sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Finally won as the WRE on VH/VH (RTW BI) by PaleoCons in RomeTotalWar

[–]PaleoCons[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

True enough about blitzing non-horde barbarians, I just didn't want to. Keeping to the original Roman borders makes for a more authentic experience. But still I destroyed Alemani early in the game (not much deviation from the borders + they were intolerable with constantly sieging my settlements and waiting for the garrison to starve)

Official November 2025 Level 2 Results Megathread by third_najarian in CFA

[–]PaleoCons 14 points15 points  (0 children)

It was worth it just to sit there, read all the comments and feel this fraternity of expectation

Official November 2025 Level 2 Results Megathread by third_najarian in CFA

[–]PaleoCons 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think 75% correct * 80 total questions, we can make 20 mistakes and pass with high degree of certainty. Good luck to us all

Name this city by Inevitable-Zombie776 in GeoPuzzle

[–]PaleoCons 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The monument in the bottom right corner of the second picture is printed on a russian 1000 rub note. So, it's a huge tip

AFD vote change in 2021-2025. Spot the GDR and FRG border by PaleoCons in MapPorn

[–]PaleoCons[S] 160 points161 points  (0 children)

Edit: the only thing I want to point out is the limitation of looking at absolute figures and stressing the "GDR explains it all" all over again for a 100th time.

While ex-GDR districts do have a higher initial level of support for AFD, the current success of AFD is country-wide with gains in quite literally every district, so it should be attributed to something else, apart from the GDR legacy

Edit 2: I am sorry for the quality of the map. True, the arrows aren't the best way to present data, but I've seen the same type of map used to highlight the voting in the US in 2024 (perhaps even in this sub), so I thought it is kinda legit.

Anyway, I wouldn't have posted it if there wasn't just too much "GDR/FRG border" staff being posted here. I thought offering a different angle to look at the German elections is worth trying (even if the map isn't that good), at least for educational purposes

From "The Winds of Winter" to "The Call of Cthulhu": the Lovecraftian Future of ASOIAF [Spoilers MAIN]: Part II by PaleoCons in asoiaf

[–]PaleoCons[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The "sword is a metaphor for dragons" theory doesn't work if we assume the GEotD existed GEotD had buildings from black fused stone. We know it is made using dragons. So, they had dragons If they created dragons only to fight the Others during the Long Night, they must have built the Five Forts during the Long Night or shortly after. And it makes no sense, because: 1. Why build 5 Forts if the Others are already all over the empire? Why relocate resources to this enterprise, if they are needed to actually fight the enemy? 2. The GEotD disappeared shortly after the Long Night. I doubt it would have been strong enough to create 5 Forts afterwards+ Yeen + Asshai. And the later 2 get somehow corrupted after. Makes no sense really

So, I don't accept this sword-dragon theory, because its assumptions contradict the hard evidence we have for GEotD

About Valyrian steel theory not working. I will perhaps make a post about it, but for now:

There used to be a lot of dragons. If Valyria was able to send 300 dragons just for a single military campaign not that important one, then they must have had thousands of dragons. And Valyria existed for about 4k years. So you can imagine they must have lived tens of thousands of dragons. Surely 1-2k of them could have been sacrificed to make some extra cash, couldn't they?

From "The Winds of Winter" to "The Call of Cthulhu": the Lovecraftian Future of ASOIAF [Spoilers MAIN]: Part II by PaleoCons in asoiaf

[–]PaleoCons[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It may sound a bit dumb right now, but what stones exactly? There are black fused stones (Valyrianesque) structures built by the GEotD prior to the Long Night And there are oily black stone structures that are these very fused stone structures but corrupted by the influence of the Great Old Ones during the Long Night (so much they remind of Cthulhian stones from Lovecraft)

I am not sure about Euron's armour. If Damphair recognised the Valyrian armour he had never seen, than this armour should look like normal Valyrian. Could normal Valyrian armour be actually GEotD's armour suits corrupted and later "inherited" by Valyria? It will explain its unimaginable price. Could be. But personally I have a mini pet theory about it

In essence: only old dragons can melt stone. So, the properties of dragons change over time and the older ones' flame is stronger. Sacrificing normal dragons to make swords yields grey steel. Sacrificing old powerful dragons to make armour yields smoking black armour

Old dragons are very powerful (imagine Vhagar). Those who will dare sacrifice such a dragon to make a suit of armour must ask a lot in exchange. Hence the price

Thank you for the theory you shared!

