The inspiration for the Lands of Always Winter, Asshai, White Walkers, Crystal Swords and more IMO

Potential Spoilers Below

Shayol Ghul (pronounced: SHAY-ol GHOOL) is a great black mountain, once an idyllic tropical island paradise and vacation spot, now the focal point of the Dark One's power. It is located in the lifeless Blasted Lands, a place which bore the brunt of the War of Power. Within the mountain is the Pit of Doom, accessible only by a narrow stone passage where reality is wet clay to the Dark One; teeth of stone may brush at an intruder's head or close on him entirely, or rise to give honor to a loyal servant of the Shadow.

Shayol Ghul

Pit of Doom

Shayol Ghul location

Below the mountain is the great valley of Thakan'dar, where shadow-forgers forge the tainted swords of Myrddraal at the cost of human souls. Lightning flashes up at the clouds in this place. There is no life, and it is as cold as the ice to the north, yet the place is dry as any desert. No man of the Light has ever seen Shayol Ghul and bore witness to the fact. Any who survived were turned or slain. Jain Farstrider was known to have tried, yet what he saw is unknown as he disappeared shortly after his return. It is discovered in "Towers of Midnight" that he became a Darkfriend while there, though he returned to the light shortly before dying.

Myrddraal leading Trollocs

Jain Farstrider

A Darkfriend

Below is a telling of Padan Fain, a Darkfriend, about his visit to Thakan’dar:

Padan Fain

"I have seen Thakan'dar." Saying that hurt; the memories it brought were agony. He refused to whimper, forced the words out. "The great sea of fog, rolling and crashing against the black cliffs, the fires of the forges glowing red beneath, and lightning stabbing up into a sky fit to drive men mad." He did not want to go on, but he made himself. "I have taken the path down to the belly of Shayol Ghul, down the long way with stones like fangs brushing my head, to the shore of a lake of fire and molten rock--" No, not again! "--that holds the Great Lord of the Dark in its endless depths. The heavens above Shayol Ghul are black at noon with his breath."

   — Padan Fain (The Fires of Heaven)

Forgers are man-shaped entities, created by or for the Dark One to do one thing: craft the deadly black blades of the Myrddraal, at Thakan'dar.  They are neither truly smiths, nor truly alive; transported any distance from Shayol Ghul, they simply turn to stone or dust. However, even their "existence" can be ended by the deadly waters of the stream into which they dip the blades to give them their poisonous killing quality. It seems also that human lives are used, after its dipping in the deadly waters. The exact effects of a human being killed with the blade are unknown, but their souls seem to be important nonetheless. Demandred implies as much when he notices that the shrieks of a man coming from the forge are suddenly cut off and he thinks to himself that now the blade is done.  They are basically unintelligent although it is implied that they can become fierce fighters. The swords dissolve away after some time.

Demandred

Jain Charin, known as Jain Farstrider, was an adventurer from the Borderlands. His adventures are well known throughout the Westlands because of the book TheTravels of Jain Farstrider. He was a legend throughout the Westlands.

Borderlands

"If you ever meet a Malkieri, you tell him Jain Farstrider died clean."

   —Jain Farstrider

The last Malkier al'Lan Mandragoran

It is revealed in Towers of Midnight that Noal was actually the famous explorer Jain Farstrider, after he dies and is brought back by the Horn of Valere, though Noal claimed to be only Jain's cousin while still alive. Some also suspected that he was spying on Mat for Graendal, as when Sammael visited her abode, an old, white-haired man was seen disconsolately sitting, something as yet unexplained. It is also possible that Verin Mathwin had used her form of Compulsion on him, which would explain the flaws in his memory, as Verin herself mentioned that her form of Compulsion is less effective on men. Additionally during Rand al'Thor's confrontation with Ishamael at the Eye of the World the Forsaken gloats that he let Jain go "thinking he was free of me." Together with the uncertainty about why he was spying on Jaichim Carridin, why he chose to follow Mat, and other things, events seem to suggest that Noal was a Darkfriend, or at least an unwanting servant of the Shadow.

Horn of Valere

Verin Mathwin (Aes Sedai)

The 13 Forsaken

Asshai is a city located on the far side of the explored world from Westeros, in the far southeast of the continent Essos, on the far eastern shore of the Jade Sea. This places Asshai far to the distant east of the Free Cities, Dothraki Sea, and Slaver's Bay. Qarth is located closer to it, given that the Straits of Qarth form the western entrance to the Jade Sea, but it still takes many months for a ship to travel from Qarth to Asshai.

Asshai

Little is known about Asshai save that it is a great seaport and its people are exotic. Beyond Asshai lies an area known as the Shadow Lands, which are said to lie "under the Shadow". What is casting "the Shadow" is not known, nor is the exact nature of "the Shadow."

