Tl;dr Much more characters than we thought may have CotF among their ancestors.
Nature and origin of the Children of the Forest
« - What do the trees remember ?
- The secrets of the old gods. »
ADWD - Bran III
Preamble
We recommend that you have read the fifth volume of the complete Iron Throne.
We will name Earth the world that some call Planetos.
All citations without reference are made up of combined excerpts from TWOIAF and the wikis of [lagardedenuit.com] and [westeros.org].
A detailed summary is at the end.
I deleted the illustrations, not sure if they are allowed here.
English is not my first language and I did best I could to translate this.
The only ambition of this text is to provide a pleasant reading.
Introduction
« - It's magic, he'd say.
- It's not, Cat said. The mouse was up your sleeve the whole time. I could see it moving. »
AFFC - Cat of the Canals
The ASOIAF world is filled with dozens of different peoples and species. The Children of the Forest stand out for their ancestrality, appearance and powers. What are they, exactly? Where do they come from? When and how did they appear?
This mystery is built by George RR Martin as a game of hints and deductions. To solve it, we will investigate in the four corners of the known world, from the Neck to Leng, from Ib to Naath... and other even more mysterious places.
In order to discover the origin of the CotF, we must understand their nature. Morphology, physiology, reproduction, genetics, evolution, culture, lifestyle, society, environment... We will study in detail all their characteristics as a species.
First of all, let us recall what defines a species:
« A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. »
Why would this definition be valid in the context of the fictional and fantastic world of ASOIAF? After all, what the author shows us are supernatural beings. It's magic, says GRRM.
But we, attentive readers, can see the mice moving in his sleeve. Big mice, hirsutes and taciturn....
Magic has its place in ASOIAF, but it is not always where we expect it.
1- The Ibbenese case
The first step of our long journey is in the Shivering Sea. The Ibbenese are an ancient people of islanders from the north of Essos. TWOIAF gives an extremely precise description of their morphological type.
« The Ibbenese stand apart from the rest of mankind. They are a heavy people, broad about the chest and shoulders, but seldom standing more than five and a half feet in height, with thick, short legs and long arms. Though short and squat, they are ferociously strong; at wrestling, their favorite sport, no man can hope to equal them.
Their faces, characterized by sloping brows with heavy ridges, small sunken eyes, great square teeth, and massive jaws, seem brutish and ugly, an impression heightened by their guttural, grunting tongue. They are the most hirsute people in the known world. Though their flesh is pale, with dark blue veins beneath the skin, their hair is dark and wiry. Ibbenese men are heavily bearded; wiry body hair covers their arms, legs, chests, and backs. Coarse dark hair is common amongst their women, even on the upper lip. »
But above all, the text contains essential information about these people, of a biological nature.
« Though the men of Ib can father children upon the women of Westeros and other lands, the products of such unions are often malformed and inevitably sterile, in the manner of mules. Ibbenese females, when mated with men from other races, bring forth naught but stillbirths and monstrosities. »
In fact, this excerpt describes hybridization by interspecific crossing, a barbaric term if ever there was one. This is not to be confused with intraspecific crossing, as between two dogs of different breeds.
Here we are talking about reproduction between two distinct species, such as a horse and a donkey, a lion and a tiger, a camel and a lama.... These crosses have the particularity of producing individuals that are generally not very fertile or even sterile.
Moreover, note the detail: the text specifies that there is a structural difference between the product of a union between an Ibbenese male and a human female (viable but sterile) and that of a union between an Ibbenese female and a human male (non-viable).
And the comparison with mules in the text is not innocent. Mules are sterile hybrids produced by a donkey and a mare. On the other hand, the mating of a stallion and a female donkey produces a different hybrid, the hinny, which is also sterile.
This exerpt reveals that the definition of species is valid in the world of ASOIAF, and that humans and Ibenese are as genetically different as horses and donkeys are. This will not surprise anyone, as GRRM pays great attention to genetic considerations in general. It is known.
In conclusion, although the Ibbenians resemble humans in the sense that they are intelligent primates who have developed a civilization, biologically speaking the two groups do not belong to the same species.
It is easy to imagine that the author had fun creating a world in which, in different places, different primates experienced a similar evolution and gave humans on one side, the Ibenians on another, etc....
Perhaps there is another explanation, but it is conceivable at least from the point of view of the complexity of the world created by GRRM ; whose fauna includes, as a reminder, all kinds of species inspired by our prehistory, mammoths and other "walking lizards"...
