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Historical Citizens of King's Landing
Dick Bean
Dick Bean
"I been a king's man since I was a boy. I mean to die a king's man."
A man-at-arms sworn to House Targaryen. When Maegor was challenged to a Trial of Seven, he was the first to take a stand to fight for Maegor.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Dick only appears in a single, brief scene of a supplemental book, but it's his decision to be a champion for Maegor that shames others into doing the same. If no one would have been willing to fight alongside Maegor, his reign would have ended then and there, his nephew Aegon would have been lawfully crowned, and Jaehaerys and his descendants would have never sat on the Iron Throne.
- Undying Loyalty: He refers to himself as a king's man since he was a boy.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: In the Trial of Seven, he's the first to die, hacked to pieces almost the moment the fighting starts.
The Shepherd
The Shepherd
A one-handed unknown man who preached during the Dance of the Dragons that dragons were demons who would bring doom to King's Landing and rallied the common folk of King's Landing into storming the Dragonpit. He survived the Storming of the Dragonpit and his mob ruled King's Landing during the "Moon of the Three Kings", until Borros Baratheon seized the city.
- An Arm and a Leg: One of his hands had been previously chopped off, presumably for theft.
- Barefoot Poverty: His (pretty much all low-class) followers were called "The Barefoot Army" or "The Barefoot Lambs", alluding to this idea of shoeless poverty.
- Church Militant: Munkun speculates he might have been one of the (then-recently-disbanded) Poor Fellows of the Faith Militant, which would certainly explain his fiery and violent approach to practicting the Faith.
- Crazy Homeless People: How he tends to be portrayed in historiography, since he's a religious fanatic beggar who ended the lives of many dragons out of fervor.
- Defiant to the End: The Shepherd remained utterly unconcerned as he was dragged off, then dragged before Aegon II, telling Borros Baratheon and Aegon they'd be dead before the year was out. Eerily (or not, given how the Dance had gone), he was right.
- Diabolus ex Nihilo: He just sort of shows up out of nowhere, just in time to make things worse for Rhaenyra.
- Don't Call Me "Sir" / Stop Worshipping Me: Despite his characterization as one of the three "Kings" in the Moon of Three Kings, The Shepherd himself claimed to be merely a humble servant of the gods and deliberately avoided any sort of (aristocratic or religious) title of authority.
- Dying Curse: At his execution, the Shepherd promised King Aegon II and Lord Borros Baratheon they'd soon follow him into the grave. He was correct.The Shepherd: We shall meet in hell before this year is done!
- Face Death with Dignity: Say what you will about the man, but he never even flinched at the prospect of his very painful execution.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: A homeless man who made the Black Targaryens shake and tremble with his peasant uprising. In every historical chronicle he was such a nobody that his appearance in the story comes across as a Diabolus ex Machina of sorts as he just emerges from the nowhere to wreak havoc.
- Handicapped Badass: A one-handed man who (personally) led the chage to kill several dragons. Some of the more fanciful tales even have the Shepherd kill Syrax (Rhaenyra's dragon) himself by summoning the Warrior. Though this is obviously unlikely, the concept he might have actually struck down (or at least provided the killing blow) to Syrax is not out of the realm of possibility.
- Hidden Agenda Villain: Played with. There's a significant possibility that he roused the population of King's Landing in order to hide actual armed warriors sent to storm the Dragonpit in order to strategically slay the Targaryen mounts in behalf of the Faith.
- Hunter of Monsters: Was suspiciously knowledgeable about how to trap and kill dragons. This isn't exactly commonly known stuff, although "keep tabs on the snout, box them in, chain them down and go for the eyes" isn't rocket science or brain surgery, either.
- Kill It with Fire: He was burnt alive by Aegon II.
- King of the Homeless: Goes down in history as one of the three "kings" in the Moon of Three Kings alongside Perkin the Flea-Trystane Truefyre duo and Gaemon Palehair (despite specifically not calling himself a King and not being treated as such) and his followers were largely poor, downtrodden and homeless.
