Changes From Book to Film: The North

So, the latest season of Game of Thrones is now done. And well, shit, what an ending. It was bloody and fantastic and I loved it. That said this last season has had a few changes from the books. Now, I'm not going to be one of those guys who will shout about how good the books are and the show sucks.

Because, the show doesn't suck. It's a different medium and a lot of the neat tricks that Martin used in the books wouldn't translate well. And the show has done some changes that I thought were pretty well done. Remember in Season 2 when Arya was Tywin Lannister's cupbearer? Not in the books, but it was pretty awesome. Hell, Martin himself says he likes the show's Osha better than the one he originally wrote. And then there's Dorne, which, I don't know what the hell the writers were thinking.

But this is going to be about some changes that were missed during the transition that I really enjoyed. There are 3 that I think are most important: The Grand Northern Conspiracy, The Fuck is Actually Happening in Dorne, and Aegon Targaryen.

For those who are interested in seeing how things diverted this post is about my favorite subplot. What was going on in the North. Needless to say, spoilers ahead.

The World Ned Stark Left Behind

In an interview George Martin once said that the true linchpin of the entire series was Ned Stark. Everything from how he raised his children, to what he prized most in his life would echo throughout the series.

When I heard this I was pretty surprised, for it seemed that Martin was saying that Eddard was in many ways the main character. Just a main character who died before the first book was even concluded. But when you look at what happens in the North during Feast For Crows and Dance With Dragons you do see a ripple of Ned Stark that makes everything turn.

You see, we all expect that House Stark will be constantly betrayed, we see as Eddard, Robb, and even Jon do things that we think are foolish for the sake of honor and watch as it bites them in their ass. But one of the things the show only touched on, was that the nobility of House Stark brought something that none of the other houses had. Loyalty. Specifically loyalty even after death.

The Loyalty of the North

"Bear Island knows no king but the King in the North, whose name is STARK."

Hell yeah, the breakout star of Season 6, the one house of the North that did not forget their vows, and it's run by this totally badass 10 year old girl. I'm happy to note that in the books she also sends that letter to Stannis. And while she hasn't officially given her warriors to Jon or Sansa, well, that's because no one has asked her yet.

But this badass loyalty was found throughout the North. And the books left hints that the Umbers, the Manderlys, the Mormonts, the Glovers, and even the Lady Dustin who claimed to hate the Starks were all just as loyal. Because that was the one thing that the show missed, what I thought was one of the key messages of the series so far. Being honorable, treating your bannermen with respect and dignity gave the Starks the one thing that the Lannisters, the Tyrells, the Baratheons, hell not even the Targaryen's had. People they could trust.

I think this was best shown in a small exchange, where Northmen and some of Stannis' soldiers were marching throughout the winter to fight Ramsay Bolton and possibly rescue Arya (in the books, Ramsay is married to a person he claims is Arya. It's a lie though).

Lord Peasebury turned against the northmen. “This march was madness. More dying every day, and for what? Some girl?”

“Ned’s girl,” said Morgan Liddle.

"Ned's girl," echoed Big Bucket Wull. "And we should have had her and the castle both if you prancing southron jackanapes didn't piss your satin breeches at a little snow."

In the show we see the Umber's betray the Starks and the bannermen refuse their calls. When in the books, even without anyone telling them to, they're working to take down the Stark's enemies and find their rightful king once again.

The Acts of Robb Stark

So the conspiracy has its beginnings when King Robb Stark was still alive. Unlike in the show, Robb and his wife were not about the receive a little bundle of joy anytime soon. So Robb had to think of who would take his place if he should die without an heir. Now, he currently thinks that Theon betrayed him and murdered Bran and Rickon, so they're out. No one has heard anything about Arya since Eddard was first put in irons, so Robb assumes she's dead, too. That leaves Sansa, and while Robb loves his sister, he would be damned before he gives Winterfell to a Lannister, which Sansa just so happened to have been forced to marry.

This leaves one brother, not trueborn, no, but in his mind still a brother. So he signs a paper (though we're never officially told who he designates as his heir) with Greatjon Umber, Galbart Glover, Maege Mormont, Edmure Tully, and Jason Mallister all in attendance. Maege Mormont and Galbart Glover, Robb sends to Howland Reed (the man who saved Ned at the Tower of Joy) with the letter and instructions to take a castle held by Ironborn. These two characters then disappear from the narrative, though later we find that castle, with the Ironborn dead and dying crying about boogeymen and poisons. They made it. He then sends decoy letters across the North.