Now let's get to the heart of the matter, and get interested in the CotF.
2 - Nature of the Children of the Forest
We have seen that, in the ASOIAF world, the question of the nature of species arises in terms of biology.
The external appearance of the Ibbenians was only an indication of their true nature. Genetics provides the definitive proof, and reproduction is the determining criterion.
Then let's repeat the exercise with the CotF. But this time it is a question of examining in detail everything we know about them.
Let us observe them very carefully, and above all, let us not stop at appearances.
« The Children are as small as children, but they are not childlike. They are dark and beautiful ; slight, quick, and graceful. They may live for centuries.
They have nut-brown skin, dappled like a deer's with paler spots. Their hands have only three fingers and a thumb, with sharp black claws instead of nails. They have large ears that can hear things that no man can hear. They usually have large gold and green eyes slitted like those of a cat, allowing them to see in dark passages.
Very rarely, one of the children is born with mossy green or blood red eyes, a sign that he have greensight.
They were the first inhabitants of Westeros with the giants. They could once be found from the Lands of Always Winter to the shores of the Summer Sea.
They lived in a crude manner. They worked no metal, but they had great art in working obsidian to make tools and weapons. They wove no cloths but were skilled in making garments of leaves and bark. They weave leaves and vines and flowers into their hair, and wear cloaks of leaves. They learned to make bows of weirwood and to construct flying snares of grass, and both of the sexes hunted with these.
They resided in the woods, in crannogs, in bogs and marshes, and even in caverns and hollow hills. It is said that, in the woods, they made shelters of leaves and withes up in the branches of trees.
They call themselves those who sing the song of earth, the giants call them little squirrel people.
They often sing, and their song and music were said to be as beautiful as they were.
The gods they worshipped were the innumerable gods of the streams and forests and stones.
It was the children who carved the weirwoods with faces.
They were led by their wise men, the greenseers, whose powers enabled them to see through the eyes of the carved weirwoods, see events at a great distance, communicate across half a realm, delve into the past and see far into the future.
The skinchangers communicated with beasts, and could control them by having their spirits mingle.
The hunters among the Children became their warriors as First Men invaded their territory. »
It should be remembered that the CotF were also present in Essos, which is not surprising because this continent was once connected to Westeros.
« The land of Ifequevron is a huge swathe of northern Essos, a densely wooded region that had formerly been the home of a small, shy forest folk, that Dothraki called those who walk in the woods. Some say that the Ibbenese extinguished this gentle race, whilst others believe they went into hiding in the deeper woods or fled to other lands.
Corlys Velaryon visited these woods, he wrote of carved trees, haunted grottoes, and strange silences. The little people blessed a household that left offerings of leaf and stone and water overnight.
The Dothraki had shunned those forests; some say this was because of their reverence for the vanished wood walkers, others because they feared their powers. »
Note the strange silences, which refer to the music and songs of the CotF. A poetic way of identifying them by their absence.
In short, we are dealing with an ancient and primitive people, living in harmony with nature. We remember the CotF for their skill, their music, their craftsmanship, their powers...
And their very strange eyes.
Eye colour and size are particularly interesting, as they are very important in general in ASOIAF. Members of the same family often have similar eyes. Sometimes the eyes can reveal a character's secret identity. Here they will interest us especially as a hereditary genetic trait.
The description of the Forest Children may suggest that they are a species in their own right, but the reproduction data is missing to confirm or disprove this.
However, if we could demonstrate that CotF and humans can produce viable and fertile offspring, we could conclude that, unlike the Ibbenian case, these two groups constitute a single species.
There is no formal proof of this, but strong clues suggesting that humans and CotFs can indeed have children, and that they themselves can generate offspring. Everyone will form an intimate conviction after examining the facts.
These clues includes human groups that seem to share certain very particular characteristics with the CotF.
Let's follow the CotF trail where they lived, because they left their mark.
The mixed peoples
Terminology note: For simplicity, mixed people and intermixing will refer to the mixing of two populations, in genetic and cultural terms.
If, in the past, humans and CotF interbred, their descendants must have hereditary genetic traits. And it is !
We will observe three peoples, and see that they share with the CotF many morphological, physiological, and cultural characteristic.
The latter are not evidence in themselves, but they are interesting to note because, when added to the other characteristics, they become an additional clue of population mixing.
