MANILA, Philippines – Before anything else, as long as you’ve seen the first 3 seasons of HBO’s rabidly followed Game of Thrones (GoT), or have read all of George R.R Martin’s novels on which the series is based, rest assured that this piece won’t spoil any key plot points. 

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Those who haven’t, however – we suggest you close this tab now and step slowly away from your device. Unless, of course, you don’t mind reading something that might be a bit hard to follow anyway, given that the GoT universe, set in a classic, Euro-style fantasy world of castles, dragons, and swordfights, is dizzying, sprawling, ever-changing, and always, always surprising.

View this gallery full of stills from the first episode. Which of these is getting your inner fanboy/fangirl hyperventilating?

All photos courtesy of HBO Asia

The premise revolves around several families in the continent of Westeros laying claim to the Iron Throne. It sounds simple at first, but it’s anything but clear-cut, featuring (among others) bastards, intense and fierce children, expert rumor-mongers, smoke monsters, unlikely sibling dynamics, one hapless wedding after another, and deaths, deaths, and more unexpected deaths.

The latter, in fact, is one of the show’s claims to fame, and this new season is sure to kill characters off in very sudden and gruesome ways.  

The 3rd season left viewers particularly flabbergasted, thanks to an all-out massacre of some of the show’s biggest characters. With everyone (characters and viewers alike) hurting from what happened, what could the 4th season have in store?

We were able to catch the Philippine season premiere through the good folks at HBO Go Philippines, and as expected, the drama just keeps on building. Without giving too much away, here are 5 items to watch out for in the first episode, paired with little teasers to whet your Westerosi appetite!

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1. The Valyrian sword

Valyrian steel swords are impossibly hard to come by, given that Valyria is a land lost to time. Everyone expects the art of forging these magically magnificent swords to be forgotten, but it turns out this isn’t the case, at least for a very privileged few. Which family do you think got their hands on these ultra-rare weapons?

2. The golden appendage

In season 3, not a few limbs were chopped off from several characters, but two instances were quite notable: Jaime Lannister’s hand, and Theon Greyjoy’s, well, Theon Junior. But in this new season, a replacement cast in gold is bestowed to someone. Who’s your guess?

3. The wildflowers

Daenerys Targaryen, the bleached-blonde mother of dragons and freer of slaves, is always the target of many men’s desires. But while she is usually lavished with dazzling jewels and testosterone-laden promises of protection, Dany simply doesn’t cave, keen on taking the Iron Throne on her terms. But in this new season’s first episode, a simple, freshly picked bunch of wildflowers gets her a little flustered. Who do you think made this romantic move?

4. The blue necklace

Poor Sansa Stark has been perpetually sulking throughout the past seasons, and for good reason: she saw her father beheaded before her eyes; her Prince Charming turns out to be of the Machiavellian kind; she is married off to a not-too-popular imp; and she’s told many other loved ones were murdered by the family she is now a part of. Sucks to be her.

But in the latest episode, she receives a gorgeous, ghostly-blue necklace as a gift, and this provides her a glimmer of happiness. Who do you think gave her the necklace?

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5. Needle

Needle, if you remember, is Arya Stark’s sword, named as such for being thin, small, and light, just like Arya. And just like her, she can be very sharp and very deadly. But when viewers last left Arya, Needle was wrenched away from her, and she went off on an unlikely road trip with the surprisingly lovable Hound. She is happily reunited with her sword in this first episode, but can you guess how? 

What else are you looking forward to this season? Let us known in the comments section below! – Rappler.com

In the Philippines, Game of Thrones will air on April 13, 10pm on HBO