The Night's Watch is in decline. Craster's just about the only good inside intelligence source they have up there, and more than that, he's a good place for supplies whereas the Rangers themselves wouldn't be able to maintain a base that far north of the Wall without the Wildlings wiping it out. Sure you could raze the place, but that'd really only be of short-term benefit.Elfdart wrote:Another question about the new episode: How does the creepy old man who lives north of the Wall and rapes his own daughters get away with making one threat after another against Mormont and his men? It's one old pedophile against a bunch of rangers who would be justified in chopping him immediately, yet they take his verbal abuse just like his poor daughters take his physical abuse.
What gives?
Craster knows he's useful enough that he can goad Mormont, to a point. Notice that he never insults Mormont personally the way he mocks Jon Snow. Mormont for his part is playing it smart and throttling his impulse to kill the asshole because a) discipline in the Watch is built partly on mores such as guest duties and b) Craster provides a valuable service.
