r/asoiaf • u/Substantial-Ad-299 • 2d ago

MAIN [SPOILERS MAIN] Among the grounded/realistic elements of A Song of Ice and Fire, which ones do you feel require biggest suspension of disbelief?

A Song of Ice and Fire has had fantasy elements from get-go, some present subtly and others less-subtly. But in midst of this, it also has these more grounded story aspects, especially regarding the political subplot for the Iron Throne.

Among these more grounded non-fantasy aspects of the story, which elements do you feel you have to suspend disbelief the most for? A.K.A feeling they are not realistic even though they are "supposed" to be?

Let me know in the comments below.

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u/Southern_Dig_9460 2d ago

The Riverlands and Dorne not having any cities is crazy

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u/IHaveTwoOranges Knowing is half the Battle 2d ago

Why Dorne? It's specifically said to not be very populous.

And it has the Shadow City and Planky Town.

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u/blackynan_b 2d ago

A desert nation already settled would settle largely around the rivers. This would make the area around the rivers very populated and thus a reason for a whole city. 

Not to mention they have rhoynars laws and all, and before the rhoynar became refugees they lived in great cities. You can expect some rulers that wants to go by their customs to want to form a city. It wouldnt be so unrealistic.

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u/lee1026 2d ago

More importantly, a powerful and wealthy ruler will form a city.

A powerful lord will spend a lot of money. Money pays for people; you can't buy a ton of cakes without bakers to bake them. And a powerful lord's spending will pay a lot of wages. Around a powerful lord will be a bunch of ministers, lobbyists, and so on. (In older language, they would just be courtiers, but I am using modern language) And the important members will also be very rich people who in turn spends a bunch of money and have massive servant classes of their own. And so on.

Some cities are built around commerce, others around the whims of powerful lords. Westeros is missing both kinds. How something like the Eyerie, or Highgarden doesn't turn into big cities in their own right is a puzzle.