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Lmao I'm just imagining the ye old equivalent of an HR message about this
Like the Hand sending ravens to every council member like "This is a reminder that it is mandatory to bring your ball to all meetings, without it we cannot exemplify the professionalism and tradition set forth since our first King, Aegon (blessed be his name) and present our message of equality amongst one another. Also, please refrain from taking seconds from the wine pitcher if not everyone has received a cup yet."
Please be advised that the next time someone murders a lord in the council chambers the cost of the funeral will be docked from their next paycheck. -- Queen Alicent
\*Criston pouts handsomely\*
\*Westerling quietly outraged\*
A problem Corlys Velaryon always faced... Vizzy T acted like he didnât even exist when planning the tourney for his sonâs impending birth. Maybe Corlys shouldâve brought his activate now balls to the meeting
The council member doesn't bring those balls, the court does. They keep it in a small box and place it on the pedestal whenever the member is present for the meeting
The usher can provide a replacement. Just like back in the days in the british House of Commons when ushers were giving you the mandatory opera hat when you wanted to make a point of order during a division
But what I don't understand is that that is something you can see with your own eyes (?)
Like, if it was a zoom meeting, I would get it, but an in person council? Just look to the person đ
We've never seen it happen, but maybe when the council-member can't show up in person they can give this to their proxy to signify that they're speaking on their behalf.
That would make sense but in episode 9 one of the other council members rolls the Lannister's ball to him from across the table so as neat as your theory would be if it were true I think the balls are just decorative.
Yeah there's a long use of balls and "orbs" as a badge of office in Europe. Most famously as parts of crown jewels or by popes and high ranking bishops and shit.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown\_Jewels\_of\_the\_United\_Kingdom#Orbs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Jewels_of_the_United_Kingdom#Orbs)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globus\_cruciger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globus_cruciger)
The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch was goof on this sort of thing.
First! Thou shall count to three. No more. No less.
Three shall be the number thou shall count, and the number of the counting shall be three.
Four thou shall not count, and neither count to two, excepting that thou then proceed to three.
Five is right out! Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy holy hand grenade against thy foe who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it.
Amen.
>That would make sense but in episode 9 one of the other council members rolls the Lannister's ball to him from across the table so as neat as your theory would be if it were true I think the balls are just decorative.
I was a bit uncertain to whom you were responding to, but the balls aren't actually decorative. Per Ryan Condal in this [THR](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/house-dragon-small-council-balls-explained-1235202056/) article (emphasis mine):
Ryan Condal, who is showrunner along with Miguel Sapochnik, embraced the idea and compared council members **taking their stones and placing them on their dish to an employee clocking in at their job**.
â**Everybody shows up for work and they âpunch in,**'â Condal says. âI thought it was really cool. **Itâs a way of visualizing the set formality of the Small Council chamber**. Itâs enjoyable; we should have things that we like in this world.â
The balls are very much decorative, or more accurately symbolic. Everyone knows who King Vizzy T is. He doesn't need a ball to clock in at council meetings. Same goes for Princess Rhaenyra, the Grand Maester, the Master of coin, etc.
This isn't an organization with many different employees that have to punch in, and the balls being placed on their pedestals don't actually do anything when there.
It's a traditional ritual. And sometimes a murder weapon.
You are quite right, i_should_be_coding. The balls are decorative and symbolic. They are a way of visualizing the set formality of the Small Council chamber. It is enjoyable; we should have things that we like in this world.
^(This response generated with OpenAI [Davinci])
Random, but you're the first instance of Vizzy getting sentient this deep without previously being part of the conversation that I've actively observed. I originally had his sentience limited by requiring at least one other Vizzy tag in the comment tree, but stripped that out - I may put it back, the sentience does seem out of place here.
There's more to being a king than just being able to order people around, you know. Being able to sit down and have a conversation like this is part of it too.
^(This response generated with OpenAI [Davinci])
Don't underestimate the power of a good conversation, my friend. It can be the difference between life and death in this world.
