One time I was giving my son a bottle in his room…. My husband heard me listening to IDG on the monitor and screamed out “YOU F**KING NERD” because it was the video about the history of all the dragons in ASOIAF. It was hilarious
I think the fact Targaryen’s sometimes give birth to stillborn children with wings/ scales basically confirms they’re some sort of human/ dragon chimera. “Blood of the dragon” is probably more literal then even they realise.
The image of Aereas death in the book and the mystery of the human appendaged worms crawling in her skin in roasting her alive from the inside never quite left my mind.
@@rodrigobueno8652 There is that odd song Daemon sings in episode 1.10 that's made people wonder if the missing third ingredient to dragons are people.
They probably don't have to, there aren't enough humans in Valyria. I imagine it's a case of them preferring a different host. This would explain why humans die, we're not the intended host in a similar way to how some of the deadliest diseases to us are ones adapted for other creatures
I also heard the theory that these same parasites lived on in balerion, making him weaker and not able to recover from his wounds. Being hotter from the inside and a lot more heat resistant than a Targaryen, these worms had a much better environment in the dragons body. And then naturally as any parasite, they died with the host
I agree, this is highly plausible, logic. I'm surprised that Robert didn't said it but at the same time believe he did it on purpose so we discuss it hear instead.
lol I've met some balerion fans who couldn't stand their favorite died from a wound by other creature. They insisted he died of old age, I mean yes that too but he also got a scar that didn't really heal that definitely worsen his condition as he aged.
Most fans speculate that Dany secretly wanted Drogon to take her away from Merreen. She keeps trying to convince herself that what she's doing, staying there, is what she should be doing. Drogon sensed the truth: it was time for her to leave.
@tsioulak hahaha, soooo funny.... such a great joke.... I'm not being sarcastic at all. Really. I'm not. Nope. No way. You definately should have written that. Such a valuable addition to op's comment. 😐
I think this little vignette was a powerful reminder that the world is mysterious. The maesters like to pretend that they have everything figured out, but similar to scientists in our world, they don't actually know much in the grand scheme of things. I think of how the oceans are mostly unsearched, and how there are probably billions of strains of bacteria that scientists don't know about. There are strange things lurking in dark corners, and in a fantasy world and IRL, it's fun and necessary to be reminded of that.
This was by far my favorite part of fire and blood. While I have no doubt that they went to Valyria, I think the scarier thought is that they were gone for an entire year. How did they pass the days and survive all that time? Were they just living off the land, or was Aerea taken by some sorcerer and experimented on in some way until she finally escaped with Balerion? What were they doing in a smoking wasteland for an entire year? If it was so dangerous, why would they not leave sooner?
this whole "slaves/experiments" being forgotten after a catastrophe and having lasting consequences reminds me a lot of the Harangan slave races from GRRM's old scifi stories, so interesting
The idea that dragons themselves were a blood magic induced genetic splicing of wyverns and fire worms is one worth investigating. George even asserted this year in a July blog post that much of Septon Barth’s Unnatural History, the in-universe book in which the above hypothesis is featured, is largely factual. If this entry in the book was accurate, it could potentially explain any number of the following and more: -The increased potency of the fire produced by dragon breath. -After a time, each generation of dragons becoming smaller (theorised by some due to their captivity, but could arguably be considered to be a blood magic half life.) -The supposed bond between Targaryen lineage and the dragons themselves. -The reason Targaryen families maintained concentrated genetics through incest.
The whole "dragons were getting smaller" might be a westerosi misconception, up to the dance all of the dragons had regular sizes for their age, it's just that a lot of the younger dragons were just that, younger.
@@tsioulak Yes... but at the same time, some dragons definitely grow faster than others. Drogon should not be as big as he is now, considering he's barely 1 year old. And even during the Dance, Vermithor for example is younger than Dreamfyre but much bigger. And then there's the Cannibal, he's also big, but... we don't know exactly how old he is, the smallfolk on dragonstone say he's been there before the Targaryens were there meaning he might be older than Balerion, but he's smaller than either Balerion, Meraxes or Vagar.
Those first explorers back to Valeria probably would've died from gas in the air, lack of oxygen, radiation, or a mix of all of them. This is such an amazing job by G.R.R.M. here. You wrote this little short story inside of an existing story and people have just gone nuts about it. Everyone has htheir own opinions and ideas and they all think they're right. Besides even if he answered all the questions regarding this story and all the ins and outs, some people would still find exception and to poke holes in it. What's great about this stuff is it's all a choose your own fantasy type story. Start with what he wrote then close your eyes and just imagine what you think happened. As simple or grand as you like. Best part is,... we're all wrong,... and right!!!