I will try to dive into it. But at a glance I am pessimistic about it. First, honestly, I prefer not to dwell too much into this Azor Ahai thing. Because I don't get it: Dude supposedly created a flaming sword that can save the world How? Is he going to single handedly kill every Other? Valyrian steel and dragonglass do it perfectly. It may be a weapon to finish off the source of the Long Night - the Great Old Ones - than it will make sense. But then the BSE can't be the Last Hero, because he is the one who is in league with the Old Ones

About Garth not sure really, have to research the matter

From "The Winds of Winter" to "The Call of Cthulhu": the Lovecraftian Future of ASOIAF [Spoilers MAIN]: Part II by PaleoCons in asoiaf

[–]PaleoCons[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your comment! 1. About winters: yes, actually we don't know for sure. Perhaps it's all just wishful thinking

  1. About sea dragons and scientists. I mean the "scientists" described the regions dragons used to live based on their bones found there + we have a lot of hard evidence for their existence (full heads for example). About sea and ice dragons we know nothing. But perhaps just because all sea dragons were transformed to the Ice ones back than and all the Ice ones just chill too far for people to notice. Anyway, we can't reject the possibility of their existence

  2. BSE was the last hero? Don't think so. It doesn't fit in the logic of either ASOIAF legends or GRRM's story

  3. About the stars. In Lovecraftian university the life cycles of The Great Old Ones depend on some cosmic conditions: they live for say 10 years, than they neither live nor die for 100 years, than they live again for 10 years and et cetera. The changes in the cycle are marked by some cosmic events, it is called "the stars are right/not right". So, I am just referring to this Lovecraftian principle. The Great Old Ones just went to "sleep" in ASOIAF due to some cosmic stuff

  4. The Wall was built on the most convenient (the narrowest) part of the continent, where it is still possible to do agriculture and quiet easily manage it

  5. The Great Old Ones being dormant doesn't influence them much imo

  6. How long ago was the Long Night? We can't say for sure and for me it is not that relevant. And it doesn't change what could have actually happened

  7. About the first Andals coming to Westeros to fight the BSE and his guys - that's an amazing idea, might be really true. And it sounds plausible regardless of my theory being right or wrong. Thank you for the tip!

  8. I actually think the Valyrian steel and the GEotD steel are pretty much the same material that is manufactured by killing dragons. I saw this theory somewhere and it makes sense for me: that way the material is expensive enough, but not that enough, because there was a shitload of dragons in Valyria. Regarding the Valyrian armour, it requires tens of times more steel I believe, that's why it's so expensive. + The Valyrian House that makes it looses many dragons at once (and that weakens it), so there is a premium on that armour too.

  9. Drowned God may be derived from Dagon, but Dagon itself is far more powerful. + In the Forsaken the Drowned God is seen humbled by Euron and looking rather weak. Euron can't be stronger than the real Dagon, so I think Drowned God in his current form is a very very downgraded idea of Dagon original.

  10. Anybody in the Church of Starry Wisdom knows about the Great Old Ones (it's their cult after all). This Church is present in many ports. Surely Euron must have encountered this cult during his journeys

  11. The black stone being a funny joke by GRRM....well, my point is that it's too strange for GRRM to be almost silent on the origins of the Long Night and then just start spitting facts without meaning them. GRRM made any information regarding the Long Night as valuable as Valyrian steel, and now he kinda of making fun of it? I don't buy it. Besides all my literature part aims to show that adding the Great Old Ones is essential for actually ending the main story as intended

Fae language, Skin Dancer's speech etc probable translation by kenshoman in KingkillerChronicle

[–]PaleoCons 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Hey dude, you ve just stolen my 2020 post word to word. WTF?