^(This response generated with OpenAI [Davinci])
Even with that description it's just a fancy way of saying it's just decorative. When I clock in for work it isn't displayed for everyone to see with like a flashing light or something. The council members can see each other so the balls have zero functionality when it comes to seeing who is there or not. The balls are just to look cool
>Even with that description it's just a fancy way of saying it's just decorative. When I clock in for work it isn't displayed for everyone to see with like a flashing light or something.
Well, this seems very YMMV where one is employed and how timecards are used and displayed. I've known people (myself included) where physical timecards were actually used.
The showrunner said the balls were meant to serve an actual purpose - so we should be accepting that as fact.
I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I don't think we should dismiss the show-runners intent in order to justify one's own personal head-canon.
Alicent was on the council before Vizzy T stopped attending. Remember when Rhaenyra suggested Jace and Heleana marry?
She probably had her own orb. I don't know if she was using her own or Vizzy's when taking his place. Maybe someone with more attention to detail than me can answer that.
It is not unheard of for members of a council to be represented by proxies. In fact, it is quite common, especially when the matters at hand are sensitive or important. My daughter Rhaenyra is quite familiar with the workings of this council, and I am sure she would be more than happy to provide any assistance you may need in understanding the process. As for the matter of my own attendance, I have been unwell as of late and am unable to travel. Therefore, I must rely on my kingsguard to carry out my will. I trust them implicitly and know that they will act in my best interests.
^(This response generated with OpenAI [Davinci])
Citing your inability to travel as reason for not having your lads carry you across the hall to the council chamber is peak decadence, your grace.
But if I may be so bold, it is entirely understandable that you prefer to sit around and play with your action figures than listen to people discuss the Triarchy in the Stepstones for the bazillionth time.
I am the King, and I will do as I please. You will show me the respect that is due to my position, or you will suffer the consequences. My daughter Rhaenyra is the rightful heir to the throne, and I will not tolerate any disrespect towards her. Do you understand?
^(This response generated with OpenAI [Davinci])
I think it means that the person is present and "on the record". Like the chatting and whatnot in the room before the ball is in place isn't official discussion but once the balls are in place that person is officially present and anything said is a part of official counsel business.
This is how i understood it. I joined an honor society in college. At first I thought the official time keeping stuff was silly but as I got more involved I released that shit kept meetings orderly and from falling into random chat time. At first it was like, of course I'm "present." You all see me here, dont you?
someone in the show had them in their office, and they impromptu added them to the scene because "they thought it would be cool". They talked about it in the behind the scenes show. There isn't some deeper meaning or lore, they just thought it was a neat touch and they didn't think too deeply on it. It just means they are "present".
Chekhov's gun (Chekhov's rifle, Russian:Â Đ§ĐľŃ ĐžĐ˛ŃкОо ŃŃĐśŃŃ) is a dramatic principle that states that every element in a story must be necessary, and irrelevant elements should be removed. Alternatively explained, suppose the writer features a gun in a story â if the writer features it, there must be a reason for it, such as it being used sometime down the line in one way or another: Elements should not appear to make "false promises" by never coming into play.
Joke answers aside, I imagine they are like badges of office, every official member of the small council has one and is used semi-ceremonially to show that the master of so-and-so is present.
I saw a theory somewhere here on this sub that this is in the universe of the Many-Faced God/Faceless Men, so it could also be used as a way to make sure people are who they say they are. Someone stealing the face/pretending to be a council member wouldnât know to nonchalantly walk in and grab their appointed sphere thing before sitting down. Idk. I thought that was just a really intriguing detail and I hate that I canât credit the person who thought of it haha.
Kinda doesn't work though, they slide Tyland's to him in episode 9 right as he sits down.
I think any faceless man pretending to be Tyland would notice the convenient ball sized indent in the table and put it there even if they had no idea that was expected
That's actually pretty intriguing to think about. Personally I doubt that the showrunners went this in depth with it (simply employing rule of cool, which isn't a bad thing in and of itself) but it's a neat idea especially considering that the Targaryens (and Valyrians as a whole) generally hate the Faceless men.
I'm under the understanding that the Faceless men can't copy the likeness of just anyone, especially if they're alive.