People and things from Asshai are known as Asshai'i. The Asshai'i language is unique, rarely heard in Westeros or even western Essos, and rumored to be used in powerful magic spells.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the Lands of Always Winter are mostly unexplored. They lie beyond the northern-most wildling kingdom, the land of the Thenns in the northern valleys of the Frostfangs. The wildlings believe that the White Walkers come from this region, but even the northernmost wildling tribes have little if any knowledge of the region - as few who have ventured so far north have ever lived to tell about it, if only due to the deathly cold temperatures.

Lands of Always Winter

Lands of Always Winter ???

The dark city by the Shadow is a city steeped in sorcery. Warlocks, wizards, alchemists, moonsingers, red priests, black alchemists, necromancers, aeromancers, pyromancers, bloodmages, torturers, inquisitors, poisoners, godswives, night-walkers, shapechangers, worshippers of the Black Goat and the Pale Child and the Lion of Night, all find welcome in Asshai-by-the-Shadow, where nothing is forbidden. Here they are free to practice their spells without restraint or censure, conduct their obscene rites, and fornicate with demons if that is their desire.

Most sinister of all the sorcerers of Asshai are the shadowbinders, whose lacquered masks hide their faces from the eyes of gods and men. They alone dare to go upriver past the walls of Asshai, into the heart of darkness.

A masked Shadowbinder

Melisandre is a Shadowbinder

Melisandre giving birth to a Shadow

On its way from the Mountains of the Morn to the sea, the Ash runs howling through a narrow cleft in the mountains, between towering cliffs so steep and close that the river is perpetually in shadow, save for a few moments at midday when the sun is at its zenith. In the caves that pockmark the cliffs, demons and dragons and worse make their lairs. The farther from the city one goes, the more hideous and twisted these creatures become … until at last one stands before the doors of the Stygai, the corpse city at the Shadow’s heart, where even the shadowbinders fear to tread. Or so the stories say.

While admiring the old Valyrian dragonroad in ADWD, Tyrion makes a reference to two particular books written by Lomas Longstrider titled Wonders and Wonders Made By Man. Lomas Longstrider traveled the world and compiled a list of seven natural wonders and nine man made ones.

Tyrion Lannister

Is there any truth to these grim fables brought back from the end of the earth by singers and sailors and dabblers in sorcery? Who can say? Lomas Longstrider never saw Asshai-by-the-Shadow.  Even the Sea Snake never sailed so far. Those who did have not returned to tell us their tales.

Until they do, Asshai and the Shadow Lands and whatever lands and seas might lie beyond them must remain a closed book to wise men and kings alike. There is always more to know, more to see, more to learn. The world is vast and wondrous strange, and there are more things beneath the stars than even the archmaesters of the Citadel can dream.”

The entrance to the Citadel, flanked by two giant stone sphinxes

“How long the darkness endured no man can say, but all agree that it was only when a great warrior—known variously as Hyrkoon the Hero, Azor Ahai, Yin Tar, Neferion, and Eldric Shadowchaser—arose to give courage to the race of men and lead the virtuous into battle with his blazing sword Lightbringer that the darkness was put to rout, and light and love returned once more to the world.

Azor Ahai yielding Lightbringer leading the virtuous into battle

Yet the Great Empire of the Dawn was not reborn, for the restored world was a broken place where every tribe of men went its own way, fearful of all the others, and war and lust and murder endured, even to our present day. Or so the men and women of the Further East believe.”

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Azor Ahai was a legendary hero who lived approximately eight thousand years before Aegon's Landing. It is said that during the midst of The Long Night, Azor Ahai rose up and defeated the Others, wielding a sword of fire called Lightbringer.

White Walker aka: Other

Azor Ahai Prophecy:

Darkness lay over the world and Azor Ahai was the hero chosen to fight against it. To fight the darkness, Azor Ahai needed to forge a hero's sword. He labored for thirty days and thirty nights until it was done. However, when he went to temper it in water, the sword broke. He was not one to give up easily, so he started over.

The second time he took fifty days and fifty nights to make the sword, even better than the first. To temper it this time, he captured a lion and drove the sword into its heart, but once more the steel shattered.

The third time, with a heavy heart, for he knew beforehand what he must do to finish the blade, he worked for a hundred days and nights until it was finished. This time, he called for his wife, Nissa Nissa, and asked her to bare her breast. He drove his sword into her living heart, her soul combining with the steel of the sword, creating Lightbringer.

Azor Ahai plunging Lightbringer into Nissa Nissa's heart

According to prophecy, in ancient books of Asshai from over five thousand years ago, Azor Ahai is to be reborn again to challenge the Others. This will occur after a long summer when an evil, cold darkness descends upon the world.It is said that wielding Lightbringer once again, Azor Ahai will stand against the Others and if he fails, the world fails with him,

"There will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him."