- Knight Templar: Against the dragons. Almost to, if not actually actual, Van Helsing Hate Crimes levels.
- Legacy Character: There were two figures in the following years who claimed to be "The Shepherd reborn" and likewise ragged against aristocracy inspired by the Faith of the Seven, though neither were particularly successful (and nowhere near as successful as The Shepherd himself).
- The Man Behind the Man:
- He seemed to be a religious agitator employed by the Faith of the Seven; this is suggested by one of the dragon-slayers' behavior while striking the dragon, which he did seven times while reciting each of the Seven's names.
- The people he roused against Rhaenyra Targaryen were just common folk armed with whatever they had in their hands at the time; the men that stormed the Dragonpit knew how to kill dragons (aim to the eyes), wore armor and were surprisingly well armed.
- If Archmaester Marwyn's claims are correct, then he was most likely was working for the Order of the Maesters instead. Or both.
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed:
- The Shepherd's fate is reminiscent of that of Jacques de Molay, last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, namely in that both were burnt at the stake and that their last words were a curse that the monarch who'd condemned them to death would follow them into the grave shortly afterwards.
- His story and rise to power is reminiscent of the friar Girolamo Savonarola, who led a religious movement that led to the expelling of the ruling Medicis from Rennaisance Florence, and ended up imprisoned and hanged as a heretic.
- Nothing but Skin and Bones: The Shepherd is described as extremely gaunt (which makes sense, given he was a homeless beggar). Mushroom dubs him "The Dead Shepherd" because he apparently looked like a corpse.
- Only Known By His Nickname: His true name is lost to history.
- Rabble Rouser: Roused the populace of King's Landing against dragons and the nobility with some remarkable success.
- Red Right Hand: Or more the absence of a hand. He was missing one, having apparently been cut off for thieving. He tended to gesticulate with the stump.
- Shrouded in Myth: His origins are completely unknown, with some speculating he was a poor beggar, and others suggesting he was a member of the Poor Fellows. According to stories, when he killed the dragons, he summoned the Warrior as he fought, which is highly unlikely.
- Staged Populist Uprising: Some of the Westerosi historians speculate he was just an agent of a plot by the Faith (or the Maesters, or both) to wipe out dragons and cripple Rhaenyra's cause, though it's to be kept in mind this (alongside everything else about the Shepherd) is basically hearsay.
- Turbulent Priest: The Shepherd preached against dragons and the nobility (and might have been an actual former member of the then-extinct Faith Militant) and caused quite the stir in King's Landing when he whipped up mobs.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: He preached dragons were death machines and the nobility were largely ruthless tyrants and it's undeniable he was at least somewhat correct on both accounts (particularly in the context of the Dance of Dragons and its ridiculous level of bloodshed), even if his violent methodology and religious fanaticism left somehting to be desired. Of course, it might cross into Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist if you believe the claims of him essentially being a Holy Hitman for the Faith of the Seven.
- Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: The official histories largely regard The Shepherd as a religious lunatic who led a mob of fanatics to kill chained animals, but it's pretty self-evident the smallfolk regard him in both life and death as a sort of folk hero against noble oppression, with many grand legends arising after his death.
Hobb the Hewer
Hobb
Hobb the Hewer
A woodsman and part of the mob that stormed the Dragonpit. He slew Shrykos.
- The Dragonslayer: He slew Shrykos.
- Historical Hero Upgrade: Depending on your POV. Some tales claim he also slew Syrax, which historians hold as highly unlikely.
- Knight Templar: Like the Shepherd, he was religiously motivated, as he rained axe blows to Shrykos's head, he yelled out the names of each of the Seven. He killed Shrykos with the seventh blow - the Stranger's.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: His fate is unknown, but it is likely he died.
The Burning Knight
The Burning Knight
An unidentified man that took part in the Storming of the Dragonpit. He slew Morghul.
- The Dragonslayer: He slew Morghul.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": A played with one. His true name is unknown, he's called the Burning Knight, and he once got caught on fire. However, it's most likely he wasn't even a real knight. He was named so because he was encased in heavy armor.