Hearing about this story is what made me buy all the other books like World of Ice and Fire. There are so many crazy stories and unexplored lands in Planetos and this story is so incredibly bizarre, i want to know more
Little Princess Aerea's and Big Dragon Balerion's travels could make for a fun stories. Since they were missing for more than a year, they could have gone to all sorts of places and had misadventures before traveling to Valyria for a nightmarish and horrible end.
This video was perfectly timed to catch me this evening. It also combines my fave Lore Channel with one of the most intriguing tidbits from ASOIAF. Instant watch ❤
I think all these horror stories of giant drakes, ice spiders, fire wyrms and ice dragons, and locations such as Ashai, Sothoreos, K'dath and the Five Forts are all inklings buildling up to horrors we might see in the Long Nigh. I don't think the Long Night is just this time where only the Nights King and white walkers are marching down. It's more likely a massive cataclysm of magic and monsters, which may be why magic returned upon Dany using blood magic and magic users are growing in power. It's the rising tide before the flood. Like the Conjunction of the Spheres from The Witcher. Perhaps whatever causes The Long Night has a cycle and when it starts waking up, magic comes with it.
I personally subscribe to the idea that Balerion didn't in fact die from natural causes/old age, he may have been infected with the same type of worms that infested Aerea. They naturally parasitize dragons but had gotten into her as well somehow.
Which casts doubt on the idea that the large open would was a recent development. Perhaps Balerion acquired the wound much earlier in the trip, and it wouldn't heal properly, because something inside the wound wouldn't let it do so.
I won't pretend to have a solid theory for why. However, have you ever considered what it could mean to the story if Aurion's army didn't actually go to Valyria? What if he lied? What if the bones in the Red Waste were his dragon's and one of those cities was where his army was actually destroyed?
my favorite mystery in the asoif :))) thank you for revisting this!! I pray the answer to this is answered in one of the new hbo series that are coming up. Or hopefully even better it is revealed in the book per a flashback or maybe the story will bring us back to old valyria.
I'm gonna put a very different theory out there: Balerion injured himself, trying to remove the same parasites that infected Aerea. The heat generated by the parasites killed a person, but it wouldn't kill a dragon. At least.... not quickly. I would also suggest that Balerion didn't in fact die of old age, he died of a parasite infection
I love this sort of thing, thank you. Any chance of a video exploring what might have happened long ago at Hardhome? From what little I've read/heard already, it seems as if there could be some really interesting hidden lore there.
feel like it's implied Balerion went home and ran afoul of something like a Balrog in the depths. The way worms laying eggs inside is mentioned in Sothoryos, and worms mentioned again in Valeryia's hot depths- and that the evil worms ultimately died went exposed to cold - maybe implies that they first went to sothoryos, she got infected with worm eggs, and he instinctively took her home to use the fire to keep the worms in check - but then something messed him up, so they fled and he took her back to westeros. Also guessing we never heard what the maesters did with the dead worms. ? Which is a silence that is also interesting in a way. Wonder if it might add up that the maester's campaign to destroy all dragons started after this event...
Your post (and @indeepgeek 's video) just got me thinking about how season cycles work in temperate climates as a way to keep certain pest populations in check... example, some insects, lets say the pine borer, lay eggs in the bark of trees and hatch in their larval state and consume the living parts of the tree leading to damage and the eventual death of the tree. Due to changing climate conditions winters are now no longer as cold or as cold for as long and as such, less and less of the larva are being destroyed leading the a surge in the borer population and the affliction and death of large swaths of pine trees. What if its something like that? The winters of Westeros/Essos (which may be why Sothoryos is full of deadly things) are becoming less and less as long and harsh allowing for pestilence of warm bodied things to thrive... I always thought the idea of a large cyclical season spanning years was very interesting. it's just an idea tho, nothing concrete.
One of my favorite segments of Fire and Blood, and, I to subscribe to the theory that the dragon had the same parasites inside him as well. It also brings to mind the scene in Alien where they're at dinner, and a character has one creature burst out of him.
Every time I see one of these videos, it reminds me more and more how much it sucks that we will never, ever, ever get to see the end of this series. If only GRRM had half the humility of Robert Jordan (and, frankly, respect for his fans).
I'm not an expert or anything on this, but is it possible that Rhaena had dragon dreams about the fate of her loved ones, contributing to her mental decline and fueling her possessive behavior?