There was another thing that Robb did that may have some great importance later on. He decided that the North needs a fleet if they're ever going to win. They can't fight a defensive war forever, and by sea is the best way to try and have their presence felt by the rest of the continent, even possibly take King's Landing. He has two houses set up this fleet, House Umber and House Manderly. Admittedly, this arrangement had a bit of a rocky start, the Umbers are a proud warrior people hard as iron. It is often thought that the best warriors and most loyal friends that Robb had were Greatjon and his son Smalljon, who was in Robb's personal guard and died defending his king at the Red Wedding. Meanwhile Manderly was disrespectfully called Lord Too-Fat-To-Sit-A-Horse. Nevertheless, these two houses provide a foundation for the plot to come.

The Effects of the Red Wedding

Possibly my favorite moment in the books, and the show. The time where I was so enraged I threw my book against the wall, something I have never done to any book before or since. The Red Wedding is something that I will never forget, and neither will the North.

But, if the North are so loyal as I have mentioned, and they all know that the Frey's and the Bolton's have done, why don't they just stike back? After all, the Lannister's forces are held down taking castle by castle in the Riverlands, what's to stop them from fighting the Boltons? Well, amidst all the violence the Freys and Boltons weren't just killing people. Though they did kill a lot of them. But they also took hostages.

Remember Greatjon, the crazy guy that Grey Wind bit off 2 of his fingers and then suddenly started laughing? He's the one who declared Robb king in the first place. Well, he was captured. Being a total badass by the way. Apparently, a man was tasked with making sure the Greatjon was drunk, giving him enough wine to kill 3 normal men. Then when they finally came to attack him, he still fought off 8 men, while unarmed. Stole a weapon, killed one man, wounded 2 others, and bit a man's ear off. Man do I love the Umbers. But besides the Greatjon, a Piper was also taken as a hostage, as well as a son of Lord Manderly, and many more. The northern houses know if they attack the Boltons their captive family members will be murdered. So they can't just attack, the Northmen will have start taking master classes in plotting to get their way.

The Fall Guy

Like all good conspiracies, you're gonna need someone to take the fall. Enter this man, Stannis the Mannis. If we're going by the actual laws of Westeros, the rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms. One of my favorite characters, at least in the books, where he hasn't murdered his own daughter yet.

The Northmen saw Stannis coming a mile away. He has an army, he has some military acumen and as of now the North is supposedly leaderless. Since whatever that letter from Robb actually said, no one has come forward to declare anyone king yet. Some of the northern lords have sided with Stannis.

For example, a bunch of lords joined up with him when he started telling people that he was going to fight the Boltons partially in order to free Ramsay's new bride, who everyone believes is Arya (thus that quote above on loyalty). From what these houses report, they're not impressed. Stannis himself seemed alright, but his ridiculous fire god and the burnings left many Northerners with less than glowing recommendations for him as their leader.

But for now we're going to mention what one house has been doing in particular. House Umber.

Hother Whoresbane and Mors Crowfood, The Remaining Umbers

With the Greatjon captured and the Smalljon killed house Umber should in theory go to a different son of the Greatjon. We know he had them, but so far none of them seem to have stepped up to the job. Instead a rift has formed among the Umbers, with the Greatjon's two uncles forming the sides.

Hother Whoresbane joined up with the Boltons and Freys offering his men, who are much too young to be the Umber's war host.

Mors Crowfood joined up with Stannis offering his men, who are much too old to be the Umber's war host. But Mors also had a caveat to his allegiance. His army would not be used to fight his brother and on any battle they must be on opposite sides.

That would at first seem to be the end of it, the Umbers are playing both sides. But when you look at the events of the book, and you begin to see just how sneaky the Umbers can be. When Theon escapes, Mors Crowfood just so happens to be the one who finds them. When Hother gives some information leading Roose Bolton to send some Freys out on a scouting expedition, they all die. Which we later learn was from falling into pits made by, you guessed it, Mors and his men.

The Umbers are in communication with each other, and they're setting themselves up to kill as many as they can of both the Bolton/Frey alliance and this Stannis fellow.

But who else is in on this little plot? And where is the true Umber force?

Well, remember those ships they were supposed to be building with House Manderly?

House Manderly

Ok, complete truth here. I only started writing this because the story of Manderlys was too good for you TV Show watchers not to know about. How awesome are they? Well, I think members of the house can be as staunchly loyal as Lyanna Mormont with the cunning violence of Arya. Also, they do not give a fuck.

Lord Wyman Manderly is an older lord who already has a few grandkids of marrying age. In his youth he was a knight, expert rider and apparently did very well in a few jousts. But after Robert's Rebellion Wyman never expected to fight again and got fat. Really fat. So fat he earned the nicknames Lord Too-Fat-To-Sit-A-Horse, Lord Lard, Lord Pig, and Lord Lamprey (because apparently eels are what he eats all day). Many have taken his massive size to mean he's a doddering fool.