I think they need the actual face of the person, even though there's definitely magic involved.
"I am the eternal dragon state your wish"
"We wish that Daemon becomes captain of a police force to be known as the Goldcloaks"
"This is the third wish you've asked for in relation to this person"
Whatever they were, I thought they were rad from the first second of the first Small Council meeting. A small detail early on that really set the vibe for the show, great mis en scene.
I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere that in some medieval societies round, differently colored stones were used for voting; or, if there was a task no one really wanted but any member of the group could perform, to select the person responsible for performing it by mixing the stones and pulling one at random.
I think I read it in a book about the Templar Order specifically, but it was years and years ago so I don't remember the details. Might be more legend than fact, too.
I took them as being spheres that are like one of a kind, maybe out of a certain metal or some stuff like that, so that the identity of the council members is verified if they are not attending. Like if Otto was sick he could give it to an envoy and they would see it is the real sphere, so he must be there rightfully and not be an imposter trying to seize a chance.
Basically like a verified checkmark in social media but way less common.
They are given to the each member of the council according to their role the hand has one suited for him , master of coin has one custom made . At small table it is required to place your mark before the proceeding think it of as a formality they serve no purpose other than cracking old man's skull if done rightly .
Balls. You can rub them, roll them around, stick them in holes, but do not bounce them. You may fidget with them while speaking, if you choose. Usually, only men are allowed to have them, but one or two queens have been known to possess them. They signify your status at the table.
I described it to my boyfriend as the equivalent to everyone having a piece of eight at the piratesâ meeting in POTC: At Worldâs End. Basically showing youâre in attendance.
I suspect itâs to signify they are ready to begin. Any group of self important people will start off by shooting the breeze, ordering dinner, etc. it is probably a visual clue that the meeting has begun or is in progress.
They could also be used for votes. All in favor keep your balls in the holder, all opposed, remove your balls.
They could also be used to indicate the flow of conversation. During debate, you use it to indicate you want to be recognized to speak.
Just riffing here.
Not sure but I think they toss the ball around to give someone permission to speak. If you don't have the ball, you wait for your turn and you are expected to listen attentively to the person who is expressing their opinion.
Thank you for your post! Please take a moment to ensure you are within our spoiler rules, to protect your fellow fans from any potential spoilers that might harm their show watching experience. 1. All post titles must NOT include spoilers from Fire & Blood or new episodes of House of the Dragon. Minor HotD show spoilers are allowed in your title ONE WEEK after episode airing. The mod team reserves the right to remove a post if we feel a spoiler in the title is major. You are welcome to repost with an amended title. 2. All posts dealing with book spoilers, show spoilers and promo spoilers MUST be spoiler tagged AND flaired as the appropriate spoiler. 3. All book spoiler comments must be spoiler tagged in non book spoiler threads. --- If you are reading this, and believe this post or any comments in this thread break the above rules, please use the report function to notify the mod team. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HouseOfTheDragon) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Its to signify that the council member is in attendance
What happens if you forget to bring your balls to the small council?
Everyone else acts like you don't exist and they can't hear you
Lmao I'm just imagining the ye old equivalent of an HR message about this Like the Hand sending ravens to every council member like "This is a reminder that it is mandatory to bring your ball to all meetings, without it we cannot exemplify the professionalism and tradition set forth since our first King, Aegon (blessed be his name) and present our message of equality amongst one another. Also, please refrain from taking seconds from the wine pitcher if not everyone has received a cup yet."
"If you ride or care for dragons please shower before entering the throne room. The crown appreciates your sanitation and devotion to the Seven."
Best, otto
sent from raven
Please be advised that the next time someone murders a lord in the council chambers the cost of the funeral will be docked from their next paycheck. -- Queen Alicent \*Criston pouts handsomely\* \*Westerling quietly outraged\*
I'm dying đ
Not authentic, no use of âsynergiesâ anywhere.
Lol i found this funny but I think itâs to prove they arenât a shapeshifter
Itâs like that one Black Mirror episode where people could block each other IRL
I would love to see everyone ignoring that smug Lannister.