Great vid as always Robert / IDG. Completely agree with the points made in this vid. For me it also by far makes the most sense Balerion took Aerea off to Valyria ; even more so as GRRM has recently made it explicitly clear dragons do not randomly fly off to places. So Balerion having been born in Valyria and basically out of sight for that whole time ; Valyria makes the most sense. Sothoryos has some big epic creatures and parasitic worms but just wouldn't see the motivation or reason to go there ; especially from Balerion who was clearly the one in charge. So in Valyria to me it always pointed to a firewyrm as to what injured Balerion and infected Aerea. Firewyrms seemingly kept to the fiery depths of Valyria in the Fourteen Flames , so not only beneath and shielded from the Doom ; such an event wouldn't have likely affected them anyway. And with dragons out of the way firewyrms would have grown massive and unchecked with their biggest predatory competition gone. There's also some interesting word play about the sizes of young firewyrms and the worms in Aerea ; its said young firewyrms are no bigger than a child's arm and according to Barth one of the worms coming out of Aerea is said to be the size of a man's arm. Also said to be "creatures of heat and fire" , that lines of up with firewyrms as well. To me firewyrms definitely make the most sense. A creature that would have been unchecked (after the Doom) and large enough to injure Balerion and the parasitic worm (likely due to Valyrian experimentation) aspect infecting Aerea. Ntm the Aerea account and word play all line up to firewyrms as well. Certainly an event showcasing GRRM's inclusion of horror in this universe ; which as the vid suggests we will likely see more and bigger examples of which in the remaining ASoIaF series.
George went full Lovecraft with that story. He should do that more often. Especially if it turns out Euron is telling the truth about going to Old Valyria.
I love the Idea that amon is being controlled by vhagar in a codependent relationship with the physic connection between the two being what drives him and gives vhagar the opportunity to gain power.
A whole year is a whole lot of time. Know that i think of this for like the fift time a possibility could be a mix. A child survived the journey for a year. Might it be a mix. Of old valyria and sothoryos? Probably plenty of parasites in sothoryos that could explain Aereas plight. But balerions cut doesnt need to be from a biological threat. We have plenty volcanos in old valyria that could spit out sharp rocks at a speed that could even hurt an old dragon like balerion. A sharp heavy rock thrown out by a volcano can have more force within it than a man made scorpion ballista could ever wish.
since I heard this story for the first time It's no doubt most horrifying and mysterious thing I've ever heard. My imagination and theoretical possibilities goes to highest level on this one!
I like discussing this particular topic as there is a very interesting theory related to it. The theory states that Balerion was forever changed after this event occurred, changed in the sense that he was FULL of those same parasitic worms that were in Aerea. It makes sense as he had open wounds for them crawl in him with AND he was the only dragon that we saw die "naturally". Parasites never wanna kill their host as their bodies are their homes, but the way Big B was old and weak in his "old age" makes it seem that the worms had just eaten him from the inside and were done with him at that point in time.
The valyrians dug too deep and too greedily in their quest for precious metals. They woke a nameless horror that had long slumbered in the darkness. I imaginatively call it “Valyria’s Bane”
I know it's been established since World, but I still find it hard to believe the Doom was only about 100 years before the conquest. In my mind it was always comparable to the fall of Rome to the Norman conquest, or even more since everything is bigger in ASOIAF
One year away? She must have eaten some firewyrm eggs in some makeshift nearby Balerion, which I’d imagine is the Targaryen’s former castle in Valyria. That, and water, and she was done. Balerion’s injuries are more interesting. Perhaps it wasn’t some fantastical creature capable of hurting it, but perhaps survivors who knew all about dragons, probably knew bigger dragons that Balerion from their time living in old Valyria
This story makes me think the doom of Valyria was like the black goo outbreak that killed the engineers in Prometheus. A bioweapon that got out of control and destroyed their civilisation.
You should do a collaboration with Glidus and Alt Shift X. Would love to hear on one of their livestream, letting loose a little bit. They go into deep theories like you, in a different manner of course. Would be an amazing video if it happens.
Amazing analysis! Could easily be have been created to trick us, too. What is the proof that it all happened in Valeria? Or at one place? Valerian might have been hurt at two different places, by two different creatures, with the princess having been infected at even another place ... But yes, all signs point at Valeria.
I was really hoping you would dig into the death of Balerion. My favorite controversial theory is that he too was infected by the fire worms in Valyria, and since he has boiling hot dragon blood and is extremely large he was able to live with the parasites for decades, becoming more sluggish and ragged by the year. The idea that Balerion died of an infection is important because it opens the idea that his age at death isn’t the “natural life expectancy” of dragons. Cannibal and Sheepstealer could still be alive and well if we allow that Balerion had a cause of death that wasn’t old age.
Well George's previous work involves a lot things that are wormy. Literal or figuratively. I'd day this is dipping back into an old well of ideas from his old horror stories.