- Man on Fire: Due to rushing headlong into Morghul's flames. His armor melted and the fire devoured him. Thus his nickname.
- Taking You with Me: He died killing Morghul with a spear.
Mushroom
Mushroom the Fool
"Poison!? He didn't die of poison, he died in his sleep!"
Septon Eustace, disputing one of Mushroom's outrageous claims about the death of Viserys I.
A jester dwarf in the service of Kings Viserys I and Aegon II that purportedly witnessed firsthand the events at the courts of said kings which were compiled in the extremely controversial book The Testimony Of Mushroom by an unknown writer. The book is cited by various historians like Archmaesters Gyldayn and Vaellyn for their own account of the events.
- Absurdism: Mushroom's account has overtones of this and has ideologic ties with Modernism. Modernism largely stemmed from the realization that society's institutions are not intrinsically right; Mushroom shattered the image of the Targaryens as pristine and infallible by heavily using humor and hyperbole, often employing scandalous statements such as saying that Otto Hightower hated Daemon Targaryen due to him taking Alicent's maidenhood, the twins Ser Erryk and Ser Arryk Cargyll swearing their mouths off like sailors before killing each other, and stating that Daemon taught Rhaenyra how to pleasure Ser Criston Cole. The problem with these is that it undermined his credibility as a witness.
- Apple of Discord: As seen in the quote above, Mushroom was keen to stir the waters to make them muddled with his claims; thus, he made claims like that only to make things saucier.
- Artistic License – History: Mushroom wrote the unofficial account of the Dance of the Dragons from King's Landing. His rampant use of debauchery is said to affect the accuracy of his claims.
- Ascended Extra: He took no part in the events that transpired in the Royal Court for the most part, but he was an eyewitness to these, according to him. The Maesters who read his book make a serious effort to separate fiction from truth regarding his accounts in the same level as they'd do with the official, sanctioned accounts.
- Beneath Notice: Invoked. Mushroom was not really that important in the Royal Court and everyone was under the impression that he was simple-minded, so there were little qualms about talking freely in front of him. He later became important and famous because of his accounts, but by that point most of them were dead.
- Beware the Quiet Ones: He had plenty to talk about once the Targaryens almost exterminated each other. Though how quiet he actually was in court is debatable.
- Book Burning: Baelor the Blessed tried to destroy several copies of his book because he made the Targaryens look like fools. He did not succeed in either burning Mushroom's books nor preventing the Targaryens from looking like fools.
- Bystander Syndrome: For the most part, though he said that he intervened a couple of times. This is taken seriously by exactly no one.
- Depraved Dwarf: His accounts are filled with tales of sexual debauchery, whereas other sources try to keep that to the minimum.
- The Dog Bites Back: During the sacking of the Dragonpit, an incredibly frustrated Rhaenyra told him to shut up or die. Which meant when Joffrey snuck off to try and save the dragons, Mushroom said nothing, because hey, that's what the queen commanded, right?
- Dumbass Has a Point: There is a reason he is still quoted as a historical source; this is because Mushroom, unlike other people that narrated the events of the Dance of the Dragons, is at the very least unbiased. He did crap all over the Targaryens, but at least he did it in equal amounts to both Aegon II and Rhaenyra I.
- Famed In-Story: He is one of the most famous dwarves and jesters in history, albeit this is only circumstantial; these aspects, however, were pivotal in maintaining his "invisibility" to witness events taking place in the Targaryen courts. To much of the chagrin of researchers, Mushroom's legacy is actually one of a chronist of sorts, albeit a considerably informal one.
- First-Person Smartass: According to Gyldayn and Vaellyn, his book is peppered with said instances.
- The Fool: For two Royal Courts. Four if you count his shorter stints with Aegon II and Aegon III.
- Gag Penis: Repeatedly insists his member is prodigious in size in his writings.What did Viserys ever have that she [Rhaenys] did not? A little sausage? Is that all it takes to be a king? Let Mushroom rule, then. My sausage is thrice the size of his.
