Throughout the entirety of Fire & Blood, the Hightowers are never presented in a bad light. The words used to describe their actions, even the most deplorable, are chosen very carefully. Almost as if the maester writing it doesn't want to potentially upset the Citadel's biggest patron cash source.

Something just occurred to me. Did George choose the word Dance just as an alliteration, or is he implying that they are dancing to someone's tune?

They could have fixed the vote for the election at Harenhall. Stalin was reported to have said - " Those who count the votes decide everything." And who counted the votes at Harenhall? The maesters did.

One thing I always noticed when going through the Targaryen Kings in World of Ice and Fire…the Maesters seemed to be responsible for keeping Aegon III afraid of his own shadow, reminding him what happened to his mother at every chance. They also weren’t happy when his brother Viserys came back to Westeros and he alone gave his big brother confidence to be a King.

If Marwyn says it happened, it happened. I don't make the rules. Side note, I consider Marwyn along with Old Nan as ASOIAF equivalents to Septon Barth, in that everything they say is actually right, even though we might not always understand what they're really saying.

Again and again I freeze in awe of George's genius. The way he creates room for speculation just by letting a few supporting characters say things that only seem significant at second glance is simply masterful and second to none. I'm curious to see what is gonna be confirmed in the series and what is not 👌

I have severe insomnia. Its 605 am and i havent slept at all but seeing this video gave me a huge mental boost. One of my fav topics in asoiaf.

"This time Rhaenyra did not laugh " that line sent chills down my spine. Unrelated but Joffery's line of "They're going to kill Tyraxes" is so sad. If my bonded beast was in the pit there's no way in hell i would just sit by in Maegor's holdfast and let that happen Rhaenyra was really stupid for letting the dragons die; I mean her damn dragon was in the Red Keep. Pisses me off everytime i think about it. She wanted her throne so badly she didn't defend it herself🤦🏽‍♂️. If it was Aemond or Aegon, hell or any other Targeryan, they wouldn't hesitate to defend their family heritage.

I love the live streams and longer videos, but this is a lot more digestible. Thanks for the content.

The thing is, the Hightowers use the Maester for their benefit, its historical. When Aegon the First arrived at Oldtown, the Hightowers decided to bend to knee, but they worked in silence to get their revenge. Dragon is against the logic of power of knowledge, which the Hightowers have always had in Westeros. After the Dragons were dead, knowledge and contacts became the true power once more.

One of the reasons I'm so excited for fire and blood part 2 is hoping to find out what happened to Morning and the remaining Targ dragons. The post- dance dragon deaths are the most SUS and world of ice and fire's Targ section didn't cover it really. I love your point about the world book and fire and blood being Master propaganda though. It's important to read them as such.

"YES, the damned Maester!... Take your filthy hands off of me!... It was the damnedable MAESTERS!!!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🔥

Years ago those rats that Dany sees in one of the visions in the House of the Undying, biting a beautiful woman , were considered representations of the kings destroying Westeros, but could they be metaphors of powerful meisters? Sorry if that's already been discussed somewhere, it just occurred to me and I thought it interesting to share here. Great video as always, love your channel! Cheers from Brazil!

I def believe this theory! Hoping that HoTD will give us a more objective history of the Dance than Fire & Blood, and show us what those grey rats were really up to. 👀

I agree with you that the maesters are conspiring against the Targaryens but I think it started on the day Aegon landed. It was them along with the Hightower’s who convinced the high gardens to go fight knowing they would lose. That’s why no Hightower’s fought. They then gave Maegor a sterile broad to limit the number of kids that had Targaryen blood. Then after Jaehaerys took away the faith militants, they plotted with his own kids , ( two in the faith and Saera who is Alyssa Hightower’s mother) to take over the Targaryens. Imagine if Maegor would of married a Velaryon daughter, ( Freind & cuz to the queen in the west) how many more dragons would exist. I think they have been the ones who tried to stir the ruler ship away from good rulers like Aemon who they killed on Tarth, and his line who were all trained to rule, to Killing Baelon sister wife after her second son because if she had more kids then it would have been a Targaryen filled age. To making sure Daemon didn’t get the throne, which is why I think they killed his father cause he knew that to rule you had to ride and Daemon rode a dragon so why not skip over Visaerys. Even the fights between Visaerys and Daemon was them. The citadel and the Hightower’s are one and the same that’s the Hightower’s bastard kingdom filled with their assassins

"Ice spiders as big as hounds!!" Keep up the great work Nan. lololol

I wonder if the Ancient Valyrian Dragonlord families were masters of blood magic probably passed down from Asshai and Empire of the Dawn. It would be cool if they transform into a half-human | dragon creature of war or even warg into their dragons. Given that Targaryen sometimes is born looking like a baby wingless dragon.