The idea is that human populations have lived in contact with the CotF, that crossbreeding has taken place, and that these peoples are its descendants.
First let us give an overview of these three peoples.
The Crannogmen
Let's start with the most famous of these three peoples, from which Meera and Jojen Reed come.
« The crannogmen are a reclusive people who dwell in the Neck, a land covered in swamp and bog, infested with quicksand, lizard-lions, snakes and poisonous plants. The histories say that the crannogmen grew close to the Children of the Forest.
They live in houses of thatch and woven reeds. wield nets and use poisonned arrows. They are talented hunters and warriors. Despite their slight stature and somewhat primitive lifestyle, they have proven a notoriously difficult people to conquer.
They saw their kings as the first among equals, who were often thought to be touched by the old gods—a fact that show itself in eyes of strange hues (like Jojen Reed's unusually deep mossy green eyes), or even in speaking with animals.
Some claim the Crannogmen's small stature results from inadequate nourishment, other say it is because they intermarried with the Children of the Forest. »
The last sentence, although speculative, is full of meaning. Not only is this a formal reference in the text to possible crossbreeding, but it emphasizes a genetic consideration: the transmission of hereditary traits ; and even suggests the evolution of a human group as a result of this transmission.
The Naathis
Let's continue with the people from which Missandei comes.
« In the Summer Sea lies the mysterious island of Naath, known to the ancients as the Isle of Butterflies, which inland is made of hills and forests.
The people native to the island have round flat faces, dusky skin, and large, soft amber eyes, oft flecked with gold. They are as clever as they are gentle, fair to look upon, and quick to learn obedience.
The Peaceful People, the Naathi are called, for they will not fight even in defense of their homes and persons. They do not kill, not even beasts of the field and wood; they eat fruit, not flesh, and make music, not war. Their fine handicrafts, shimmering silks, and delicate spiced wines are exported to a large number of countries. The god of Naath is called the Lord of Harmony.
Whilst the docile nature of the Naathi seem to make their island ripe for conquest, strangers do not live long upon the Isle of Butterflies. Yet none of these invaders survived, and the native claim that none lasted more than a year, for some evil humor lurks in the very air of this fair isle, and all those who linger too long on Naath soon succumb. The Naathi themselves are seemingly untroubled by the illness. Some believe that it is spread by the butterflies. »
The Lengiis
The second part of our journey ends in an even more exotic and mysterious land.
« The verdant isle of Leng, which history goes back very far, surrounded by the waters of the Jade Sea.
There are queer ruins in the depths of the island's jungle: massive buildings, long fallen, and so overgrown that rubble remains above the surface...but underground, endless labyrinths of tunnels lead to vast chambers, and carved steps descend hundreds of feet into the earth.
The native Lengii are perhaps the tallest of all the known races of mankind, with many men amongst them reaching seven feet in height, and some as tall as eight. Long-legged and slender, with flesh the color of oiled teak, they have large golden eyes and can supposedly see farther and better than other men, especially at night. Though formidably tall, the women of the Lengii are famously lithe and lovely, of surpassing beauty.
For much of its history, Leng has been an isle of mystery, for the native Lengii seldom sailed beyond sight of their own shores, and such seafarers who chanced to glimpse their coasts met a cold reception should they dare to come ashore. The Lengii had no interest in foreign gods, foreign goods, foreign food or dress or customs; nor did they allow outsiders to mine their gold, harvest their trees, gather their fruit, or fish their seas. Those who attemped to do so met a swift and bloody end. Leng became known as a haunt of demons and sorcerers, a place to be avoided, a closed island.
The great apes of Leng are also farfamed; amongst them are spotted humpback apes said to be almost as clever as men, and hooded apes as large as giants, so strong that they can pull the arms and legs off a man as easily as a boy might pull the wings off a fly. »
Evidences about intermixing
Let us examine in detail the characteristics of these peoples which are clues of intermixing between humans and CotF.
Environment
Their environment (marshes and bogs, forests and hills, jungle and caves), typical of the kind of environment that the CotF like, indicates that they may have been present on these territories in the past.
The existence of caves and tunnels is not mentioned about Naath and the Neck. In fact, if there are any on Naath, we have no way of knowing, since no stranger has stayed on the island long enough to explore it in depth. As for the underground passages of the Neck, they are certainly flooded (see the particular history of this region).