- I Choose to Stay: He was offered a chance to stay in Braavos, but he declined, and stuck with the Targaryens for the time being.
- I'm Standing Right Here: Subverted. Everyone talked in front of him because they thought that he was a lackwit. He wasn't.
- Implied Trope: It's Personal. Baelor the Blessed tried to purge his book not only because of piety and trying to paint the Targaryens as flawless, but also because his father Aegon III was most likely not a fan of seeing his own beloved mother mocked, nor anyone making light of the most traumatizing period of his life.
- Killer Rabbit: Invoked. He states to Rhaenyra and Joffrey that he once saw a bear being brought down by rats to prove them that the smallfolk have power too. The trouble with his statement is that he argues that he saw it happen at Flea Bottom... in the middle of the city of King's Landing.
- Like a lot of Mushroom's embellishments, there's probably some basis in truth in there, somewhere. Bear-baiting and/or the cruel practice of dancing bears? Some tavern near the dockside would certainly let travelling entertainment like that make use of a courtyard or cellar to get extra custom (even if the bear turns around and mauls the keeper, it's still a show!). And, Flea Bottom has some very nasty rats.
- Lemony Narrator: According to Gyldayn and Vaellyn, Mushroom got too carried away in his raunchiness, affecting the accuracy of his accounts.
- Meaningful Name: A "fool's mushroom"
is a type of mushroom that is extremely poisonous, nicknamed so because of its seemingly harmless appearance and because it resembles other types that are edible. Just so, no one in Westeros expected Mushroom to be as poisonous at first glance. - No Historical Figures Were Harmed:
- His irreverent court history is reminiscent of Procopius, the historian of the Byzantine Empire whose "Secret History" unearthed several centuries later, was a scathing, licentious and irreverent depiction of the court of Justinian and Theodora.
- His work also has similarities with that of Pietro Aretino, a famed satirist and the creator of literary pornography. Aretino largely focused in making fun of the Pope and the Florentine aristocracy in a time when this often resulted in harm, death or exile.
- No Name Given: He is exclusively referred to as Mushroom; while it's somewhat doubtful that this is his actual name, other dwarves have equally nondescript names referring to common objects such as Hop-Bean, Penny and Groat, the latter two referring to the smallest denomination coins available (albeit Groat is actually a nickname for Oppo, Penny's brother). If it is his actual name, it would be an example of Only One Name.
- Put on a Bus: Left King's Landing when Aegon III came of age, on the grounds that the Red Keep wasn't any fun anymore.
- The Reveal: He wasn't simple and he overheard all the dirt you talked. Probably a good thing most of the people whose secrets and supposed vices he spilled were long dead by the time he found someone to write it down for him.
- Rose-Tinted Narrative: Oh, boy! Subverted and put in a coffin. If anything, Mushroom is known for his complete lack of romanticism regarding the Royal Court. Mushroom was also the only major account written outside of the Seven Kingdoms, with Mushroom living in the free cities after the Dance. As a result, Mushroom is neither trying to curry favor with either the remaining Blacks or Greens. Eustace was a Green writing in favor of Aegon II. Munkun was a Black writing in favor of Rhaenyra. And both of them were constrained as Eustace was a Green writing under a Black King, while Munkun was a Maester writing in the Green stronghold of Old Town.
- The Rashomon: Archmaester Gyldayn usually pits Mushroom's accounts in King's Landing against the accounts of Septon Eustace, the official compiler of the events of the Dance of the Dragons. This was not so much to give the benefit of the doubt to Mushroom, but because Eustace was notoriously biased in favor of Aegon II's side. Their versions are at the very least chronologically accordant, but the tone and the opinions of both witnesses differ greatly.
- Spanner in the Works: Made the Targaryens look like petty jackasses. Because it undermined the Targaryens' image of divinity and flawlessness, Baelor the Blessed tried to burn all copies of his book.