Ice houses were a pretty common thing up until the advent of home refrigerators, they'd have ice brought down from the North or possibly Ibben, plus with a bit of clever architecture/engineering its possible to make ice from condensation in desert environments, which is kinda wild
What happened with the old ASOIAF videos, and will they ever come back in some form? I'm specifically interested in the one about the Dornish letter to Aegon the Conqueror.
I don't think that 'something' entered Aerea's blood. It was always there. It's in every Targaryen's blood. That is why they sometimes give birth to "dragon babies". But when entering Valyria and its uncontrolled magics(the Magisters held that magic in check, until the Doom) the blood "mutated" even more. It is highly hinted in the books that Targaryen/Valyrian people are literally the blood of the dragon.
It's sad to say that I'm 50 years old, and we will never see The Winds of Winter or the book after that. It's clear that George R. R. Martin has given up on finishing the series.
I think the worms are already there in Valerians and is part of the magic that makes dragon riders and makes their hair white and eyes purple. It's also why they need to intermarry. The kind of incest the practice should produce severe birth defects, yet Targarens are unusually healthy.
Nanomachines, son. Y'all ever see what happens to a city built out of self replicating, bio-mechanical, extraterrestrial, black goop when the black goop gets possessed or learns to think for itself?
Does anyone know if anyone has looked into whether firewyrms may have played a role in The Doom of Valyria?Just thinking during this video when the kindly man is alluding to Arya about the faceless man’s role in The Doom, it’s also when he mentions firewyms. Like this video mentions, firewyrms are from under the earth and were a problem for the slaves during mining. The Doom was attributed to volcanic activity and I know a lot of people have hypothesized that it was specifically the fire mages being assassinated that were holding back the eruptive activity of the 13 flames that brought about The Doom. But maybe there is another component that involved the firewyms? Like a combo of people messing too much with the “natural” magic of the world and the firewyrms being an animal representation of that?
![The Dragons of Middle-earth [COMPILATION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YSUlfiQVuDg/mqdefault.jpg)
Opening UA-cam to see a new IDG video is always a win
One time I was giving my son a bottle in his room…. My husband heard me listening to IDG on the monitor and screamed out “YOU F**KING NERD” because it was the video about the history of all the dragons in ASOIAF. It was hilarious
@@alw87642 Hahahaha, I love it ❤ I get called a nerd all the time too for this from my gf, but its what I like and constantly great videos.
@@alw87642is he not a fan of ASOIAF I luv listening to them with my headphones on
Especially if it's about the got universe
Yeah it's such a dopamine hit for me
I think the fact Targaryen’s sometimes give birth to stillborn children with wings/ scales basically confirms they’re some sort of human/ dragon chimera. “Blood of the dragon” is probably more literal then even they realise.
Yep, they're mutants. The whole dark rumours in Asshai of combining slave women and beasts etc allude to that.
@@RedWinter21where did you hear the slave thing? That’s new to me
I'd be disappointed if that were the case. It would be even more plagiarism from Michael Moorcock. Literally the basis for Elric and his people.
@@RedWinter21Did they also do that in Asshai? I thought it was only in the Valyrian penal colonies in the Basilisk isles
@@ulvetid.01GRR Martin gets inspiration from other writers
The image of Aereas death in the book and the mystery of the human appendaged worms crawling in her skin in roasting her alive from the inside never quite left my mind.
"Snakes with hands... worms with faces... I will not give them names, they were horrors."
If I had to pick a favorite story, plot line, or detail from the whole series, this would probably be it.
I want 1990s Peter Jackson to make a short film about this.
@@PiscatorLagerhe did a great job with the LOTRS movie's maybe he'd be better than HBO
do you like the original film alien?
This is one of my favorite mysteries!
Always sounded like super-cancer to me.
I love the idea that fire wyrms have to incubate their eggs inside of humans. I mean it's horrifying, but I love it.
Yeah, thre is a theory that dragons are chimera of fire wyrms,wyers and maybe something more, an anothar that valeryians are chimeras too
@@rodrigobueno8652 There is that odd song Daemon sings in episode 1.10 that's made people wonder if the missing third ingredient to dragons are people.
@@yggdrasil2 true
They probably don't have to, there aren't enough humans in Valyria. I imagine it's a case of them preferring a different host. This would explain why humans die, we're not the intended host in a similar way to how some of the deadliest diseases to us are ones adapted for other creatures
Best narator. My sleep is forever grateful!
I also heard the theory that these same parasites lived on in balerion, making him weaker and not able to recover from his wounds. Being hotter from the inside and a lot more heat resistant than a Targaryen, these worms had a much better environment in the dragons body. And then naturally as any parasite, they died with the host
I agree, this is highly plausible, logic. I'm surprised that Robert didn't said it but at the same time believe he did it on purpose so we discuss it hear instead.
lol I've met some balerion fans who couldn't stand their favorite died from a wound by other creature. They insisted he died of old age, I mean yes that too but he also got a scar that didn't really heal that definitely worsen his condition as he aged.