Finally, it should be noted that these regions are singularly isolated, an essential feature from an evolutionary point of view. Indeed, these three peoples have in common that they live in an environment cut off from the outside world for several reasons :
- or by its geography in the case of Naath and Leng islands ;
- or by the hostility of nature ;
- or by the fierce nature of its inhabitants ;
- by its bad reputation, an element common to all three regions.
These places may have fostered a certain mix between the human populations and the CotF present, as well as an evolution in isolation.
Way of living
We are not going to insist on the culture, we have already mentioned that it does not constitute formal proof of intermixing.
Let us simply note that the cultures of these very old peoples indicate that they have been close to the CotF. Probably in peaceful coexistence, because these three peoples are peaceful, have never shown any desire for external conquest, and respect nature.
Powers
We know that among the CotF, some individuals called skinchangers or greenseers possessed powers.
The powers of the CotF are explicitly mentioned in relation to the Crannogmen.
The Naathis, on the other hand, seem to have a deep relationship with the butterflies of their island.
Biology
Of course, these peoples have their own physical characteristics. The Lengiis are tall but it's not proof that they didn't lived close to the CotF. First, each environment produces its own subspecies. Moreover, the human ancestors of these three peoples were probably different from each other : the initial physical characteristics being not the same, the intermixing will give different results.
What interests us is those they have in common with the CotF, because it can be assumed that they acquired these hereditary traits through reproduction with the CotF, and that they were then transmitted from generation to generation.
Many features in the morphology of the mixed peoples recall the CotF. The Lengiis even have a physiological condition specific to CotF : night vision.
But the eyes are the best indicator of the intermixing between human populations and CotF. In particular the colour of the irises: the golden specific to the CotF is found among the Naathis and Lengiis. As for the Crannogmen, the text mentions eyes of a strange colour, and Jojen Reed's description is unequivocal.
Conclusion
« The cat was an ordinary cat, no more. The others expected a fabulous beast, so that is what they saw. How large it was, they said. It was no larger than any other cat, only fat from indolence, for the Sealord fed it from his own table. What curious small ears, they said. Its ears had been chewed away in kitten fights. And it was plainly a tomcat, yet the Sealord said ‘her,’ and that is what the others saw. »
AGOT – Arya IV
The mixed peoples are humans with CotF among their ancestors. We can imagine that human populations arrived on territories occupied by the CotF. As long as these humans were peaceful and respected nature, these two groups could coexist. Over time, intermixing has taken place, and traces of it can be found in current populations.
In conclusion, all the clues are there to affirm that crossbreeding has taken place on a relatively large scale, which demonstrates that biologically humans and CotF are in fact one and the same species.
The CotF are not supernatural beings, contrary to what the author leads us to believe. Since humans are the main subject of GRRM, this choice seems consistent. And it is not just another twist on a character's secret identity, because it is related the deep themes of the story.
But before elaborating on the author's intentions, we must establish the origin of the CotF. The third and last part of our journey will take us back in time.
And we will see that, like the gigantic yellow cat with small ears of the Sealord, the specificities of the CotF have a rational explanation.
Terminology note: For the sake of clarity we will continue to distinguish between the terms human and CotF.
3- Origin of the Children of the Forest
« Oh, to be sure, there is much we do not understand. The years pass in their hundreds and their thousands, and what does any man see of life but a few summers, a few winters? We look at mountains and call them eternal, and so they seem . . . but in the course of time, mountains rise and fall, rivers change their courses, stars fall from the sky, and great cities sink beneath the sea. Even gods die, we think. Everything changes. »
Maester Luwin, ACOK – Bran IV
« There are none who can say with certain knowledge when the world began. Is it forty thousand years old, as some hold, or perhaps a number as large as five hundred thousand - or even more ? It is not written in any book that we know, for in the first age of the world, the Dawn Age, men were not lettered.
What can most accurately be told about the Dawn Age? The eastern lands were awash with many peoples. But on Westeros only two peoples existed : the Children of the Forest and the the giants. »
TWOIAF
Let's be precise : it is said that the CotF preceded humans in Westeros, not on Earth.
It is not said where, when or how humans appeared.
It is not said where, when or how the CotF appeared.
It's not about nitpick. The question of origins is omnipresent in ASOIAF.
Who are the (true) ancestors of the characters?
Where do dragons, weirwood, the Others come from?
What happened in Summerhall, Hardhome, Ashaï... ?
How much truth is contained in the myths and legends of the past?
At the beginning of the Dawn Age, indeed, the CotF occupied almost all the known world. And their encounter with humans took place in a second phase.
