re: Game of Thrones Re-Read/Re-Watch Project (Multiple Book Spoilers)

I read that same link before I posted

I know Martin's intention was to present them as a colony of ants or drones, insignificant individually but strong as a united force in their phalanx formations. The idea is borrowed from history and sound, but making them eunuchs was a faux pas in itself; castrating them pre-puberty was borderline retarded, as they will have never developed physically. The ratio of the child slaves surviving the training to those fed to dogs would be somewhere in the 'hood of 100 to 1, and I think that's conservative. The cost for each fully trained INDIVIDUAL unsullied would make the entire enterprise unsustainable.

The effect on brain chemistry is another issue altogether, but IRL the biggest problem - making it unlikely ANY would survive the training. The very concepts of discipline and sacrifice would be meaningless, as they would only want to eat and sleep. Even if they could be molded, disciplined cannon fodder is still cannon fodder.

Martin left himself an out, though with this elixir they drink at each meal, so he at least tried to include a supplement to make up for no testosterone, so I let it ride, especially since it now looks like they will play a lesser role in Dani's conquest of Westeros.