So, I've already explained that the Manderlys are tied with the Umbers, but Wyman has more ties than that. So, House Glover allied with Stannis, so Stannis sent a Robett Glover to go see if they can get Manderly on their side, since Manderly lost a son at the Red Wedding.

Glover goes to Manderly, and writes to Stannis saying Manderly's have no men to send. But Stannis tries once more and sends our beloved Onion Knight, Davos, to go talk to Manderly.

Davos goes to the White Harbor and sees fat Lord Manderly surrounded by Freys and their allies promising Wyman the freedom of his son if he could prove his loyalty to the new Lannister regime. When Davos called for their allegiance, instead, the fat lord Manderly scoffed and asked what could Stannis ever give to the Manderlys?

Vengeance, was all that Davos could offer.

Wylla Manderly and Davos at the Manderly Court

"Yes!" came out one voice in the crowd. Wylla, a small girl with green hair, one of Wyman Manderly's granddaughters, had worked up the courage to speak.

"They killed Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn and King Robb. He was our king! He was brave and good and the Freys murdered him. If Lord Stannis will avenge him, we should join Lord Stannis."

Wyman Manderly told his granddaughter to be silent. To not offend their Frey guests. That if she keeps talking she would be sent to become a nun.

"I know about the promise … Maester Theomore, tell them! A thousand years before the Conquest, a promise was made, and oaths were sworn in the Wolf's Den before the old gods and the new. When we were sore beset and friendless, hounded from our homes and in peril of our lives, the wolves took us in and nourished us and protected us against our enemies. The city is built upon the land they gave us. In return we swore that we should always be their men. Stark men!"

Having enough, Wyman sent his granddaughter away and clapped Davos in irons. Soon Davos's head was resting on a pike, along with his disfigured hand so the world would see that Manderly was now loyal to the crown.

The Plan Takes Shape

"My son Wendel came to the the Twins a guest. He ate Lord Walder's bread and salt, and hung his sword upon the wall to feast with friends. And they murdered him. Murdered, I say, and may the Freys choke upon their fables. I drink with Jared, jape with Symond, promise Rhaegar the hand of my own beloved granddaughter ... but never think that means I have forgotten. The north remembers, Lord Davos. The north remembers, and the mummer's farce is almost done. My son is home."

After being half starved and looking haggard, Davos was switched with another prisoner, who looked close enough once the starvation kicked in. That prisoner, who Manderly was keeping around just in case he needed him, was executed in Davos's place.

Thus proving Manderly loyalty, Wylis would be sent home. Meaning Manderly's true plan can begin. Manderly takes Davos to a secret meeting between himself, the previously mentioned Robett Glover, and an Ironborn. The only surviving Ironborn from the sack of Winterfell. A mute named Wex Pyke.

Now Wex might not be particularly adept at talking, but the boy was smart. When the battle for Winterfell turned sour he ran and hid in the heart tree and waited for everything to blow over. And, he happened to see Bran, Rickon, Osha, Meera, Jojen, and Hodor all come creeping out from the crypts of Winterfell taking a few of the ornamental swords that were down there with them. He heard their plans, and when they split up he followed them. He watched as Osha decided the safest place for Rickon to be was away from the mainland, and took a ship to Skagos. When he was later captured he wrote this information down, and he was sent to Manderly.

So, Wyman apologized for his ill treatment of Davos and revealed his hatred of the Freys and how he wished he could be as openly brave as his beloved granddaughter. He gave Davos an offer, bring back Rickon, a rightful Stark, and he would be loyal to Stannis until the day he died (though he never said anything about the rest of his house).

But there is even more that Wex could know. We never hear it in the books, but Wex would have seen Ramsay's betrayal of house Hornwood, House Cerwyn, and House Tallhart when he retook Winterfell. And guess which houses we see Manderly talking to in secret later in the books? A few Cerwyns and Tallharts, of course.

With that agreement out of the way, it was finally time for Lord Too-Fat to leave White Harbor, for the last time, he figured. He took his bannermen and rode to Ramsay's wedding with "Arya." Never expecting to come back alive.

The Bolton/Stark Wedding: I Want Some Pie

A lot of important things happen at this wedding. I don't think I could get to all of them in a way that would be palatable to you guys. But I'll go for some of the important points.

Starting once more with the Umbers. Hother Whoresbane is seen talking to another house, a member of House Stout. Now important to note, House Stout serves Lady Dustin. I'll get to her in a bit.

But the big glorious winner of the wedding has to Lord Wyman Manderly (it definitely wasn't the poor woman that Ramsay married). So, when Manderly left White Harbor he had 3 Freys with him. When he reached Winterfell he had none, but he did suddenly have 3 enormous pies.

"The best pie you have ever tasted, my lords. Wash it down with Arbor gold and savor every bite. I know I shall."