- Trash Talk: He was able to talk smack about the Targaryens because... well... they killed each other. It's not very easy to defend yourself if you're six feet under, though some of their children certainly tried.
- Troll: Mushroom argues that the Royal Court was nowhere as chivalrous as other historical accounts state. This has several effects; his descriptions are notoriously raunchy, making himself step on his own foot by claiming to have witnessed things that are not only preposterous, but also that he could not have possibly witnessed.
- Ungrateful Bastard: He shits all over the Targaryens in his book, who were his main benefactors. Though to be fair, he probably didn't consider the sexual depravity to be a bad thing.
- Unreliable Narrator: This is one of the issues with his accounts, as he is said to exaggerate various events that he supposedly witnessed, and claim secret knowledge of events he definitely wasn't there to witness.
- Warts and All: On the more positive side of reading his prurient and gossipy accounts he simultaneously presents some of the most sympathetic and demonic portraits of Rhaenrya and Aegon II.
- For Rhaenyra, Mushroom presents her as ordering Helaena and Alicent into sex slavery and sliding into madness and paranoia, so much so that Mushroom let Prince Joffrey commit his foolhardy act during the sack of King's Landing. But he also is the only historian that insists that one has to remember that Rhaenyra's beloved sons died during this time, she had suffered a miscarriage, and that she felt all had betrayed her which drove her to such a state.
- For Aegon II, he is presented as a bloodthirsty, lascivious, and dimwitted man. But Mushroom empathizes with him, stating that his last days of life he was in seething agony, suffering from impotency, and the method of satisfying lingering sexual desires left him with such great shame, with only wine (and Mushroom) giving him any joy.
Ned Bean
Ned Bean
Blackbean
A notorious sellsail who became second-in-command of the royal fleet during the regency of King Aegon III Targaryen.- Hypercompetent Sidekick: He was much more experienced at sea than the royal commander, Gedmund Green-Sick Peake.
- In-Series Nickname: Blackbean, due to his impressive black beard.
- Number Two: For Gedmund Peake at the royal fleet.
- Shoot the Messenger: Almost, but Alyn Velaryon nearly hanged him after being ordered to wait for instructions from Unwin Peake, saying it would be a waste of good rope on a bean.
Dragonseeds
On the islands of Dragonstone and Driftmark, the Targaryens and Velaryons practice the right of first night, resulting in bastard children with the potential to be dragon riders. Such children are revered on the island, and they played a huge role in the Dance of the Dragons.
General
- Dragon Rider: Their Valyrian descent gave them the potential to tame dragons. However, it was by no means a guarantee that they could—several got themselves roasted crispy trying.
- Fantastic Recruitment Drive: During the Dance of the Dragons, Prince Jacaerys Velaryon offered lands, riches and knighthood to anyone who could tame a dragon and would join the Blacks, dragonseed or no. This was called the Sowing of the Seeds, or the Red Sowing.
- Royal Bastard: Those bastards are illegitimate, lowborn descendants of Targaryens and Velaryons, marked by their silver Valyrian hair.
Ser Hugh Hammer
Ser Hugh Hammer
Hard Hugh, Lord Hammer
- "Why be a lord when you can be a king?"
A blacksmith's bastard on Dragonstone during the time of the Dance of the Dragons.
- Ambition Is Evil: His downfall began when he crowned himself king.
- Bastard Bastard: At first it could be argued either way if he's a Heroic Bastard or a Bastard Bastard, but after betraying Queen Rhaenyra, he's definitely the latter.
- Blood Knight: He loved battle and relished in violence.
- The Brute: Hugh was tall and huge, with hands strong enough to twist steel bars. He was also violent and abusive.
- Brutish Character, Brutish Weapon: The hammer was his recorded weapon of choice.
- Character Death: Hugh was betrayed and slain by Ser Jon Roxton during the Second Battle of Tumbleton, when Hugh crowned himself king and tried to kill Prince Daeron Targaryen.
- Disproportionate Retribution: When Roger Corne knocked off the crown (that he didn't earn nor deserved) from his head, his response was nailing three horseshoe nails in Corne's skull.