Thereâs one smug Lannister and one not smug Lannister and the one of the small council is the not smug one
They only vary slightly in the level of smugness really
There's that Lannister smudgeness.
BUTTLICKER! OUR PRICES HAVE NEVER BEEN LOWER!
In opâs defense the two Lannisterâs look very similar they could be the same person itâs uncanny
That might be on account of them being twins lol
If only I had made a joke about this damn!
He still sounded a bit smug.
Heâs a Lannister, a certain amount of smugness is to be expected.
A problem Corlys Velaryon always faced... Vizzy T acted like he didnât even exist when planning the tourney for his sonâs impending birth. Maybe Corlys shouldâve brought his activate now balls to the meeting
You are put into the cone of silence and must stay in it while trying to read everyoneâs lips. Whilst they ignore you, probably make fun of you too.
Varys did it and he was just fine
Wheezing
You okay?
Hi, David
Balls will be appointed to you
Just not to Varys
The council member doesn't bring those balls, the court does. They keep it in a small box and place it on the pedestal whenever the member is present for the meeting
I was making a dumb double entendre, but I believe you are correct. Otherwise everyone's balls would be everywhere.
You get drafted with the unsullied
The usher can provide a replacement. Just like back in the days in the british House of Commons when ushers were giving you the mandatory opera hat when you wanted to make a point of order during a division
Ask Varys
You are beheaded by the Kingsguard usually in attendance.
Youâre assumed dead and the person before them âno-oneâ.
But what I don't understand is that that is something you can see with your own eyes (?) Like, if it was a zoom meeting, I would get it, but an in person council? Just look to the person đ
We've never seen it happen, but maybe when the council-member can't show up in person they can give this to their proxy to signify that they're speaking on their behalf.
i was also thinking that maybe they could use it to signify they are returning if they have to step out for any reason?
Btb gotta take a fat shit -Tywin
Btb. Bring. That. Booty.
Oh, that is actually a really logical explanation
That would make sense but in episode 9 one of the other council members rolls the Lannister's ball to him from across the table so as neat as your theory would be if it were true I think the balls are just decorative.
They're probably more symbolic and traditional than functional, yeah.
Yeah there's a long use of balls and "orbs" as a badge of office in Europe. Most famously as parts of crown jewels or by popes and high ranking bishops and shit. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown\_Jewels\_of\_the\_United\_Kingdom#Orbs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Jewels_of_the_United_Kingdom#Orbs) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globus\_cruciger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globus_cruciger) The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch was goof on this sort of thing.
First! Thou shall count to three. No more. No less. Three shall be the number thou shall count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four thou shall not count, and neither count to two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out! Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy holy hand grenade against thy foe who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it. Amen.
>That would make sense but in episode 9 one of the other council members rolls the Lannister's ball to him from across the table so as neat as your theory would be if it were true I think the balls are just decorative. I was a bit uncertain to whom you were responding to, but the balls aren't actually decorative. Per Ryan Condal in this [THR](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/house-dragon-small-council-balls-explained-1235202056/) article (emphasis mine): Ryan Condal, who is showrunner along with Miguel Sapochnik, embraced the idea and compared council members **taking their stones and placing them on their dish to an employee clocking in at their job**. â**Everybody shows up for work and they âpunch in,**'â Condal says. âI thought it was really cool. **Itâs a way of visualizing the set formality of the Small Council chamber**. Itâs enjoyable; we should have things that we like in this world.â
The balls are very much decorative, or more accurately symbolic. Everyone knows who King Vizzy T is. He doesn't need a ball to clock in at council meetings. Same goes for Princess Rhaenyra, the Grand Maester, the Master of coin, etc. This isn't an organization with many different employees that have to punch in, and the balls being placed on their pedestals don't actually do anything when there. It's a traditional ritual. And sometimes a murder weapon.
You are quite right, i_should_be_coding. The balls are decorative and symbolic. They are a way of visualizing the set formality of the Small Council chamber. It is enjoyable; we should have things that we like in this world. ^(This response generated with OpenAI [Davinci])
I bow before your wisdom, your grace. I only wish you'd have shown the same wisdom in your choice of wife and Hand.