Conclusion:

In The Wheel of Time there is a great black mountain called Shayol Ghul.  It is the located in the Blasted Lands and was the location of the War of Power that Lews Therin Telamon and his Hundred Companions in an effort to seal the Bore into the Dark One's prison brought about the Breaking of the World.   Lews Therin was considered the first Dragon and after he died it was prophesied that he would be reborn and would yield Callandor, a sign that the Dragon was reborn, and once again face the Dark One although it was never stated that he would win.  The prophecies specifically state that one of the clearest signs of the Last Battle or Tarmon Gai'don will be the return of the dead to plague the living. 

Lews Therin Telamon

Callandor

Callandor

Rand al'Thor holding Callandor

We also know that the Dark One resides in the Pit of Doom which is a great lake of lava.  it is the only place in the Pattern that the Dark One can exert his will at full strength.

Below the Shayol Ghul is the valley of Thakan'dar where shadow-forgers forge the tainted swords of the Myrddraal.  The process to make these swords use human souls which can be corroborated via Demandred.  We know that Padan Fain a Darkfriend and Jain Farstrider a legendary adventurer who was turned to a Darkfriend have traveled to this horrendous place.  We also know that Thakan'dar is lifeless and is extremely cold.  

We know that the Myrddraal, who lead the Trollocs, are the Dark One's front lines in the war against human kind.  We also know that he uses the Forsaken and Darkfriends.

In The World of Ice and Fire we have the Mountains of the Morn which are north of the Shadow Lands.  They talk of the Ash that runs howling through a narrow cleft in the mountains (reminiscent of the narrow stone passage that leads to the Pit of Doom).  It also speaks of caves that demons and dragons and worse make their lairs.  I am going out on a limb but I would say they the “Ash” would almost be a volcanic type ash.  I also say this as in the show the hatching of dragon eggs also requires extreme heat along with a form of blood magic.  The Winds of Winter should give us a lot more insight into these regions.

So in the midst of the Long Night Azor Ahai, using Lightbringer (the Red Sword of Heroes), rose up to lead the virtuous into battle against the Others.  So what do we know of Lightbringer.  It is said that to make it what it was he had to drive the sword into the living heart of his wife, Nissa Nissa, combining her soul with the steel of the sword.  Does that not sound familiar (shadowforgers)?  Maybe Azor Ahai was a shadowbinder himself.  Does then that make him a good guy?  From everything I have seen and read about Melisandre’s religion they seem to be on the side of good in their minds.  Also we know that when Azor Ahai drove back the Others the world was considered a broken place.  Can you say “The Breaking of the World” after the Dragon sealed the Bore to the Dark One’s prison.

Azor Ahai is prophesied that Azor to return to stand against the Others and if he fails, the world fails with him (the same as with the Dragon Reborn). 

  

The pictures above show a White Walker leading Wights
Is this not reminiscent of the picture above of a Myrddraal leading Trollocs

We know that the Others are believed to reside in the Land of Always Winter.  We know that they wield thin crystal swords said to be so cold as to shatter any object they touch.  How are the swords formed?  Maybe we will also find that their swords dissolve away if a White Walker falls in battle making it similar to the tainted swords of the Myrddraal.  Maybe that is the reason they seem to be made of ice crystal,  Will  the process be similar to that of the making of Lightbringer and the using of human souls as the making of Myrddraal swords in the Wheel of Time.  I have said all along that the Myraddraal equate to the Others just like the Trollocs equate to the Wights.  Wights are basically the fallen dead that the Others use against the armies of men.  The prophecies of the Dragon Reborn stated that the dead coming back would be the clearest sign of the Last Battle. 

A White Walkers Crystal Sword

Trollocs

Wight

What we know of this region comes from the adventurer Lomas Longstrider who like his counterpart in the Wheel of Time Jain Farstrider, is presumed to have never visited.  But it turned out in the end that Jain Farstrider actually made it there but was turned into a Darkfriend.  Time will only tell with Lomas.

I believe that Melisandre believes she is doing the right thing but I liken her a cross between the Forsaken and a Darkfriend.

Melisandre

I am just reiterating facts from both books and when I make any assumptions it is only my belief in how the Game of Thrones story line will follow based upon the events that have already occurred in the Wheel of Time.  Right now things are lining up nicely whether everyone agrees with me or not.  Just like everyone else I am just making guesses on the outcome of the Game of Thrones only I believe I have a road map which is the Wheel of Time.  It may have scribbles and detours but in the end I think they will take me to the same destination.

I have my ideas on who both R’hllor and the Great Other are as it relates to the Wheel of Time but that is another topic of conversation for a later date.

Comments encouraged.  Love to hear the idea’s of others.  Most believe that since I present my idea’s as “fact like” I’m not open to change my viewpoints which is far from the truth.  I simply look at the information presented and go from there.  If you can shine a light on another way of thinking that opens the door to debate.