- Dragon Rider: He rode Vermithor, who once belong to King Jaehaerys I.
- Gutted Like a Fish: Disemboweled by Ser Jon Roxton wielding a Valyrian steel sword.
- In-Series Nickname: Hard Hugh. He's also one of The Betrayers.
- Knighting: He was knighted by Queen Rhaenyra herself for his role in the Battle of the Gullet.
- Might Makes Right: Believed the fact he was a powerful warrior and, after Vhagar's death, possessed of the strongest living dragon, made him the best claimant for the Iron Throne.Hugh Hammer: We need a strong man to lead us, not a boy. The throne should be mine.
- Never Learned to Read: Much like Ulf, he was illiterate.
- Prophecy Twist: Hugh started parroting a prophecy he'd heard that claimed a hammer falling upon a dragon would herald the coming of a new king. Hugh initially thought himself the prophesised hammer and new king, but after his undignified death, with hindsight, it's pretty clear the prophecy refers to Robert Baratheon's killing of Rhaegar.
- Punny Name: When said out loud, his name sounds like "huge hammer."
- Shame If Something Happened: When Prince Daeron threw wine in Hugh's face for daring to claim he should claim the Iron Throne, Hugh warned the Prince he'd do well not to cross him.Hugh Hammer: Little boys should be more mannerly when men are speaking. I think your father did not beat you often enough. Take care I do not make up for his lack.
- Super-Strength: He was the son of a blacksmith and was so strong he could bend steel bars with his bare hands.
- Turncoat: He initially fought for the blacks, but turned to the greens when he and Ulf the White started the First Battle of Tumbleton. Together, he and Ulf the White are known as The Betrayers.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Literally. He betrayed Rhaenyra even though she knighted him and gave him lands on Driftmark.
- The Unreveal: It's not entirely clear why he and Ulf betrayed the Blacks in favor of the Greens, as what they purportedly demanded was utterly outrageous; so outrageous in fact that even a faction formed against them to conspire to murder them.
- Villainous Valor: When the Blacks attacked the Greens, kick-starting the Second Battle of Tumbleton, unlike his fellow Betrayer, Hugh was prepared to fight. He was gearing up for battle when the Caltrops killed him.
Ser Ulf White
Ser Ulf White
Ulf the White, Ulf the Sot
A man-at-arms on Dragonstone during the time of the Dance of the Dragons.
- The Alcoholic: Other than his hair, he's remembered as being this. Which only partially excuses his other recorded tendencies towards jerkassness.
- Ambition Is Evil: He was offered the position of Lord of Bitterbridge, but he refused to accept any castle worth less than Highgarden.
- Bastard Bastard: At first it could be argued either way if he's a Heroic Bastard or a Bastard Bastard, but after betraying Queen Rhaenyra, he's definitely this. He went as far as feeding those who displeased him to Silverwing.
- Character Death: He died from poisoned wine.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Well, yes; feeding women to your dragon if they fail to please you in bed might be a bit over-the-top.
- Dragon Rider: He rode Silverwing, who once belonged to Queen Alysanne.
- Fed to the Beast: Apparently he did this to any woman who failed to please him.
- Fatal Flaw: His vices, specifically his drinking.
- The Hedonist: He had the thing for wine and whores.
- In-Series Nickname: Ulf the White, Ulf the Sot, or one of The Betrayers.
- Knighting: He was knighted by Queen Rhaenyra herself for his role in the Battle of the Gullet.
- Naked People Are Funny: Mushroom claims that he once drunkenly rode through Flea Bottom wearing only golden spurs.
- Never Learned to Read: Had neither the background nor disposition to learn.
- Properly Paranoid: When he noticed that Hobart Hightower was far too upbeat in their strategy meeting, he insisted they both drink from the same cask of (poisoned) Arbor Gold.
- Serial Rapist: While with the Green army at Tumbleton, he would rape three women a night and fed those who displeased him to Silverwing.