But what interests us takes place precisely before the Dawn Age.
Because the Dawn Age is not the first age of the world. ASOIAF takes into consideration long time and evolution, so the CotF must come from somewhere.
And it is not impossible in itself that humans and CotF belong to the same species. They are just two extremely different groups.
All that remains is the following question: what events may have led to this situation, where two such physically different human groups coexist on the surface of the Earth?
We could make hypotheses, but responding in a global, coherent and contextualized way requires a thorough examination of the CotF.
Some may have wondered how the presence of the Cot in the islands of Naath and Leng was possible, given that they are never presented as a people of sailors. This question seems less important, but we will see that it is part of the matter.
Study of the Children of the Forest
We will list precisely what distinguishes them from humans in an attempt to understand their history.
Powers
Without discussing the nature of magic, let's observe that humans have the same skills as CotF, the best example being Bran Stark.
So either magic transcends species, or the powers are specific to the human species. The second hypothesis seems to be the right one, as there is no mention of Ibbenians, giants and other evolved primates with CotF powers.
In any case, powers cannot help us to differentiate between the two groups we are interested in.
Way of life
The way of life of the CotF is very similar to that of primitive human peoples: hunting, fishing, war, music, crafts (making tools, clothing and shelters), animist religion, preservation and transmission of memory of ancestors... The image of a classic hunter-gatherer tribe.
It should also be noted that they live in groups, which is not the case for some non-human peoples. It's a detail but it's very coherent from an anthropological point of view.
In short, their lifestyle is no different from that of humans: studying their behaviour confirms what genetics has proven.
Society
A quick digression, which will be important later, about the civilizational differences between CotF and humans.
We know too little to say, but we may wonder whether the CotF powers have not profoundly changed their society. In particular the possibility of communicating quickly over long distances, as well as a perfect memory of the past. Perhaps also that their power to mix minds has increased the share of empathy in their psychology.
We find no evidence of war between CotF: have they succeeded in building a peaceful society?
The clues of the past presence of the CotF are the same everywhere, and it is because of this that we can identify them. The CotF seem to have a single language, a single culture, which suggests a globalized and unified society.
CotFs modify their environment extremely little, preferring to adapt to it. It seems that they have reached a stage where they can live in harmony with nature.
Biology
So far we have observed beings that are not so different from humans : CotF simply have very particular physical characteristics.
Let us recall the specificities of the CotF: they are smaller than humans, have nut-brown dappled with paler spots, large slitted eyes, four fingers including one thumb, sharp claws, large ears, very developed hearing, and they see in the dark.
First we notice that, unlike humans, the CotF have kept long sharp claws despite the fact that they use tools and weapons, including sharp blades. From an evolutionary point of view, this observation must question us.
Are the CotF simply humans who have developed claws and other particular morphological and physiological characteristics? We have established that it is possible that the existence of humans precedes that of the CotF on Earth. We don't know which one appeared first: perhaps the CotF are the descendants of a group of humans, after all.
Humans that would have evolved because of mutant fungi from space, for example. Or to adapt to a new environment.
However, we can see that this is typically the type of features that can result from an evolution due to the environment. So let's leave the mutant fungi aside.
The skin of the CotF, compared in the text to a deer's one, evokes their forest life.
Their ears and especially their eyes show a good adaptation to nightlife, or generally to a dark environment.
Their small size tends to show an adaptation to a confined environment.
The four-toed clawed front legs are typical of some rodent and burrowing mammals such as squirrels (of course), but also prairie dogs and groundhogs. In fact, these animals have five fingers, but their legs are adapted to their use, and the thumb is atrophied or even invisible. We can imagine that the same is true for the CotF, that they simply have a finger largely atrophied, but that unlike animals they have kept the thumb, which they use to handle tools and weapons.
So, to what environment should humans have adapted to develop all these physical characteristics?
Underground
It's time to talk about the CotF link to the underground. Indeed, let us recall that, surprisingly, this people is known to appreciate two very different types of environment: wooded or marshy environments, and then caves, hollow hills, and any kind of tunnels... which is surprising in itself. The CotF are well adapted to life in the forest, which seems to be their natural environment. What is the point of going underground ?
Refuge
The underground seems to be the CotF's natural refuge when they feel threatened. We have many examples of this, such as in the Stormlands during the conflict between the First Men and the Andals.
