to metaphorically draw a line in the sand.
248	** Lys eventually sues for peace with the Abolitionists at the end of the Fourth Slave War to avoid being outright crushed, accepting the loss of their mainland territories to Myr and permanent military occupation of their islands by Braavos to ensure that they enact manumission on their slaves. And for their part, Myr only accepts a peace treaty (as opposed to their original plans of invading the islands) for the sake of preserving their alliance with Braavos.
249	** At the tail end of the Fourth Slave War, the Tattered Prince sues for a separate peace with Myr, offering to aid them in liberating Norvos in exchange for he and his men being allowed to peacefully enter exile in neutral Lorath afterwards. Many on Myr's side want to just kill him for [[spoiler: causing Brynden Tully's death]] during the war, but Robert accepts the deal, as most of the rest of the Abolitionist Alliance's forces have withdrawn by this point due to seeing the war as over due to Lys' surrender and the Exile Company's defeat, so he needs all the help he can get to beat Norvos.
250	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: When they finally have the chance to speak during a parley, Ned tells Arthur how he's an utter failure as a knight and a man.
251	* RedBaron: Several, some characters have more than one.
252	** Ned is called the Iron Wolf in the Hedgerows and the title gets picked back up in Essos.
253	** Jaime earns the title the Black Lion, for the black cape he wears [[spoiler: after Tygett dies]]. Apparently he keeps wearing it for the image.
254	** Lyn gets the title Stormcrow.
255	** Khal Zirqo is called the Treacherous [[spoiler: after he accepted tribute from Braavosi Viceroy in Pentos but still sacked Pentoshi villages.]]
256	** Stannis has been called the Grim and the Sour Stag.
257	** Robert wins the prize having three aliases we know of: Robert the Strong, Robert the Brief, and Robert the Bloody. Which one people use tells you a lot about how people view him.
258	** Mace Tyrell becomes known as the Merciful for being the least heavy-handed when defeating the rebelling Ironborn.
259	** Future texts state that Stannis' son Lyonel will be known as the Magnificent during his reign.
260	** After his actions in Balon's Rebellion (including killing Balon himself), Sandor Clegane becomes known as the Mastiff of the West and the Krakenslayer.
261	** Arthur Dayne is dubbed Mad Arthur by his enemies. Notably, members of House Dayne also call him this.
262	** Davos becomes known as Scar-Cheek after the facial wound he receives at the Battle of Bloodstone.
263	* TheRemnant:
264	** The Targaryean Loyalists.
265	** [[spoiler: The Myrish exiles have one too.]]
266	** [[spoiler: After Tyrosh is destroyed, an exile community is set up in Oldtown.]]
267	** Following Qohor being annihilated by the Dothraki, the Qohori who lived outside the city itself are scattered, with most either settling among the rebel Norvoshi territories or emigrating to Westeros.
268	** The Grand Army of Volantis marched out of their city numbering nearly fifty thousand and boasted themselves as being the mightiest army on Essos since the Doom of Valyria. After the Battle of the Agneiat and the Battles of Ghoyan Drohe, they're reduced to a fraction of the Exile Company sneaking away on river barges after they left the Volantene Militia to the abolitionists' fury.
269	* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: A Qohori magister sells out the city to Khal Drogo in exchange for a promise that his household will be spared the following slaughter. As the Dothraki despise this kind of cowardice, even when it aids them, Drogo has the magister and his family tied to posts and then trampled by the horde's horses.
270	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge:
271	** Khal Pobo gathers several hordes under his command in order to wage war on the Kingdom of Myr in revenge for the Battle of Narrow Run. In return for their own actions during this, Robert swears one of these against the Dothraki as a whole.
272	** The Abolitionist Alliance get thoroughly battered in the Battle of the Agneiat and following skirmishes, being bloodied, exhausted and losing a good number of their commanders. Once they learn that the remnants of the Volantene Grand Army have their backs to the wall at Ghoyan Drohe, their rage reinvigorates them and they charge forward to destroy their hated foe.
273	* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething:
274	** Robert and Stannis are kings who both lead forces in war.
275	** Stannis is also a far more engaged king than Robert was in canon. Apparently he is building roads in the Crownlands and demolishes the Dragonpit to have a royal garden built.