Nan’s cameo at the start is brilliant 😂

The Maesters should praise Garth and chill out with all that conspiracy

"History is a set of lies agreed upon." "We will write that history." -The Maesters (probably)

That intro was delightful. I half expected Graham Chapman to come in, dressed in a Royal Army uniform, and declare the whole thing “too silly”.

I like how you mention Otto and the Grand Maester as being strong influences on Viserys I small council. It goes beyond that too. Beesbury is also on the small council and they are Hightower vassals. I’m sure there are other green aligned small council members before they decide to crown Aegon. Another thing is the prophecy during the conquest where the Hightower’s can’t “directly” oppose the Targaryens or old town will burn. What better way to get around this than by organize a civil war. They were also not all that involved in Robert’s Rebellion if memory serves me right.

Hahaha! That intro skit was very well done.

This theory links with the Targaryen genetics theory pretty well

I love that preston jacobs years said that it’s entirely possible that Boros’s maester could have purposefully misread rhaenryas letter to invoke his fury and cause him to further side with the greens. Then the show comes out and they make a point see that the letter was freshly unopened say luke hadnt read it and the maester only whispers its contents to boros’s ear whilst he himself doesn’t even peek at it. Meaning we the audience, luke and boros have no idea what the letter actually said and only the maester knew… When i saw the scene happen i instantly thought “preston… you SOB”

YEEESSS. Oldtown Conspiracies! Down with the Dragonspawn!

Happy for the return of shorter videos lately. Great video, Dave... as usual 👏

these new a.m. streams are greatly enhancing my pre-work garth worship

Awesome!! I needed something to listen to while I work today.

I love your content! Thank you!

Finally a video drops when I don't have to sleep. Thank you, David.

Great video! you’re quickly becoming one of my favorite ASOIAF creators on youtube. Definitely the most knowledgeable creator i’ve seen and I’ve been inspired to read fire and blood a second time. thank you!

So stoked for this show and for the LML analysis to come.

Omgggg thank u LML!! a perfect way to start my happy hump day. 🤘🖤🔥

Excellent 😊 can't wait for part 2

Excellent video LML

If I’m not mistaken, in one of the recent episodes of HOTD, Rhaenyra expresses dislike for the Maesters when Alicent says that the Maesters were taking care of her Dad or something like that. I think she has a gut feeling that they have not helped her Dad but instead sped up his demise. Because the sooner King Viserys was out the picture the sooner the Dance would begin

First!

Omg, i will never get tired of your Old Nan voice (also, great intro and great video as usual!)

Let’s goooooo!!!!

Compact and fun! I love both short and long vids

This is my #2 favourite ASOIAF theory! THANK YOU LML this was exquisite! 🔥🔥🔥🔥 My #1 favourite theory is also connected to the Maester conspiracy, and it’s also one I think I heard from you, it’s “The Mad King was not mad”. Already gave a like before watching the video, leaving a comment for the algorithm 😉😉

As much as I hate the maesters for getting rid of magic, on the other hand the systems of magical power being passed down through blood lines has kept the world locked in feudalism for like ten thousand years.

I still have a "little bit" of a grudge against those filthy grey rats because of the Brandon Stark thing, you know...

I'm a fairly new subscriber and can I just say I truly love the content you put out there. It's so refreshing to see ASOIAF fans still engage with the content positively and create new content for others. Kudos to you for all the hard work!! As a fan of myths and archetypes/tropes since I was but a wee child, I love how you translate those ideas onto GRRM's world. It must be such long time of research and work and I truly appreciate it. I'm sad I seem to almost always miss your live streams (European here) but I make a point of waching the replays as soon as I can. Keep doing the work, we are all waiting together for HoD and TWOW!