Most fans speculate that Dany secretly wanted Drogon to take her away from Merreen. She keeps trying to convince herself that what she's doing, staying there, is what she should be doing. Drogon sensed the truth: it was time for her to leave.
Or Dragon finally heard all of us yelling for Deanerys to leave Mereen.
Along those same lines, aerya wanted adventure. And she got it. More than she bargained for.
@tsioulak hahaha, soooo funny.... such a great joke.... I'm not being sarcastic at all. Really. I'm not. Nope. No way. You definately should have written that. Such a valuable addition to op's comment. 😐
I think this little vignette was a powerful reminder that the world is mysterious. The maesters like to pretend that they have everything figured out, but similar to scientists in our world, they don't actually know much in the grand scheme of things. I think of how the oceans are mostly unsearched, and how there are probably billions of strains of bacteria that scientists don't know about. There are strange things lurking in dark corners, and in a fantasy world and IRL, it's fun and necessary to be reminded of that.
This was by far my favorite part of fire and blood. While I have no doubt that they went to Valyria, I think the scarier thought is that they were gone for an entire year. How did they pass the days and survive all that time? Were they just living off the land, or was Aerea taken by some sorcerer and experimented on in some way until she finally escaped with Balerion? What were they doing in a smoking wasteland for an entire year? If it was so dangerous, why would they not leave sooner?
Having just re-read Fire and Blood, I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’ve made a video on this 😊
I think this is my favourite telling of this story. One of the most interesting tidbits of asoiaf, quite the debated mystery.
This is one of those things that's best left as a mystery, like the deep things Gandalf talks about in LotR
this whole "slaves/experiments" being forgotten after a catastrophe and having lasting consequences reminds me a lot of the Harangan slave races from GRRM's old scifi stories, so interesting
The idea that dragons themselves were a blood magic induced genetic splicing of wyverns and fire worms is one worth investigating. George even asserted this year in a July blog post that much of Septon Barth’s Unnatural History, the in-universe book in which the above hypothesis is featured, is largely factual.
If this entry in the book was accurate, it could potentially explain any number of the following and more:
-The increased potency of the fire produced by dragon breath.
-After a time, each generation of dragons becoming smaller (theorised by some due to their captivity, but could arguably be considered to be a blood magic half life.)
-The supposed bond between Targaryen lineage and the dragons themselves.
-The reason Targaryen families maintained concentrated genetics through incest.
The whole "dragons were getting smaller" might be a westerosi misconception, up to the dance all of the dragons had regular sizes for their age, it's just that a lot of the younger dragons were just that, younger.
@@tsioulak Yes... but at the same time, some dragons definitely grow faster than others. Drogon should not be as big as he is now, considering he's barely 1 year old. And even during the Dance, Vermithor for example is younger than Dreamfyre but much bigger. And then there's the Cannibal, he's also big, but... we don't know exactly how old he is, the smallfolk on dragonstone say he's been there before the Targaryens were there meaning he might be older than Balerion, but he's smaller than either Balerion, Meraxes or Vagar.
Those first explorers back to Valeria probably would've died from gas in the air, lack of oxygen, radiation, or a mix of all of them.
This is such an amazing job by G.R.R.M. here. You wrote this little short story inside of an existing story and people have just gone nuts about it. Everyone has htheir own opinions and ideas and they all think they're right. Besides even if he answered all the questions regarding this story and all the ins and outs, some people would still find exception and to poke holes in it. What's great about this stuff is it's all a choose your own fantasy type story. Start with what he wrote then close your eyes and just imagine what you think happened. As simple or grand as you like. Best part is,... we're all wrong,... and right!!!
Hearing about this story is what made me buy all the other books like World of Ice and Fire. There are so many crazy stories and unexplored lands in Planetos and this story is so incredibly bizarre, i want to know more
Thank you Robert, blissful sleep awaits me
Loved this video!!! This plot in fire and blood was the most fascinating part and it was my favorite!! Thanks for discussing it ✨🔥
This is always such a fascinating story. Love these mysterious snippets of history we get, it’s probably my favourite aspect of the series.
Little Princess Aerea's and Big Dragon Balerion's travels could make for a fun stories. Since they were missing for more than a year, they could have gone to all sorts of places and had misadventures before traveling to Valyria for a nightmarish and horrible end.
Septon Barth's account of Aerea is one of the best written sections in the book
I bet she climbed on Balerion, and communicated that she wanted to "go home."
Well, Balerion did go home.
