Game of Thrones begins....

[Josephus]

Nice ending, I liked.

Ned's a bit thick-headed isn't he?  Surely a normal person would have asked himself what angle the pimpmeister as playing?

And being one of Ned's personal retainers gives you about the same life expectancy as a red shirted security officer on Star Trek.

Thick headed but he was able to figure out that Robert's children were actually the product of Jaime and his sister pretty quickly, just because they were blonde.

[Siege]

What were Ned's choices?
1- Follow littleflinger counsel and recognize Jeofrey, marry Sansa to him and make peace with the Lannisters.
2- Support Renly and cut the Queen's head before the Lannisters could react.
3- Leave everything and ride for the North and the walls of Winterfell.
4- Proclaim Stannis as the rightfull heir and die, since nobody suppported Stannis at court.

Do you think making peace with the Lannisters would work? I can see Tywin using this peace to rally all the houses from the South and march North and besiege Winterfell. Renly had only a few dudes at the capital. He would have had to take the Queen by surprise, which is not Ned's style. The Lannisters would always outbid any propousal for the loyalty of the Gold guard.

I think his safest bet was to ride for the North without chosing sides, and let the southrons fight it out between themselves. Ned could have easily rally The Eyrie and The Riverlands to his cause while the Lannister were dealing with Renly and Stannis.

[Grey Fox]

Ned's an idiot. He should have recognize that the Whore King actually has agenda with all is dealings.

But Ned's not use to this. That's not how things are in the North.

[Solmyr]

I think his safest bet was to ride for the North without chosing sides, and let the southrons fight it out between themselves. Ned could have easily rally The Eyrie and The Riverlands to his cause while the Lannister were dealing with Renly and Stannis.

Which is pretty much what Robb did afterwards. That worked well. Granted, Ned's wouldn't have let his dick lose the war.

[Viking]

Ned's an idiot. He should have recognize that the Whore King actually has agenda with all is dealings.

But Ned's not use to this. That's not how things are in the North.

In the North the pack sticks together, because, Winter is Coming, and when winter comes the lone wolf dies. I don't think Ned really understands anybody who would risk the safety of the pack (in this case Westeros) for personal gain. To him even enemies (like Arthur Dayne) are packmates. That is why he tries to save Cersei, Joffrey, Tommen and Myrcella from Roberts wrath.

[Grey Fox]

That's good explanation to everything that seems to have happened so far.

[Siege]

Ned's an idiot. He should have recognize that the Whore King actually has agenda with all is dealings.

But Ned's not use to this. That's not how things are in the North.

In the North the pack sticks together, because, Winter is Coming, and when winter comes the lone wolf dies. I don't think Ned really understands anybody who would risk the safety of the pack (in this case Westeros) for personal gain. To him even enemies (like Arthur Dayne) are packmates. That is why he tries to save Cersei, Joffrey, Tommen and Myrcella from Roberts wrath.

However, in the North you have those dudes from the Dreadfort, the Boltons, I believe.
They don't appear to think like Ned.

[Siege]

I think his safest bet was to ride for the North without chosing sides, and let the southrons fight it out between themselves. Ned could have easily rally The Eyrie and The Riverlands to his cause while the Lannister were dealing with Renly and Stannis.

Which is pretty much what Robb did afterwards. That worked well. Granted, Ned's wouldn't have let his dick lose the war.

I think Ned would have had a lot more pull rallying the North and their allies.
How many troops did the Eyrie contibuted to Robb's army?
Would the Freys have dared to do to Ned what they did to Robb?
Probably yes. Ned was as much a retard as Robb.
I think Ned would have had more support outside the North, though.
And Ned would have sided with Stannis, since he didn't have any desire to become King In The North.

[Viking]

I think Ned would have had a lot more pull rallying the North and their allies.
How many troops did the Eyrie contibuted to Robb's army?

1 - The Blackfish. Nuff said.

[Martinus]

I think his safest bet was to ride for the North without chosing sides, and let the southrons fight it out between themselves. Ned could have easily rally The Eyrie and The Riverlands to his cause while the Lannister were dealing with Renly and Stannis.

Which is pretty much what Robb did afterwards. That worked well. Granted, Ned's wouldn't have let his dick lose the war.

I think Ned would have had a lot more pull rallying the North and their allies.
How many troops did the Eyrie contibuted to Robb's army?
Would the Freys have dared to do to Ned what they did to Robb?
Probably yes. Ned was as much a retard as Robb.
I think Ned would have had more support outside the North, though.
And Ned would have sided with Stannis, since he didn't have any desire to become King In The North.

The Freys wouldn't have a reason to do what they did to Robb since Ned wouldn't have offended them the way Robb did.

[Sophie Scholl]

Although if part of the alliance terms were for Robb to marry a Frey as they were in the actual timeline, he still might have ruined the Alliance by having the exact same thing occur.  Just because Ned is King in the North/Lord doesn't mean Robb wouldn't be able to f things up still.

[Siege]

Have you ever wondered how good would you do in Westeros?

I think I wouldn't have last long.
I tend to embrace a cause and then see it through to the end.
So for me it all comes to choosing the right side from the very begining, since I will not change sides no matter what.
Of course, by the right side I mean the winning side.
We all know rightness is in the eyes of the beholder.

But then, in real life I did not choose a side.
All those decissions were made for me before I was born.

So I guess in Westeros it would as well come down to in which I house I was born and to whom I was sworn to serve.

Here I despise the Lannisters, but had I been born in a House serving the Lannisters, first I would not know about all the schemmings and adultery of Cersei, and second If I did I would have assumed it was Stannis' propaganda machine. So I can see myself riding under the golden lion on a crimsom field banner, as easily as under any other banner.

Was Tywin Lannister a good lord? Well, he rewarded his loyal supporters and punished his enemies. Not too diferent from the Starks from the point of view of the lower houses.

In the end, can anybody name a historical person that was as suppossedly righteous as Ned Stark in medieval times?

[Siege]

Although if part of the alliance terms were for Robb to marry a Frey as they were in the actual timeline, he still might have ruined the Alliance by having the exact same thing occur.  Just because Ned is King in the North/Lord doesn't mean Robb wouldn't be able to f things up still.

Yeah. I think Ned and Robb were living up to the wrong standard.
As a knight or men-at-arms, loyalty and righteouness are indeed the highest virtues, but as the leader of a region you are making desicions that affect the entire realm. I can clearly see that I have two diferent sets of answers for the same questions depending of how high in the feudal heriarchy I am. For a knight or man-at-arms the consequences of the answers to the moral questions are limited to relatively few people.

[The Minsky Moment]

In the end, can anybody name a historical person that was as suppossedly righteous as Ned Stark in medieval times?

Louis IX was the model for the pious, chivalrous leader who made bad decisions (both crusades).

[Siege]

In the end, can anybody name a historical person that was as suppossedly righteous as Ned Stark in medieval times?

Louis IX was the model for the pious, chivalrous leader who made bad decisions (both crusades).

OK, besides St Louis.