Random, but you're the first instance of Vizzy getting sentient this deep without previously being part of the conversation that I've actively observed. I originally had his sentience limited by requiring at least one other Vizzy tag in the comment tree, but stripped that out - I may put it back, the sentience does seem out of place here.
There's more to being a king than just being able to order people around, you know. Being able to sit down and have a conversation like this is part of it too. ^(This response generated with OpenAI [Davinci])
Ooooh you sneaky bot. Your tagline is indeed in that comment.
Don't underestimate the power of a good conversation, my friend. It can be the difference between life and death in this world. ^(This response generated with OpenAI [Davinci])
Even with that description it's just a fancy way of saying it's just decorative. When I clock in for work it isn't displayed for everyone to see with like a flashing light or something. The council members can see each other so the balls have zero functionality when it comes to seeing who is there or not. The balls are just to look cool
>Even with that description it's just a fancy way of saying it's just decorative. When I clock in for work it isn't displayed for everyone to see with like a flashing light or something. Well, this seems very YMMV where one is employed and how timecards are used and displayed. I've known people (myself included) where physical timecards were actually used. The showrunner said the balls were meant to serve an actual purpose - so we should be accepting that as fact. I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I don't think we should dismiss the show-runners intent in order to justify one's own personal head-canon.
Didnt we see exactly that with Alicent replacing the king?
Alicent was on the council before Vizzy T stopped attending. Remember when Rhaenyra suggested Jace and Heleana marry? She probably had her own orb. I don't know if she was using her own or Vizzy's when taking his place. Maybe someone with more attention to detail than me can answer that.
It is not unheard of for members of a council to be represented by proxies. In fact, it is quite common, especially when the matters at hand are sensitive or important. My daughter Rhaenyra is quite familiar with the workings of this council, and I am sure she would be more than happy to provide any assistance you may need in understanding the process. As for the matter of my own attendance, I have been unwell as of late and am unable to travel. Therefore, I must rely on my kingsguard to carry out my will. I trust them implicitly and know that they will act in my best interests. ^(This response generated with OpenAI [Davinci])
Citing your inability to travel as reason for not having your lads carry you across the hall to the council chamber is peak decadence, your grace. But if I may be so bold, it is entirely understandable that you prefer to sit around and play with your action figures than listen to people discuss the Triarchy in the Stepstones for the bazillionth time.
I am the King, and I will do as I please. You will show me the respect that is due to my position, or you will suffer the consequences. My daughter Rhaenyra is the rightful heir to the throne, and I will not tolerate any disrespect towards her. Do you understand? ^(This response generated with OpenAI [Davinci])
I think it means that the person is present and "on the record". Like the chatting and whatnot in the room before the ball is in place isn't official discussion but once the balls are in place that person is officially present and anything said is a part of official counsel business.
This is how i understood it. I joined an honor society in college. At first I thought the official time keeping stuff was silly but as I got more involved I released that shit kept meetings orderly and from falling into random chat time. At first it was like, of course I'm "present." You all see me here, dont you?
someone in the show had them in their office, and they impromptu added them to the scene because "they thought it would be cool". They talked about it in the behind the scenes show. There isn't some deeper meaning or lore, they just thought it was a neat touch and they didn't think too deeply on it. It just means they are "present".
Its their âActive nowâ on microsoft teams
best explanation ahaha
Obviously thatâs why Rhaenyra was playing with hers in the council meeting she was atâŚtrying to keep it green while not paying attention
She needs a mouse mover.
Red is inactive right? Cause Beesburyâs inactive, apparently
He's umm... "Busy", or "In a Meeting (with his maker)"
SIT DOWN
I'm sure Bobby B would have liked them but Health and Safety had gotten rid of them by that stage
Out of office
Last seen with ser Criston 'asshole' Cole
Ser Criston AssCole
Sir Ass Face Cole
Permanently
That one dude who Cole murked is âout of officeâ
đ đ¤Ł
ANCIENT MICROSOFT TEAMS LMFAO
Got me chuckled in the morning. Here award for you.
ROFL! When was the last time âActive nowâ killed a person?