This video was perfectly timed to catch me this evening. It also combines my fave Lore Channel with one of the most intriguing tidbits from ASOIAF.
Instant watch ❤
I think all these horror stories of giant drakes, ice spiders, fire wyrms and ice dragons, and locations such as Ashai, Sothoreos, K'dath and the Five Forts are all inklings buildling up to horrors we might see in the Long Nigh. I don't think the Long Night is just this time where only the Nights King and white walkers are marching down. It's more likely a massive cataclysm of magic and monsters, which may be why magic returned upon Dany using blood magic and magic users are growing in power. It's the rising tide before the flood. Like the Conjunction of the Spheres from The Witcher. Perhaps whatever causes The Long Night has a cycle and when it starts waking up, magic comes with it.
I personally subscribe to the idea that Balerion didn't in fact die from natural causes/old age, he may have been infected with the same type of worms that infested Aerea. They naturally parasitize dragons but had gotten into her as well somehow.
Which casts doubt on the idea that the large open would was a recent development.
Perhaps Balerion acquired the wound much earlier in the trip, and it wouldn't heal properly, because something inside the wound wouldn't let it do so.
I won't pretend to have a solid theory for why. However, have you ever considered what it could mean to the story if Aurion's army didn't actually go to Valyria? What if he lied? What if the bones in the Red Waste were his dragon's and one of those cities was where his army was actually destroyed?
my favorite mystery in the asoif :))) thank you for revisting this!! I pray the answer to this is answered in one of the new hbo series that are coming up. Or hopefully even better it is revealed in the book per a flashback or maybe the story will bring us back to old valyria.
I'm gonna put a very different theory out there: Balerion injured himself, trying to remove the same parasites that infected Aerea. The heat generated by the parasites killed a person, but it wouldn't kill a dragon. At least.... not quickly. I would also suggest that Balerion didn't in fact die of old age, he died of a parasite infection
I love this sort of thing, thank you. Any chance of a video exploring what might have happened long ago at Hardhome? From what little I've read/heard already, it seems as if there could be some really interesting hidden lore there.
Lord Robert it is always good to have a new video from you & especially when it’s from the Long Reign Of the Old King
So happy you covered this story. Thank you 😊
This is my favorite mystery of the F&B universe 😅
feel like it's implied Balerion went home and ran afoul of something like a Balrog in the depths.
The way worms laying eggs inside is mentioned in Sothoryos, and worms mentioned again in Valeryia's hot depths- and that the evil worms ultimately died went exposed to cold - maybe implies that they first went to sothoryos, she got infected with worm eggs, and he instinctively took her home to use the fire to keep the worms in check - but then something messed him up, so they fled and he took her back to westeros.
Also guessing we never heard what the maesters did with the dead worms. ? Which is a silence that is also interesting in a way. Wonder if it might add up that the maester's campaign to destroy all dragons started after this event...
Your post (and @indeepgeek 's video) just got me thinking about how season cycles work in temperate climates as a way to keep certain pest populations in check... example, some insects, lets say the pine borer, lay eggs in the bark of trees and hatch in their larval state and consume the living parts of the tree leading to damage and the eventual death of the tree. Due to changing climate conditions winters are now no longer as cold or as cold for as long and as such, less and less of the larva are being destroyed leading the a surge in the borer population and the affliction and death of large swaths of pine trees.
What if its something like that? The winters of Westeros/Essos (which may be why Sothoryos is full of deadly things) are becoming less and less as long and harsh allowing for pestilence of warm bodied things to thrive... I always thought the idea of a large cyclical season spanning years was very interesting.
it's just an idea tho, nothing concrete.
One of my favorite segments of Fire and Blood, and, I to subscribe to the theory that the dragon had the same parasites inside him as well. It also brings to mind the scene in Alien where they're at dinner, and a character has one creature burst out of him.
Dany REALLY will want a dragon saddle!
I agree: it started like a horror novel and it’ll mostly end like one-saved by spring
Jumps on biggest dragons back* "HOME!" 😮
Your closing remarks this time was even more exceptional than usual, Robert
I'll never forget the feeling of reading through this for the first time.
Thanks for covering this far too fascinating topic.
Every time I see one of these videos, it reminds me more and more how much it sucks that we will never, ever, ever get to see the end of this series. If only GRRM had half the humility of Robert Jordan (and, frankly, respect for his fans).
I would also like to think that at some point in Valyria, Balerion encountered Aurion's dragon as well as Fireworyms.
More than anything else, I’d love to see balerion one day in his cgi majesty.
Great topic, looking foward to this one.
Thank you, Robert!
I think Balerion was attacked by Aurion's dragon.
