House of the Dragon’s lava map table is a new old Westeros reference

The season finale was full of surprises House of the DragonDragonfights Intimidation in the Court! There is a war coming!

But one thing stuck out more than the rest for me, and it’s that sick glowing map table at Dragonstone. Westeros never looked so good.

It is also known as the Painted Table, according to Thrones legends. This table was first commissioned by Aegon II while planning his conquest of Westeros. Because candles are placed below, the table looks almost Westeros-inspired and glows like lava through molten rock. The effect is amazing.

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A good fantasy map is a must-have. That’s the stuff the genre is made of, and the more tactile, the better. Here’s an interactive map showing Westeros. Enjoy!

And that’s the thing with this map. It’s not just that it looks cool, although it undeniably does. You’ll want to grab it and run your fingers across the intricate designs. Maybe you want to just play an enormous game of Risques (I know I do, and clearly so do some of Rhaenyra’s advisors).

In the midst of a number of appearances, The Painted Table was present Game of Thrones show; it’s where Stannis Baratheon meets with his advisors in Dragonstone, and it shows up later again during Daenerys’ own conquest. However, it doesn’t look as amazing as here.

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A great prequel (and this one does!) do something very well. It elevates the world we see and expands our understanding of even the most basic historical facts. We see the world at its best, back when everyone knew how to use the lava table. It’s not too dissimilar from the show’s relationship to dragons; in ThronesThey are an old relic from a past era. But here they are in full force.

House of the Dragon’sThe production design of the show has been outstanding, and it has risen above its competition in fantasy TV with props such as this. It’s sick, and should be the show’s new opening in season 2.