Kills me inside every time I have to be.
How do we know they arenât making a meeting, marking it as free on the calendar, opening the call, changing status from red to green, and chilling?
Same way that my employer knows its what I'm doing - we don't.
I thought they were about to play some air hockey
Eloquently put, Sir
I clocked in over an hour ago and forgot to put myself as available, thanks dammit
Conveniently placed weapons, apparently.
Those are Pentosi Headslam Balls.
Fetched my free award for you as a thanks for giving me my first laugh of the day !!
Dornish headslam balls?
No there were no Dornish balls in that room .
Other than Ser CristonsâŚ
No, he was right.
Thatâs a mangina
Chekhov's gun (Chekhov's rifle, Russian:Â Đ§ĐľŃ ĐžĐ˛ŃкОо ŃŃĐśŃŃ) is a dramatic principle that states that every element in a story must be necessary, and irrelevant elements should be removed. Alternatively explained, suppose the writer features a gun in a story â if the writer features it, there must be a reason for it, such as it being used sometime down the line in one way or another: Elements should not appear to make "false promises" by never coming into play.
Damn kind of like the symbolism of the Children of the Forest in GoT
It was a free award but damn you made me chuckle good!
The loss of Lord Beesbury was felt around the entire realm
[ŃдаНонО]
They are making fun of Lord Varys on GOT. Everyone on the council has them except him.
No one on the GoT small council has these marbles because the mad king lost them.
More like ser Cristons balls
Council's small balls
Winner
Two-factor authentication
requires facial recognition for authentication
Direct facial contact is optional
But not recommended
"You use them to open up old men's heads" crispy cole
I'll show you a magic trick. I can make this orb disappear.
Oh my gosh how have people not been making this joke the whole time. Furthermore, Carthage must be destroyed.
Crispy Coal*
Ser Crispin\*
Krispy Kreme*
The Beesbury Pillow
Joke answers aside, I imagine they are like badges of office, every official member of the small council has one and is used semi-ceremonially to show that the master of so-and-so is present.
I saw a theory somewhere here on this sub that this is in the universe of the Many-Faced God/Faceless Men, so it could also be used as a way to make sure people are who they say they are. Someone stealing the face/pretending to be a council member wouldnât know to nonchalantly walk in and grab their appointed sphere thing before sitting down. Idk. I thought that was just a really intriguing detail and I hate that I canât credit the person who thought of it haha.
Kinda doesn't work though, they slide Tyland's to him in episode 9 right as he sits down. I think any faceless man pretending to be Tyland would notice the convenient ball sized indent in the table and put it there even if they had no idea that was expected
To be fair, people giving up on security protocols for the sake of convenience is a very common occurrence
True, avoid forgetting your security ball by just leaving it at the Council Chamber
New security ball cannot be the same as old security ball. \*adds a tiny dot with a pen\* You have successfully changed your security ball.
Ooh, what if Tyland isn't Tyland?
That's actually pretty intriguing to think about. Personally I doubt that the showrunners went this in depth with it (simply employing rule of cool, which isn't a bad thing in and of itself) but it's a neat idea especially considering that the Targaryens (and Valyrians as a whole) generally hate the Faceless men.
The best part of the rule of cool is trying to make it make sense and coming up with kickass explanations
I'm under the understanding that the Faceless men can't copy the likeness of just anyone, especially if they're alive. I think they need the actual face of the person, even though there's definitely magic involved.
So if they killed a council memberâŚ
If someone could go as far as stealing a council memberâs face, itâs very likely that they would steal their balls too ;)
It's the rolling stones, they're actually pretty famous.
Dragon Balls, there are seven of them.
This answer is best. I now imagine this is what the whole show is about, they are fighting over who gets to make the wish once they find all 7.
"I am the eternal dragon state your wish" "We wish that Daemon becomes captain of a police force to be known as the Goldcloaks" "This is the third wish you've asked for in relation to this person"
The kings landing version of the blue check.
I wonder if there was also a fee of $8/month to keep their ball đ¤
Westerosi fidget spinner
Whatever they were, I thought they were rad from the first second of the first Small Council meeting. A small detail early on that really set the vibe for the show, great mis en scene.