Loooooved the intro and the new editing work. Crushing it, duderz! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

The intro is gold! Awesome! Back to watching lol

I knew it! I had a feeling your channel would blow up this year and I was right. Everything I look you seem to have at least 500-1000 new subs. The content speaks for its self. Very happy for you David

Great video! Looking forward to the next one. Your Empire of the Dawn and the Targaryens caused the Doom videos are some of my favorite. Maybe you can do some Blackfyre Rebellions videos down the road. Those conflicts also helped bring down the Targaryen population.

Really loving the fun and joking tone in this video.

Great piece!

You’re the man, Mr. Lightbringer.

The beginning was so silly, loved it!

Nice one brotha!!!

Great content!

Maesters: Knowledge is power. Targaryens: Power is power. Maesters: Adjust strategy.

More old nan!! Great video man

Loving the new HOTD vids

Damn dude I get up for work here in the Bay Area and BOOM a new LML video freshly uploaded?! Thanks for the great content man!

Oh yes sir let's go!!! After work and gym viewing on deck!!!

Needed this

Hello brother 👋🏾 Love your show✨✨✨

I forget all the ones supposedly mad; but I don’t think Maegor was mad at all. I watched another KZfaq video, I believe it was order of the green hand but could be wrong, and they ended up making me agree with Maegor and what he did. And a lot of it had to do with a conspiracy of the septons and maesters to end the Targs, so Maegor did what he had to do to save his family from extinction and make sure none would dare oppose them during his rain or they would know they would be dust in the wind when he was done with them .

Shrykos was killed in the storming of the Dragonpit, Dave. Four remaining after the war is correct though, as there was Morning.

Well, who's the rat natural enemy? Of course, a cat! And who's the most prominent cat in asoiaf ( besides Cat)? Balerion, the black cat, who's named after the most badass dragon ever

Nice topic

Zechaerys The Thunderer (Bane of the White Wolf and the last dragon hero) approves this message.

Fantastic cold open. Always appreciate it when Old Nan lends her wisdom to a video, heh heh

I hope the channel grows even more now with the new hbo show. You deserve it! Great content!

Thanks!

maester conspiracy was also talked about in GoT in a deleted scene i hope it is expanded on in House of the Dragon

I love the intro!!! Old Nan speaks the truth!

That intro was hilarious as hell 🤣

Nothing is true everything is permitted you should play the assassin's creed games

Something I really enjoyed about the books is the fact that we never get "proper" flashbacks or see objectively how something happened; we get memories that are often self-serving, hazy or else hyper-focused on certain details. We hear "common knowledge" that's just as likely urban legend or slander as truth and the POV character doesn't always pick that up. I haven't finished reading the books, nor have I read any of the short stories/novellas, so I might off base here, but it's occurred to me recently that almost everyone I've heard utter the line about the gods flipping a coin RE the Targs, it's usually coming from someone who had a part in over-throwing them. Looking back over the dynasty there isn't anything particularly unique or noteworthy about their megalomania, except that they practiced incest and had access to dragons. Really the whole "they flip a coin over whether they'll be great or mad" sounds like a brilliant piece of propaganda; yes, there were some brilliant Targ kings, but do you really want to risk it? Likewise, placing the blame for madness on the bloodline, making it seem inevitable, as opposed to their practice of incest making it something that could be avoided.

Llloooolllll the lineup 😭

Okay, that was the best intro that ever introed.

The real sign of the illuminati is that i got an ad LITERALLY the second you said illuminati😳

I’m wondering what were the Maesters up to after the dance? Barbrey Dustin, from whom we receive so much of anti Master conspiratory whispers, has the grievance of the lost of her lover to motivate her distrust. She does not appear to express concern over the loss of dragons. Even if there was a dragon culling conspiracy fomented by Maesters, what is their game afterward? Why were they pushing the old Lord Rickon to form Southron alliances? It does not seem that anti dragon sentiment would persist after the dragons are gone.

