Jon or Dany can't die until last season. Arya and Bran also likely safe until then. Most others are up in the air.

However, Cersei is surely odds on to die next season, right? Next season is probably centered on Dany against Cersei, then Dany can move north in final season when she has defeated Cersei.

Where is Dawn now? Do we know? If young Ned took it from ToJ what happened after that?

Ned took it to Starfall. That's where the Ashara Dayne rumours in the books come from.

Why on earth would anyone leave the Horn ABOVE the wall rather than below it?

Why have humans on Earth caused global warming? Doesn't make a lot of sense either, does it?

I was about to say Tyrion is def in the safe for at least next season category, then I had a thought about season 6 i hadn't had yet, just how ****ing god awful was the Tyrion stuff in season 6? For being probably one of if not the most liked/popular character on the show they really botched this last season for him badly.

The horn of Joramun was supposedly used above the wall to wake giants by King Joramun who according to legend teamed up with the King of Winterfell to stop a rogue Nights Watch. And bringing down the wall was a secondary function

It is likely that it was given to him, having stayed at WF, and he didn't return it.

If we are to take the legends at face value anyway.

Fwiw it is unclear if the secondary function was a secondary myth created by the free folk. I doubt the show has the horn anyway and it was destroyed in the books so it is kinda irrelevant.

How the show deals with all this is a complete blank. Though the touch of the NK feels like it has to be a part of it just for convenience sake. Whether it means they make Bran responsible or a different living person is touched who knows.

The horn destroyed in the books is not the horn of Joramun.

Tormund didn't think it was real, but it may have been.

Its also possibly an entire myth.

I definitely don't think the books key moment is that all along the NK had a magical horn that can drop the wall so it's kinda irrelevant.

didn't euron's guy have a magical horn? I was thinking it horn to bring down the wall was that one (and thats why Euron was a relevant character), though could obviously be wrong.

“She burned that fine big horn, aye. A bloody sin, I call it. A thousand years old, that was. We found it in a giant’s grave, and no man o’ us had ever seen a horn so big. That must have been why Mance got the notion to tell you it were Joramun’s. He wanted you crows to think he had it in his power to blow your bloody Wall down about your knees. But we never found the true horn, not for all our digging. If we had, every kneeler in your Seven Kingdoms would have chunk’s o’ ice to cool his wine all summer.”

I believe him.

It's possible that the horn doesn't exist and this was just a very short term item to add some tension to the wildling invasion. The wall probably comes down somehow though, so why not just use the horn instead of finding another way to do it? It also seems that GRRM likes the concept of magic horns so it's possible there will be several different types: one to bring down the wall, one to bind a dragon, or one to summon a kraken etc.

that's really the only option for the show tho right?

Sam found the horn, he has it in Oldtown, Euron will blow it to bring down the wall.

book it

(in the books that is)

GRRM introduced this horn in one book and mentioned in the next, you don't do that unless it's going to play a role

I know but I meant the show. Like there is no other way that has been introduced

If a ****ing horn has anything to do with anything, I quit

Well we've seen two pretty prominent ones already...

I read the books because of the complicated relationships and political maneuvering, not for magic horns

I'm in the same boat for the most part. The political maneuvering and intrigue is far more interesting than the fantasy but it's getting to the point where the fantasy elements are going to play a far more prominent role.

He's established characters really well though and I expect the politics and intrigue will be a huge part of the story throughout.

in the first book you have

- Ice Demons appear
- Dragons born
- Dany survives walk into fire

and I think a major theme in the books is that magic is growing stronger and stronger. The people in Qarth say so, you have Glass Candles burning, etc etc.

then there are basic plot points that are crazy (like the Faceless Men...changing faces!) that you probably just accept

so while I get that politics is a big draw, the other part of the story has always been very prominent

North of the wall and Dany's storyline are pretty much separate stories in the first 3 books. The focus is the war of the 5 kings with occasional interludes to those two parts. The only time I can think of magic as prominent is Mel's shadow baby killing Renly which I personally hated. Even stuff like the faceless man killing people just adds a bit of fantasy flavor and is not at all an important plot point.

(in fact I've always had trouble figuring out why the face changing part of being a faceless man is particularly useful)

Lady Stoneheart also appears in the 3rd book (granted I also hate her)

but yeah I think in the kingdoms, magic was pretty much dead. Maesters run the show there and they are anti-magic, but in the East it's a different story and apparently has been for a while.

Personally I loved all the Children of the Forest/3 Eyed Raven/Giants stuff.

and I also think an overall theme is all these Lords in the kingdoms fighting and squabbling with each other over power, meanwhile there is a real threat to them all that (most) of them are blissfully ignoring. and this threat is obviously not-human/fantasy-ish

How could he have gotten the horn? Where would he have even found/taken it?

Beric comes back from the dead several times as well, no? Not a huge plot point of course. Also cersei's prophecy with Maggie the frog. Those are of course nits .... Quite right to say magic is relatively minor at KL.

in Valyria, probably lying next to the Vayrian steel armor he found (Dragonbinder, that is - which has been confirmed to have some spooky/deadly properties)

...

Also, Euron is about to sack Oldtown
Sam is in Oldtown
Sam is currently in possession of Checkov's Horn
...

Euron is about to have both the horns of Fire and Ice

Did you forget the part where Jaqen kills somebody in Oldtown and then assumes their identity? Seems pretty damn useful to me.