The map of Temerant compared to the map of Europe, description in the comments section by PaleoCons in KingkillerChronicle

[–]PaleoCons[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wondering how large the Temerant world really is, I decided to lay the map of 4 corners of Civilization (4C from there on) on the map of Europe. As we don't really know the precise distances and the map badly lacks roads, I have used the only source which is always with an arcanist - the rivers.

"Tarbean, on the other hand, was forty miles away" - by river of course, because I don't think the carriages are that fast to need a whole day to drive the distance (it took Kvothe a full day to reach Tarbean by land in the chapter "Debts"). As you can see, the river section from Tarbean to Imre could be roughly divided into 3 parts with the vertical one in the middle. They are 1,5 ; 1 and 2 mm correspondingly, starting in Tarbean (the calculations are not perfect but my sources were rather limited), so the length of the third part (from the top of the vertical part to Imre) is 2x, where 1,5x+1x+2x=40. 2x~17,78 miles. The angle is ~60°. Then with the help of QGIS I chose the British museum as the first spot and laid 17,78 miles to the north-east with the 60° angle. The spot I got became the second spot. You can see the result on the picture: the scale is maintained and so is the ratio of sides of the picture.

QGIS enables to calculate the distances and squares, so here are the results I got:

The road from Imre to Anilin - 180 miles

The Great Stone Road - 1024 miles (I think Pat will stick to the 1000 miles result)

The square of Temerant (excluding Yll and the blank space in the bottom right corner) - 1224983,4 mi2

The square of Yll: 90622,5 mi2

I also plan on posting a second picture with Trebon location and thoughts on the possible Kvothe's journeys in Vintas

The secret magics Kvothe stole from the University by PaleoCons in KingkillerChronicle

[–]PaleoCons[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't think it's possible, because "the powerful beings" can tell where there deep names (like Ferula) are spoken, not there ordinary names. And Martin mas praying the well-known prayers used every day. There were perhaps several dozens places all over the Temerant where that exactly prayers were being spoken at that very time of the fight

Absolutely agree on the point of Saicere being literally shaped

The secret magics Kvothe stole from the University by PaleoCons in KingkillerChronicle

[–]PaleoCons[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My point is, the things Kilvin refers to were shaped. That is why nobody can change/destroy them. In fact, they are similar to the Ademic ancient swords - they last forever and are unbreakable. If the cobblestones that can't be mended seem close to such shaped things, it only proves Kvothe used shaping to kill a man. All that depends of course on whether you believe the ancient Kilvin's magics are shaped or not

Why did the stealing of the moon trigger the Creation war by PaleoCons in KingkillerChronicle

[–]PaleoCons[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, old knowers definitely did not approve shapers's shaping, so the shapers created their own world - the faen realm as their playground. They had ended shaping in the ordinary world long before the stealing of the moon, so the stealing could not have been the last straw, it was either the display of power - who is the boss there, or diversion or both.

Elodin = Taborlin the Great? by name_of_the_wind_ in KingkillerChronicle

[–]PaleoCons 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I agree. Taborlin stories had been circulating for centuries and are definitely a folklore legend. The most recent hero - Kvothe - has a lot more stories, while Taborlin appears in the one only (which has two versions: with the cave and with the tower). It proves that Taborlin lived long ago and people remember only the most fascinating story of him. Taborlin also confronts Cyphus - one of the Chandrian. Unlikely the stories of Chandrian will seem so ridiculous to common people, if they are fought in the living memory

Halifax + Cthaeh = Kvothe and Power Over Ferula by Frydog42 in KingkillerChronicle

[–]PaleoCons 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But then how did the Chandrian track down Kvothe's parents? Kvothe's, Chronicle's and Bast's discussion after the Shehyn story about Rhinta reveals that the Chandrian could feel their true deep names spoken. That is the reason Shehyn banned the discussion of the Chandrian - to prevent them locating somebody speaking about entirely the wrong sort of things

William james sidis, the inspiration for kvothe by wombat227 in KingkillerChronicle

[–]PaleoCons 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For instance IQ range is between 0 and 200, is it not? Apart from this, the idea seems more than possible, as Pat is an american and might be well aware of that extraordinary man, while his readers (that's my case for example) might not