276	** [[spoiler: Viserys]], even lacking a kingdom, strives to be this; even if he can do little but stand behind a battle line and be seen right now.
277	* SacrificialLion: As to be expected from a story centering around war. Examples include: [[spoiler: Tygett Lannister at the Battle of Tara, and Dacey Mormont at the Siege of Myr.]]
278	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere:
279	** [[spoiler: After Daario is removed from leadership of the Tyroshi armies and exiled from their lands, all the Stormcrows quit their contract with Tyrosh and follow him.]]
280	** When it becomes clear that Braavos is fully committing itself to the war, many leading members of Tyroshi society and their families flee for Lys or Volantis [[spoiler: as do the Myrish exiles]]. And when it becomes clear that Tyrosh is going to ''lose'', people start fleeing the city in droves.
281	** Similarly, as the war begins, many pirates flee the Stepstones for greener pastures, knowing that the region will no longer be safe for them once the regional balance of power shifts.
282	** When the Royal Army takes out the leadership of the rebel forces at Tickclose Field, the foot soldiers break ranks and flee.
283	** When it becomes clear the Ironborn's rebellion is doomed, Urrigon Greyjoy grabs his retainers and Asha and flees for Essos.
284	** After Cersei tries to convert his son from the Old Gods to the Seven, Roose Bolton quits his position as Stannis' Master of Laws in protest and returns to the North.
285	** With it clear that the Grand Army is on its last legs at Ghoyan Drohe, the Tattered Prince and his men desert the slavers' ranks and flee under a peace banner.
286	** When it becomes clear that there is no longer any chance for Lys to win the Fourth Slave War, Daario gathers his forces and flees to Volantis.
287	* ShoutOut:
288	** A [[Literature/ThePrincessBride "black-masked pirate named Roberts"]] is offhandedly mentioned at one point.
289	** One of Stannis's most loyal lords during the early years of his reign is [[Literature/GauntsGhosts Lord Abram, of House Gaunt]].
290	** Many of the Stepstone pirates are named after various real life figures from UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfPiracy.
291	** Much of the information concerning the events in Westeros and Essos comes from the in-universe testimonies of a knight named [[Literature/{{Flashman}} Ser Harry Flash]]. He is nowhere near as scummy as the real deal.
292	** Aside from the ''Flash Papers'', the special anniversary posts show future in-universe media centered around the events of the fic. These include:
293	*** A play called ''King Robert'' written centuries afterwards by [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Willem Stackspear]].
294	*** A cartoon called ''Sphinxes'', based on ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', where Robert and Daario are both reincarnated warriors awoken by a detective.
295	*** A live action historical comedy, based around the misadventures of a fictional courtier to King Stannis named [[Series/BlackAdder Edmund Blackviper]].
296	*** A VideoGame/TotalWar esque video game called ''Total War: Liberator''. It even has a trailer based on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7RHiyWHuV0&ab_channel=TotalWar this]] one for ''VideoGame/NapoleonTotalWar''.
297	* ShowWithinAShow: The special anniversary posts feature snippets from various shows, films, and games from far in future of the timeline, roughly equivalent to the real world time frame. The most recurrent one is a show called ''Sphinxes'', an {{expy}} of ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}''.
298	* TheSpymaster:
299	** Gerion serves as Master of Whispers for Robert, and seems to continue in that capacity even after replacing Ned as Hand.
300	** With the HighTurnoverRate of Westeros' Master of Whispers, and with their ambassador to Braavos being rather laidback, Owen Merryweather's position as emissary to Braavos-occupied Pentos makes him ''de facto'' chief spy for Stannis' court in Essos.
301	** Donys Rahtheon serves as this, and Master of Coin, for the Targaryen exile court.
302	** Lady Shipwright sets up her own private spy network, composed of her former associates from when they were all pleasure slaves, for the sake of furthering her newfound noble house's status.
303	** To combat foreign espionage, Gerion and the Blackfish merge resources to create the Office of Foreign Intrigue, with the Special Branch (aka medieval black ops unit) of it being headed by Baelish.
304	* StateSec: The Royal Orders (except the Order of the Storm, which is a PraetorianGuard) effectively act as this for Stannis, being standing armies directly loyal to him which enforce his rule in their respective regions of operation, with the ability to override local authorities in Stannis' name.