I think that foremost this was GrRM indulging innhis predilection for horror. I love exploring elements of a universe like this.
Just reread this section of F&B. Perfect timing
Bethesda should make a game in the ASOIAF universe that takes place in Old Valyria before the doom. Imagine how epic
Amazing story to talk about! I always think about it! BTW, I believe the queen who visited her was Alysanne, not Alicent. Thanks!
I'm not an expert or anything on this, but is it possible that Rhaena had dragon dreams about the fate of her loved ones, contributing to her mental decline and fueling her possessive behavior?
Great vid as always Robert / IDG. Completely agree with the points made in this vid. For me it also by far makes the most sense Balerion took Aerea off to Valyria ; even more so as GRRM has recently made it explicitly clear dragons do not randomly fly off to places. So Balerion having been born in Valyria and basically out of sight for that whole time ; Valyria makes the most sense. Sothoryos has some big epic creatures and parasitic worms but just wouldn't see the motivation or reason to go there ; especially from Balerion who was clearly the one in charge.
So in Valyria to me it always pointed to a firewyrm as to what injured Balerion and infected Aerea. Firewyrms seemingly kept to the fiery depths of Valyria in the Fourteen Flames , so not only beneath and shielded from the Doom ; such an event wouldn't have likely affected them anyway. And with dragons out of the way firewyrms would have grown massive and unchecked with their biggest predatory competition gone. There's also some interesting word play about the sizes of young firewyrms and the worms in Aerea ; its said young firewyrms are no bigger than a child's arm and according to Barth one of the worms coming out of Aerea is said to be the size of a man's arm. Also said to be "creatures of heat and fire" , that lines of up with firewyrms as well.
To me firewyrms definitely make the most sense. A creature that would have been unchecked (after the Doom) and large enough to injure Balerion and the parasitic worm (likely due to Valyrian experimentation) aspect infecting Aerea. Ntm the Aerea account and word play all line up to firewyrms as well. Certainly an event showcasing GRRM's inclusion of horror in this universe ; which as the vid suggests we will likely see more and bigger examples of which in the remaining ASoIaF series.
This is the perfect topic!!
🔥👑🩸
George went full Lovecraft with that story. He should do that more often. Especially if it turns out Euron is telling the truth about going to Old Valyria.
I love the Idea that amon is being controlled by vhagar in a codependent relationship with the physic connection between the two being what drives him and gives vhagar the opportunity to gain power.
A whole year is a whole lot of time. Know that i think of this for like the fift time a possibility could be a mix. A child survived the journey for a year. Might it be a mix. Of old valyria and sothoryos?
Probably plenty of parasites in sothoryos that could explain Aereas plight. But balerions cut doesnt need to be from a biological threat. We have plenty volcanos in old valyria that could spit out sharp rocks at a speed that could even hurt an old dragon like balerion. A sharp heavy rock thrown out by a volcano can have more force within it than a man made scorpion ballista could ever wish.
since I heard this story for the first time It's no doubt most horrifying and mysterious thing I've ever heard. My imagination and theoretical possibilities goes to highest level on this one!
I like discussing this particular topic as there is a very interesting theory related to it.
The theory states that Balerion was forever changed after this event occurred, changed in the sense that he was FULL of those same parasitic worms that were in Aerea. It makes sense as he had open wounds for them crawl in him with AND he was the only dragon that we saw die "naturally". Parasites never wanna kill their host as their bodies are their homes, but the way Big B was old and weak in his "old age" makes it seem that the worms had just eaten him from the inside and were done with him at that point in time.
The valyrians dug too deep and too greedily in their quest for precious metals. They woke a nameless horror that had long slumbered in the darkness. I imaginatively call it “Valyria’s Bane”
The scariest magical little parasites
Looks like I've found my mother's UA-cam account 😂😢
@@user-bj4ev1tx3c she sounds pretty cool😄
Another good riddle GRRM left for us to ponder on.
@michaeltalksaboutstuff has a very interesting video about this as well. Great work IDG!!
I know it's been established since World, but I still find it hard to believe the Doom was only about 100 years before the conquest.
In my mind it was always comparable to the fall of Rome to the Norman conquest, or even more since everything is bigger in ASOIAF
One year away? She must have eaten some firewyrm eggs in some makeshift nearby Balerion, which I’d imagine is the Targaryen’s former castle in Valyria. That, and water, and she was done. Balerion’s injuries are more interesting. Perhaps it wasn’t some fantastical creature capable of hurting it, but perhaps survivors who knew all about dragons, probably knew bigger dragons that Balerion from their time living in old Valyria
This is my favourite reminder that GRRM is also an amazing horror writer.
Edit: Dammit, John just close with that thought! Great minds think alike?