Wyman Manderly ate 2 slices of each of these meat pies, more than even Fat Walda could stomach. All the while looking to make sure the Boltons and Freys were eating his pies as well. And then he began to drink. And then he started to sing.

The song he sang? A little ditty called "The Rat Cook." They mention the tale briefly in the show, but if you've forgotten here's a reminder. There once was a man who hated a king. So he invited the king and his son over, he gave them bread and salt protecting them under guests right. But in the night he slew the young prince and baked him into a pie and gave it to the king. The king thought it was delicious and asked for a second slice.

But the gods were furious. Not because of the murder, nor because he made the king a cannibal. But because the man broke guests right. And that they could not forgive. So they turned the cook into a rat and cursed him to forever be hungry and to only eat the flesh of his own young.

And so Wyman Manderly sang, in front of a host of Freys a song about how breaking guests right is the most loathsome thing you can do, and that a fitting punishment is to be forced to eat your own. Amazing.

And yet it's important to mention, Wyman himself never broke guests right, the Freys all left his home unmolested. It was only on the road north that he murdered them.

The rest of his time in Winterfell he picked fights with the Freys, constantly needling them. And when a Frey boy was found dead he at first gives his condolences but then adds

"Though mayhaps this was a blessing. Had he lived he would have grown up to be a Frey."

Starting a fight that almost cost him his life. But it got the desired effect. Roose couldn't have his own bannermen fighting within the castle when he is currently at war with Stannis, so he sent both the Freys and the Manderlys out of Winterfell to go scouting. Gee, I wonder what the Manderly host is going to do to the Freys when out of Winterfell, alone.

Lady Barbery Dustin The Last Piece

Now, among the Northerners there is one house who truly hates the Starks. Sure Bolton may want to rule instead of them, yeah the Karstarks may not forgive Robb for beheading their leader. But Lady Dustin hates the Starks, the entire house. Because she always wanted to be one.

Eddard Stark was not meant to lead House Stark, his elder brother was Brandon. When Barbery met Brandon they became lovers, this had quite an effect on her and she still curses when Brandon's father, Lord Rickard, squashed any chance for her to wed Brandon in favor of Catelyn Tully, one of the few times in recorded history that two of the Great Houses were going to mix. Along with the planned marriage of Robert Baratheon with Lyanna Stark Rickard was looking to be making some kind of power play in the south (and that's a whole other giant can of worms).

But eventually Barbery did marry, a good man of house Dustin. William Dustin, who rode south with Ned Stark to fight his wars, and died at the Tower of Joy to bring back Eddard's sister. And when he died Ned buried him there, in Dorne. Not back with her, where he belonged. And for taking her only two loves away from her, Barbery despises the Starks.

But there's an interesting note. Lady Dustin tells this story to Theon Greyjoy, or Reek, as he was called at the time. Reek, who was in all ways Ramsay's toy. He would of course report Lady Dustin's loyalty right back to his master. And even more interesting, she tells this to Reek after Hother Whoresbane talked to her man from Stout, and she goes down into the Crypts of Winterfell. There she notes that a few of the ornamental swords were taken out of the crypt and there are signs that someone was in there since the Sack of Winterfell.

The theory goes, Wyman talked to Hother about the stolen swords. Hother talked to Stout who then relayed the message to Dustin about the fact that the Stark boys could still be alive, and Lady Dustin confirmed it.

But why would Hother trust her? Well, as much as Barbery hates the Starks, there's someone she hates just as much, Ramsay Snow. Because once Roose had a trueborn heir who through tangled web of political marriages was distantly related to Barbery, and so she took him as a page. And apparently this boy, Domeric was good, and intelligent. And when he heard he had a brother he asked to meet Ramsay, and take him with him on his travels. Because he had always wanted a brother to love. And then Domeric died, and it seemed to Barbery that he died of poison, and she blames (probably rightly) Ramsay.

But because she hates the Starks she remains the only house that Roose somewhat trusts. And so Hother gave her a test, he told her just enough about the conspiracy that she could have turned him in, but not nearly enough to get anyone else. She has, apparently, no knowledge of Wyman's involvement, actually she looks upon him with disgust.

She could have turned on Hother, but she didn't. And so the encirclement of house Bolton is complete.

There was more, a lot more actually. A wildling singer we all know with 6 spear wives, an unknown murderer that hunts Frey and Bolton under the cover of night, survivors of Bolton treachery. A few Greyjoy's captured by Stannis. But I think I covered all the truly key points.

Every potential ally the Freys and Boltons could have is plotting against them. They all wish a Stark back on the throne, maybe Jon, maybe one of the surviving Stark brothers. But they all universally despise the architects of the Red Wedding.

The North Remembers, and they remember the Starks. Honorable for all their faults, good for all their problems.

The North Remembers, and they remember the Red Wedding. Treachery only begets further treachery.