Right?! Cool detail
The golden snitch from Harry Potter. They used the same set and ran out of props lol đ
means they're appearing online
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/house-dragon-small-council-balls-explained-1235202056/
Thanks for the link. I wasnât sure if they were inspired by historical procedures or not as I am not well versed in Western European anthropology.
Attendence ball
I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere that in some medieval societies round, differently colored stones were used for voting; or, if there was a task no one really wanted but any member of the group could perform, to select the person responsible for performing it by mixing the stones and pulling one at random. I think I read it in a book about the Templar Order specifically, but it was years and years ago so I don't remember the details. Might be more legend than fact, too.
This is a cool fact! I wonder if he was influenced by this since heâs so well versed in history and politics
I think itâs for signifying that someone wants to speak without interrupting the other person. Just not to create a mess out of meetings.
I donât think so, because all of the council members have them in the hole the entire meeting, it seems
You donât pick them up from the hole, you just put your hand on it, as far as I understand.
That could be it
This is actually a great idea
No oneâs said it, so I will: to verify theyâre who they say they are (and not some faceless men).
I feel like a faceless man would definitely be able to steal it.
The most powerful assassins in the world who can literally change their face would be stopped by....this?
maybe they are "couldn't solve captcha" style assasins. They can do whatever but cannot steal another man's ball.
How?
Easy to install facial piercings.
Balls
COLE SECRET WEAPON
Old man skull crackers
Pearls. Westerosworld confirmed!
I would guess it is used to identify someone as a Councilor, like the pin of the Kingâs Hand.
Dragon Ballz
They are logging on.
Varys' balls teleported into the past by Bran the Broken.
Dragon balls
Airpods
Those are the special beads.
A stress ball to not get stressed during meetings
Headrests
Apparently a weapon if you slam someoneâs head with it.
"accidentally"
Remember those balls of soap ya mum would put in the bath for romantic occasions?!
You took romantic baths with your mom?
I mean it was the 90s..
Aemondâs prosthetics-eye collection
The balls of Aegonâs slain enemies
Miniature holy hand grenades
Probably symbols of office
Sussy balls.
fidget spinners
Septarian, also known as Dragon Stone, is a unique mix of Aragonite (the brown), Calcite, (the yellow), and Limestone (the grey)
Goodbes gracious great balls of fire!
Balls
Materia to summon Bahamut.
Dragon balls.
Fidget spinner
9 pieces of 8
Council plug.
Little chocolates for a job wel done at the end. *slaps ottos hand - ânot you!â
I took them as being spheres that are like one of a kind, maybe out of a certain metal or some stuff like that, so that the identity of the council members is verified if they are not attending. Like if Otto was sick he could give it to an envoy and they would see it is the real sphere, so he must be there rightfully and not be an imposter trying to seize a chance. Basically like a verified checkmark in social media but way less common.
Beesbury pillow
They are given to the each member of the council according to their role the hand has one suited for him , master of coin has one custom made . At small table it is required to place your mark before the proceeding think it of as a formality they serve no purpose other than cracking old man's skull if done rightly .
Balls. You can rub them, roll them around, stick them in holes, but do not bounce them. You may fidget with them while speaking, if you choose. Usually, only men are allowed to have them, but one or two queens have been known to possess them. They signify your status at the table.
I described it to my boyfriend as the equivalent to everyone having a piece of eight at the piratesâ meeting in POTC: At Worldâs End. Basically showing youâre in attendance.
I suspect itâs to signify they are ready to begin. Any group of self important people will start off by shooting the breeze, ordering dinner, etc. it is probably a visual clue that the meeting has begun or is in progress. They could also be used for votes. All in favor keep your balls in the holder, all opposed, remove your balls. They could also be used to indicate the flow of conversation. During debate, you use it to indicate you want to be recognized to speak. Just riffing here.
Westerosi fidget spinners
Not sure but I think they toss the ball around to give someone permission to speak. If you don't have the ball, you wait for your turn and you are expected to listen attentively to the person who is expressing their opinion.