This raises the question of their subsistence. How do they survive, once they take refuge in the tunnels ? Do they go out at night to hunt ? Do they feed on rats ? Without claiming anything, let us simply remember that the Giants called the CotF the people who store for winter.
Obsidian
It seems to be a volcanic rock, but we will not discuss the nature or origin of obsidian. Let us simply point out that this material has magical properties and that it is found in its raw state, among other places, in the old tunnels beneath the Peyredragon mountain.
For the CotF, obsidian is the raw material of their primitive technology. They cut this sharp but fragile stone to obtain blades and arrowheads.
At first sight, knowledge of obsidian is not a specificity of the CotF: the Valyrians used it to make magic candles to see and communicate over long distances. On the other hand, it is never mentioned about mixed race peoples. It seems that, despite the intermixing, the CotF did not wish to share this knowledge with the humans they met. We can suspect the CotF to know the magical properties of the obsidian, and to use it for more... secret uses.
One last detail about the obsidian. TWOIAF emphasizes the great art with which the CotF work with this material, which suggests that they have a perfect mastery of it. Moreover, they did not invent weaving and continue to make clothes from raw materials. Could it be that the use of obsidian constitutes for them a more ancient knowledge than those related to life in the woods?
In any case, they are very well adapted to the underground world (perhaps even better than to the forest, where they had to develop a minimum of technologies necessary for their survival), and that they have a perfect knowledge of underground networks.
This could explain their presence in the islands of Leng, Naath, and certainly others (there are indications of their presence on Skagos, in particular).
The underground could well be the primal environment of the CotF.
Conclusion
We have found that the CotF, despite superficial differences, are extremely close to humans, which confirms the demonstration by genetics.
All our observations lead us to ask the question: are the CotF the descendants of humans who have been forced to live below the earth's surface long enough to evolve there, thus adapting to this new and extreme environment?
The next step is to place this assumption in the general context of ASOIAF.
Theory
« The First Men named us children. The giants called us the squirrel people, because we were small and quick and fond of trees, but we are no squirrels, no children. Before your Old Tongue was ever spoken, we had sung our songs ten thousand years. »
Leaf, ADWD – Bran II
« Men should not go wandering in this place… The river you hear is swift and black, and flows down and down to a sunless sea. And there are passages that go even deeper, bottomless pits and sudden shafts, forgotten ways that lead to the very center of the earth. Even my people have not explored them all, and we have lived here for a thousand thousand of your man-years. »
Leaf, ADWD – Bran III
Who are the CotF ? Where do they come from ? When and how did they appear ?
This is my theory.
Long before the Long Night, long before the Dawn Age, at a time when the CotF did not yet exist, humans already populated the Earth.
It all starts when a disaster strikes. A cataclysm. The apocalypse. Extreme glacial era, comet impact, invasion of mutant fungi... Whatever its nature, it is a disruption of such magnitude that it will eradicate the human species from the surface of the Earth for a very, very long time.
Thus begins the Night Age.
Humans have managed to survive and perpetuate the species. ASOIAF tells the story of their very distant descendants: the CotF people and the First Men.
The CotF's ancestors are humans who hid far, far below the Earth's surface. These humans survived despite everything. Over time, they have evolved physically to adapt to underground life. And somehow, some of them have acquired powers. But their true nature remains unchanged : they are still humans. This new people takes the name of "those who sing the song of earth".
As for the ancestors of the First Men, they were able to survive in some shelter, without having to adapt to a new environment. In a bunker, an arch, or a lunar base.... A place that must look like Winterfell or the Eyrie. An impregnable fortress, isolated from the world.
Time passes. Centuries and millennia, possibly more. Until finally the Earth's surface becomes inhabitable again.
So the CotF, wherever possible, come out of the underground and gradually adapt to life in the forest.
This is Dawn Age day one.
Humans, in turn, emerge from their shelter and begin to repopulate the entire Earth. In many places, they will be confronted with the CotF.
Much later will happen the Long Night and all the events narrated in ASOIAF.
The apocalypse, mutant humans... Oh, I know what you're thinking.
That's exactly the kind of story GRRM likes to tell !
It's time to visit an old friend.
« Sometimes Old Nan would tell the same story she'd told before, but we never minded, if it was a good story. Old stories are like old friends, she used to say. You have to visit them from time to time. »
ASOS - Bran II
Submitted June 30, 2019 at 01:36AM by un_Autre_monde https://ift.tt/2FHectD
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