305	* SuicidalOverconfidence: At the Battle of Tickclose Field, the Lords Resolute are vastly outnumbered by the Royal Army, but being spurred on by Septon Ryman's fanaticism they charge anyway. Understandably, they get [[CurbStompBattle curbstomped]].
306	* SuperWindowJump: When the Old Faith storms Gerold Arryn's wedding, the only two attendants who survive the resulting massacre do so by leaping off a ledge to escape the surrounded sept.
307	* TookALevelInBadass:
308	** Ned is trying to do this after the Battle of Tara, [[spoiler: after he barely survived a two on one fight against Ser Arthur Dayne.]]
309	** The Slaver States are also trying to do this to survive the turbulent times. So far results have varied.
310	* TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard: For his part in leading efforts to put down a slave rebellion in Volantis, Viserys is awarded the titles Master of Arms and Men, Proconsul of the Western Territories, Prefect of the Black Walls, and Captain-General of the City.
311	* UnderestimatingBadassery: The Lords Resolute are convinced that Stannis' various military victories are circumstantial flukes, and that he'll fail against their righteous cause. Needless to say, he's soon [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomping]] their forces.
312	* UndyingLoyalty:
313	** The freed slaves have this to Robert, and the rest of the Sunset Company.
314	** The Stormcrows are utterly devoted to Daario's leadership [[spoiler: even quitting their contract with Tyrosh and following him when he's exiled from the city]].
315	** Theon ends up developing loyalty to Prince Lyonel after being appointed his squire when sent as a child hostage to King's Landing following Balon's failed rebellion, befriending him, and eventually becoming his sworn sword.
316	* VestigialEmpire: By the end of the Fourth Slave War, Lys is reduced to a shell of itself -- its mainland territories are ceded to Myr, it's forced to cut contact with Volantis and Slaver's Bay, limit the size of its navy, and start the process of manumission for the slaves still living on its remaining islands, and is also made to accept the presence of Braavosi troops in order to enforce all of these rules, effectively making them a PuppetState.
317	* VetinariJobSecurity: Baelish notes that the Kindly Man has positioned himself just right in Myr's criminal underworld -- he has enough power to be a valuable source of information and aid to both the royal government and other criminals, but not enough that either side views him as a threat that needs to be eliminated.
318	* VillainousValor: Lampshaded in-universe, the Sunset Company's foes typically fight for their lives at least and other times for their homes and families. [[spoiler: The Myrish crossbowmen at the Battle of Tara are apparently FamedInUniverse for this.]]
319	** We see this again at the Battle of Solva.
320	* VisionQuest: Jaime has one when in the Summer Islands. While it happens offscreen, he apparently sees his canon counterpart's actions, which terrify him and drive him to become a better person.
321	* WarIsHell: The story does not shy from the brutality and exhausting nature of medieval warfare. The first battle shown, the battle of the Hedgerows features a sort of proto-trench warfare with the both sides using the irregular terrain in a drawn out brutal struggle.
322	* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler: Euron wants to unite Westeros against the possible return of the White Walkers, and if that means scourging the Iron Islands and then eventually usurping Stannis, then so be it.]]
323	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Whatever happened to Varys? [[spoiler: While currently unconfirmed, it's implied that the Myrish crime lord known as the Kindly Man is him.]]
324	** After the rebellion, Jon Connington is never seen nor mentioned again. He didn't accompany Rhaegar to Essos and he isn't mentioned as being executed when King's Landing fell. What happened to him is anybody's guess.
325	* WhatTheHellHero: The leadership of Myr do not take it well when [[spoiler: Jaime renounces his inheritance in Westeros.]]
326	* WrestlerInAllOfUs: The Ironborn are shown to hold wrestling in high regard, with it even being a tourney event among them.
327	* YouAreInCommandNow:
328	** Stannis becomes the King on the Iron Throne when Robert abdicates to pursue Rhaegar across the Narrow Sea. A common point with ''Summer Crowns''.
329	** [[spoiler: Owen Merryweather's death at the Battle of Haven causes command of Westeros' Eastern Expedition to fall to Samwell Tarly (though Harry Flash, as his second in command, is the one really in charge).]]
330	** [[spoiler: When Lyn Corbray is mortally wounded at the Battle of Claymoor Water, his last order is to pass command of his forces to Jaime.]]

Context Fanfic / ChasingDragons