🎶 Mah name is Faegon 🎶 😆 gets me every time 😜

Dude i love your content ive listened to the books 4 or 5 times watched the shows but you opened my eyes i may not agree with everything but either way

I wonder if the valyrian steel link of the maesters chain, which only one maester in a hundred forges, helps the maesters gauge who is privy to their conspiracy? i.e maesters such as marwyn and luwin, who were clearly interested in magic when studying at the citadel might not be as trustworthy so carry out any grand maester conspriacy plans. where as those who never bother, and clearly dont think it worth it could be more dependable in that aspect

That start was so funny!! Was totally cracking up!! Lmfao 😅🤣😂😅🤣😂 thankyou, I needed a good laugh!

Those damned Maesters and their Critical Dragon Theory are responsible for the extinction of dragons!

Dang to become a maester sounds really sus and scary if your trying to be a good one. Kind of scared for sam now😳

17:05 "such as... everyone involved. -Alright." 😂. How many other "plots" may exist in ASOIAF that we still don't know? Amazing work as always.

Great vid, your nun impression is my absolute favourite, please do a reading Nun stream! To the topic of the video id say the Maesters undoubtedly aren't just normal healing folks with zero secret motives, it makes total sense. And now to my own small theory more for ASOIAF, how about, a Faceless Men & Maesters conspiracy to kill Dany's Dragons? Jaqen in the Citadel? Potentially Looking for books about the Death of Dragons? How did he know Pete had the necessary Key? Maybe a certain Maester saw only a futile future for poor Pete, small sacrifice for a larger cause. Wouldn't it be ironic that a much anti dragon conspiracy acknowledged Marwyn, is fooled by the same ongoing plot?

I love your pet names for things/groups: "Westeros Wet-blanet Squad" 🤣 NERD RAGE - but in laughing manner.

i think your defo right george loves dune its kinda like his version of the bene gesserit only he actually kept the conspiracy secret hes the best

I don't think there's any evidence for it in the books, but it could be a cool extra layer to add if Rhaenyra and Daemon suspected the conspiracy and got married, among other reasons, to consolidate their power against the maesters/Hightowers. Alternate theory, someone makes the accusation against the Hightowers/maesters during the dance, which sparks the rumor that Marwin either legitimately believes or is playing up for some as-yet-unknown reason. They could even ultimately leave it ambiguous. Either way, I am hyped!!

Nice 👌

Oh man this videos really is my favorite topic, I always got the vibes the mesters weren’t right especially with the mesters at the seat of power and at the citidel. I can’t help but think that it’s connected to there past especially where they came from in essos.

I'm just gonna say the Maesters glow

This makes me think of how Pycelle was the one that convinced the king to open the gates for Tywin who then sacked the city. Ultimately leading to the kings demise.

Yes. Praise Garth!

Dude there is so much rat imagery in house of the dragon. They say at one point “like rats coming to feast on my corpse” or something, so they imply it could just relate to people power grabbing as the king dies, but now that I think about it maybe they were always grey rats and there could be a double meaning.

Loved the intro! I suspect that the conspiracy wasn't just about getting rid of the (D)ragons, but undoing everything that Aegon had done. I think that rather than being simply a conquest for power, that Aegon had an agenda. The next Long Night was approaching, and Westeros and what it represented was woefully unprepared. I believe that this situation was also something that was a result of actions of Citadel and Sept. Aegon did not just bring dragons, he brought the idea of a strong central government. The Targs, early on at least, also seemed to realize the importance of the Watch. So why did the C + S oppose these ideas? This is fundamentally a story about Ice and Fire. Neither is good, neither is evil. They are simply locked in conflict. Some humans are working in the service of Fire, some of Ice. Who would be working for something that spells the end of humanity? People who, in theory at least, have no stake in future generations. Basically a twisting of the vows of the Watch. For the Watch, not having children is about being able to commit themselves to service of the Realm. For the C + S, it is about not caring what happens to humanity. Not all members of either C or S are of that mind, but that is the central goal. The one house that always knew the next Long Night was coming was the Starks. Even knowing what had happened to the those south of the Neck during the Conquest, the Starks are still prepared to go to war with Aegon. Until the two sides meet, and then suddenly the Starks become unwavering Targ allies until the Rebellion. Yes, they back the Blacks, but the Blackfyres are just as much Targ as the Greens. I think Aegon's envoys explained what he was doing, something that of all the Houses only the Starks would understand.

nice jacket!!!

Do you think Daenerys will ever have a maester?

Aegon apparently didn’t want the throne