No unfinished Fantasy series has ever created so much fan content as ASOIAF.
Great topic.
What happened to the video about the Dornish letter to Aegon? I miss that one. Anyway, great video as always Robert. Thank you!
This story makes me think the doom of Valyria was like the black goo outbreak that killed the engineers in Prometheus. A bioweapon that got out of control and destroyed their civilisation.
Those fire 🔥 worms are highly misunderstood creatures 😎🐉⚔️
Fun fact: the eggs Alyssa Farman stole are almost certainly the ones given to Daenerys as a wedding gift.
Balerion: "Bruh fck this shit. I'm out!"
Still here. Still watching IDG channel
You should do a collaboration with Glidus and Alt Shift X. Would love to hear on one of their livestream, letting loose a little bit. They go into deep theories like you, in a different manner of course. Would be an amazing video if it happens.
If we want to know more we’re pretty much at the mercy of Euron Greyjoy in WOW and whatever he happens to mention about his visit there
The Tolkien parallels were striking.
Do hardhome's fire destruction next
Amazing analysis!
Could easily be have been created to trick us, too. What is the proof that it all happened in Valeria? Or at one place? Valerian might have been hurt at two different places, by two different creatures, with the princess having been infected at even another place ... But yes, all signs point at Valeria.
I'm on the theory that they went to Sothoyros as well
I was really hoping you would dig into the death of Balerion. My favorite controversial theory is that he too was infected by the fire worms in Valyria, and since he has boiling hot dragon blood and is extremely large he was able to live with the parasites for decades, becoming more sluggish and ragged by the year.
The idea that Balerion died of an infection is important because it opens the idea that his age at death isn’t the “natural life expectancy” of dragons. Cannibal and Sheepstealer could still be alive and well if we allow that Balerion had a cause of death that wasn’t old age.
Well George's previous work involves a lot things that are wormy. Literal or figuratively. I'd day this is dipping back into an old well of ideas from his old horror stories.
I've always wondered where they got/kept the ice. Is it just me?
Ice houses were a pretty common thing up until the advent of home refrigerators, they'd have ice brought down from the North or possibly Ibben, plus with a bit of clever architecture/engineering its possible to make ice from condensation in desert environments, which is kinda wild
@@highlandoutsider that is amazing. I'm going to look this up. Thanks!
@indeepgeek please do a video on Ancalagon the black
If he gets summerhall, it’s going to be scary and depressing
What happened with the old ASOIAF videos, and will they ever come back in some form? I'm specifically interested in the one about the Dornish letter to Aegon the Conqueror.
Theory: Dragons themselves are Chimaeras created by the ancient Valerians and humans are part of them.
I don't think that 'something' entered Aerea's blood. It was always there. It's in every Targaryen's blood. That is why they sometimes give birth to "dragon babies". But when entering Valyria and its uncontrolled magics(the Magisters held that magic in check, until the Doom) the blood "mutated" even more. It is highly hinted in the books that Targaryen/Valyrian people are literally the blood of the dragon.
Would make a good movie
If only he'd finish Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring...
It's sad to say that I'm 50 years old, and we will never see The Winds of Winter or the book after that. It's clear that George R. R. Martin has given up on finishing the series.
Did you use the image at 11 minutes from 'Knightmare'?
What's going on? You already did this!
I think the only reason Euron survived Valyria is because whatever's there was scared of him.
My theory is Balerion tore the Wyrms out of his own hide, and then maybe inadvertently threw them over Aerea, infecting her too.
I think the worms are already there in Valerians and is part of the magic that makes dragon riders and makes their hair white and eyes purple. It's also why they need to intermarry. The kind of incest the practice should produce severe birth defects, yet Targarens are unusually healthy.
Nanomachines, son.
Y'all ever see what happens to a city built out of self replicating, bio-mechanical, extraterrestrial, black goop when the black goop gets possessed or learns to think for itself?
Does anyone know if anyone has looked into whether firewyrms may have played a role in The Doom of Valyria?Just thinking during this video when the kindly man is alluding to Arya about the faceless man’s role in The Doom, it’s also when he mentions firewyms. Like this video mentions, firewyrms are from under the earth and were a problem for the slaves during mining. The Doom was attributed to volcanic activity and I know a lot of people have hypothesized that it was specifically the fire mages being assassinated that were holding back the eruptive activity of the 13 flames that brought about The Doom. But maybe there is another component that involved the firewyms? Like a combo of people messing too much with the “natural” magic of the world and the firewyrms being an animal representation of that?
They delved deep into the earth uncovering secrets best left hidden.
Sounds like they woke a Balrog
Why wait for her? It seems like they bonded and he immediately took off. Why not go when he was riderless or had a different rider?