Night's Watch or Kingsguard

[AgentRedgrave]

Game of Thrones thread.

Would you rather be a member of the Kingsguard, or the Night's Watch?

So brief summery, the Kingsguard guards the king, and the Night's Watch is an order watches over a gigantic wall of ice to keep threats out from the 7 kingdoms.

Pros: The Kingsguard is considered a great honor, and you get to serve under the king, only the greatest of knights are chosen to be Kingsguard.
The Night's Watch, really depending on who you ask, is also a great honor. At The Wall, all previous social status and ranks are ignored, and a man get's what he earns "Even a bastard can rise high with the Night's Watch"

Cons: Depending on the kind of king you serve, the Kingsguard can be hell. As you could find yourself forced to serve under a tyrant by oath.
Aerys Targaryen II for example was a nutcase of a king. But he had some of the best knights serving under him such as Ser Arthur Dayne, or Ser Barristan Selmy. But they served him nonetheless as they were sworn too.
The Night's Watch on the other hand, while still held in high regard in The North (Aka, the best of the 7 Kingdoms anyway ) Due to the fact that the monsters that the Night's Watch was formed to defend the realms against, largely regarded as myth, and the most the deal with are savage tribes that live north of The Wall, they've become very looked down on by the rest of the kingdoms, and The Wall is seen as glorified prison camp (As they also give criminals the choice of going to the wall and taking the vow as an alternative to punishment)
Also, both make their members take vows of celibacy (Or at-least not get married) and they forsake any inheritance rights

Should be noted that the Kingsguard, the members are chosen by the king, whereas the Night's Watch you're either sent as a punishment, or you can willingly chose to go.

 

[Shadow]

Night's Watch! Because if I'm gonna be pledged to one job for my entire life, I'd rather it be the one that involved fighting monsters instead of serving them. ^^

 

[ReaperHunter]

Night's Watch. Black has always been my color

 

[Dark Drakan]

For most, the Night Watch is a punishment and you are surrounded by murderers/thieves/rapists and the like and although im big on 'brotherhood' im not sure I would trust people like that to have my back. The responsibility for protecting the southern realms would be more of an honour but its a thankless task. Many dont even believe in White Walkers/Giants & the 'things' North of the Wall etc they see the Nights Watch as a ragtag bunch of lawbreakers who all sleep with each other as they cant 'lay' with women or father any children. Most in the southern territories see the Nights Watch as scum, same goes for the Wildlings who until more recent events were kicked out by the Nights Watch. Overall both can be lead by tyrants who believe what they are doing is just but its not always as black and white (pun intended) as it seems and both are guilty of some truly awful acts of cruelty & violence towards fellow man/women.

A man get's what he earns "Even a bastard can rise high with the Night's Watch"

Not sure this is a pro based on current events... :laugh:

Rising high attracts attention of those who dont believe you deserve it and just another enemy created from your 'brothers'.

 

[AgentRedgrave]

Not sure this is a pro based on current events... :laugh:

Okay 1: Ouch, that was my favorite character dude
2: That didn't have so much to do with him being a bastard, as it did, some of his underlings thinking he was a traitor, who would lead them to ruin

I'd hate to be in either of them, but if I had to choose, Kingsguard.

I'd hate to have to have to live at that cold, snowy wall and always be surrounded by criminals
and other ne'er-do-wells, and have to take a vow of celibacy. I'd rather be in King's Landing.

I'd bet that the average Kingsguard member is much less miserable than the average Night's Watch member.

And if the King you're serving is a good king, the Kingsguard might not be so bad.

I'm from Canada, I like the cold.
And true, but you could find yourself surrounded by killers like Meryn Trant, or Sandor Clegane or someone similar.
Also, the Kingsguard are also sworn to hold no lands, take no wife, or father any children. The difference is, the Night's Watch doesn't really enforce it as much, as many black brothers frequent brothels, without punishment

 

[Innsmouth]

Kingsguard for me. Yes kings are often douches. Yes, you forced to do terrible things. But Nightwatch full of murderers, rapists and deranged human beings doing same things for fun. (also no women and crap like this…) So its like one place where you have chance for decent life, and another that gonna screw you hard no matter what you do

 

[La Femme Fatale]

I'm from Canada, I like the cold.

But isn't there a significant difference between Canadian winters and the Wall's permanent below freezing temperatures?

It's no contest for me. First of all, I'd prefer to have seasons, and secondly, I am a woman so there's a fairly safe chance I'd be raped if I joined the Night's Watch.

As @Innsmouth said, we'd at least have a chance at a decent life on the Kingsguard. And if you have a decent king who appoints decent advisors, you'd have a chance at a very decent life.

 

[Meg]

Freeze my ass off surrounded by rapists and murderers and hope I don't get killed by zombies?

Or have to put up with sneaky, uppity people all day?

I'll take the Night's Watch.

 

[AgentRedgrave]

Freeze my ass off surrounded by rapists and murderers and hope I don't get killed by zombies?

Or have to put up with sneaky, uppity people all day?

I'll take the Night's Watch.

So long as you've got dragonglass, or a Valyrian steel blade, you'll be fine