Hi everybody, I wanted to share a poem I wrote about my experiences with anxiety. The character in this poem is based on personal experiences with social anxiety and the toll it imposes.

I hope this poem connects with those who struggle with the twists and turns of anxiety. You are not alone and poetry offers us a way to articulate the emotions that we face everyday.

Please feel free to share your critiques, and suggestions of improvement!

Sheol

Sheol is man who has constructed a castle out of his fears and anxieties
No decision is made without great contemplation

The fate of tomorrow swallows the light of the present
Tomorrow is the enemy of today
In this siege, the fortress is bereft of foodstuffs
Its crumbling walls, and emaciated defenders with sunken eyes offer no respite from the silence of the night

Forays against the encroaching foe spring out of sudden moments of joy
But are repelled by internal doubt
An eternal stalemate in a land where the sun neither rises nor sets
For the defenders lack both the strength for a final charge and the will to surrender

Sheol exists in a limbo
A fate of constant movement yet never reaching a destination
Seeking a sequestered cure to the ailments of one’s own imagination
This is life

Game of Thrones is a world ripe for alternate scenario building. I am a big fan of the television show, and I have only recently started reading the first book. If there are any errors pertaining to lore or specific numbers, I apologize beforehand. I hope this post gives all of us GOT fans another opportunity to nerd out lol! Below, I explore an imagined scenario where Viserys and Khal Drogo invade Westeros and I present the reasons as to why Westeros would be victorious. I would love to hear your perspectives, critiques, and other imagined scenarios that you think would be din to explore.

One of the most fascinating what-if scenarios in Game of Thrones is Viserys Targaryen and Khal Drogo launching a full-scale invasion of Westeros while King Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark are still alive. Imagine an army of mercenaries and Dothraki Screamers marching under the banner of the House of the Dragon! Robert and Ned would be fighting to preserve the post–Mad King world they created, regardless of its flaws.

In Season 1, Robert often expressed his fears regarding this potential threat. He highlighted the fragmented command-and-control nature of Westeros (feudalism), while the Targaryens would command a unified army with a singular purpose. Robert also acknowledged the absurdity of meeting the Dothraki on the battlefield and the possibility of houses aligning with the Targaryens.

As much as this scenario is an existential threat, I am confident that the Targaryen horde would be thrown back into the sea. My conclusion is based on three factors:

1: Logistics

Let us say the Targaryen army consists of 40,000 Dothraki riders and 10,000 mercenaries intrigued by the opportunity to sack Westeros. How will these 50,000 troops and their 50,000 to 60,000 horses be fed? Viserys army would be operating in an environment where Westeros has maritime superiority.

Once the invading army lands, its transport ships would face constant attacks from Lannister or Baratheon naval forces. The army’s logistics would rely entirely on raiding and foraging (living off the land). The issue of logistics becomes even more complicated depending on where the invading party lands. If Viserys and Drogo land anywhere besides the Reach or the Westerlands (the only viable regions capable of sustaining a massive host), the invaders will face starvation. If the invading army operates as a singular force then the existing dilemma of logistics will exacerbated. If the army is divided and move into different directions, the issue remains. In addition, this will lower their military strength of overrunning defending populations.

2: Unity Through Adversity

Dothraki hordes ravaging the countryside and enslaving the peasantry would turn the population against the Targaryen invasion. It would ferment a nationalist like fervor capable of setting aside many of the flaws associated with Robert’s reign.
While Robert asked which is the bigger number, “Five or one.” In this scenario, Robert would likely be backed by most of the major houses. Westeros has an MVP roster of experienced tactical and strategic leaders. Tywin Lannister has no hope of surviving a Targaryen restoration after his ruthless betrayal of the Mad King. Tywin’s Machiavellian nature, combined with Ned’s tenacity, Robert’s battlefield instincts, and Stannis Baratheon’s mastery of naval warfare, would bring about the decimation of the invasion. All of these great leaders would be supported by the military and logistical support of noble houses across the Westerlands, Riverlands, the Reach, and perhaps even the Vale.

3: Siege Warfare

The Dothraki horde lacks the engineering skills, equipment, and experience necessary to capture and hold strategic positions. The Dothraki are shock troops whose mastery of maneuver warfare makes them terrifying opponents in battle. But, the Dothraki will not find endless plains and neatly arranged armies waiting for them in Westeros. Instead, they would encounter fortified stone castles scattered across the continent. Many of these castles will possess internal water sources and stockpiles of grain, allowing the defenders to wait for relief forces.

Lightly armored Dothraki would suffer high casualties as castle defenders utilize archers to fire upon besieging forces. The weather would also reduce the effectiveness of the Dothraki. The colder and rain-prone climate of Westeros, combined with the close-quarter camping required for siege warfare, would make the Dothraki horde vulnerable to diseases such as dysentery and typhus. If Viserys army bypasses uncaptured castles, it exposes their rearguard to attacks. Castle defenders could slip out to sever ad-hoc logistical networks, tie down enemy troops to guard contested territory, and coordinate with local forces to recapture lost territory. The operational capabilities of the invading army would erode to the point of rendering the invasion incapable of succeeding.

Conclusion:

The combination of these three factors would lead to the defeat of a Targaryen-Dothraki invasion. This will not be an easy victory for Westeros. The invasion would cause irreparable destruction. Lands are burned, cities and villages are sacked, plague and famine outbreaks occur, and Robert’s reign would face greater political destabilization.

There are several aspects of this scenario that, if altered, could completely transform the trajectory of the war. First, the role of mercenaries could dramatically strengthen the invasion. Mercenary forces possessing expertise in siege warfare and conventional battlefield tactics could help offset many of the Dothraki’s weaknesses.

Second, replacing Viserys with Daenerys as the leader of the invasion changes the scenario significantly. Third, perhaps Westeros will be bitterly divided even in the face of an invasion, this division can offer the Targaryen/Dothraki host friendly ports to land and territory to freely travel.

I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts. Do you think Westeros survives this invasion? Or do the Dothraki and Targaryens succeed in restoring the old world?

Hi everybody, I wanted to share a poem I wrote about my experiences with anxiety. The character in this poem is based on personal experiences with social anxiety and the toll it imposes.

I hope this poem connects with those who struggle with the twists and turns of anxiety. You are not alone and poetry offers us a way to articulate the emotions that we face everyday.

Please feel free to share your perspectives, critiques, and suggestions of improvement!

Sheol

Sheol is man who has constructed a castle out of his fears and anxieties
No decision is made without great contemplation

The fate of tomorrow swallows the light of the present
Tomorrow is the enemy of today
In this siege, the fortress is bereft of foodstuffs
Its crumbling walls, and emaciated defenders with sunken eyes offer no respite from the silence of the night

Forays against the encroaching foe spring out of sudden moments of joy
But are repelled by internal doubt
An eternal stalemate in a land where the sun neither rises nor sets
For the defenders lack both the strength for a final charge and the will to surrender

Sheol exists in a limbo
A fate of constant movement yet never reaching a destination
Seeking a sequestered cure to the ailments of one’s own imagination
This is life

A knight slowly closes his eyes beside a campfire
The wind slowly bristles across his chainmail
His eyes linger to the stars
As a final resistance to tomorrow
Beckoning for the end of today
Oh the night, let it not end
Spare Me
One more glance

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A knight slowly closes his eyes beside a campfire
The wind bristles across his chainmail
His eyes linger to the stars as a final resistance to tomorrow beckoning for the end of today
Oh the night, let it not end
Spare Me
One more glance.