- Slept Through the Apocalypse: He spent the Second Battle of Tumbleton asleep in a tavern.
- Turncoat: He initially fought for the blacks, but turned to the greens when he and Hugh Hammer started the First Battle of Tumbleton. Together, he and Hugh Hammer are known as The Betrayers.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Literally. He betrayed Rhaenyra even though she knighted him and gave him lands on Driftmark.
- The Unreveal: It's not entirely clear why he and Hugh betrayed the Blacks in favor of the Greens, as what they purportedly demanded was utterly outrageous; so outrageous in fact that even a faction formed against them to conspire to murder them
- White Hair, Black Heart: He was known for his white hair, hence his nickname, and his vices.
- You Are in Command Now: The deaths of Hugh Hammer and Prince Daeron at the Second Battle of Tumbleton left him the only dragon rider the Greens had at their disposal.
Addam Velaryon
Addam of Hull
- See the House Velaryon page
Alyn Velaryon
Alyn of Hull
- See the House Velaryon page
Nettles
Nettles
Netty
A common girl who accepts the call for dragonriders during the Civil War between King Aegon II and Queen Rhaenyra. She's able to tame a feral dragon nicknamed Sheepstealer, rides it against an invading Tyroshi fleet, and later teams up with Prince Daemon in his search for Prince Aemond Targaryen and his dragon Vhagar. It's not known whether Nettles was a Dragonseed proper, but evidence points towards her not being so.
- Action Girl: Rode her dragon in the Battle of the Gullet.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: She doesn't have a nose scar in Histories and Lore.
- Ambiguous Situation:
- Many say that she and Daemon Targaryen had a romantic and sexual relationship, while others believe that the middle aged Daemon grew to see the teenage girl as a daughter and spent most of his time instructing her on how to be a proper lady. And then there's also the possibility she was Daemon's actual daughter.
- She managed to tame a dragon, something that is consider proof that she was of Valyrian descent. However, she had to bribe Sheepstealer with food to accept her, she had dark skin and hair, was born on Driftmark and not Dragonstone, and she was orphaned at a young age so her true parentage is unknown. This makes it unclear and unlikely that she is a bastard of Valyrian descent.
- Black Sheep: She was grouped with the Dragonseeds, even when it has never been determined whether she was related to either the Velaryons or the Targaryens; considering the way she lured her dragon mount, it's not likely that she was.
- Connected All Along: Archmaester Gyldayn suggests that she is the origin of the Burned Men, who worshiped her as a fire-witch and had their young men enter her dragon's lair to come back with burn scars and prove their courage.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Her mother, a dockside whore, died when she was very young. She likely had to prostitute herself for food and goods, including the sheep she used to tame Sheepstealer, and had her nose slit for stealing.
- Did They or Didn't They?: The chronicles make no mention of how Daemon and Nettles spent their last night together, although the general assumption is that they were lovers.
- Dragon Rider: Of Sheepstealer.
- Foil: To the Valyrians in general. She's not pale, she's not pretty, she's anything but refined, her bloodline's more mixed and opaque than a twelve-step smoothie and she has all the mysticism of a brick. Yet, she is what they once were: a shepherd in the right place knowing the damned basics of animal handling.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: She was born a simple peasant girl. Taming a dragon expanded her career opportunities quite drastically.
- Guile Heroine: She tames a feral, adult dragon! Everyone else who tried that did it by marching into the dragon's lair and trying to force it to obey them. (Spoiler alert: they mostly died... horribly.) But Nettles is too smart for that — she gets a freshly butchered sheep and takes it to the dragon, every day, until it recognizes her and trusts her. That's it. Simple logic elevates this bastard peasant girl to a Dragon Rider and major player in the war.
- Heroic Bastard: One of the "dragonseeds" who accepted the challenge of taming a dragon, though it's not known if she did actually have Targaryen blood in her or not.
- In-Series Nickname: "Netty," an affectionate nickname given to her by Daemon.
- Intergenerational Friendship/Age-Gap Romance: At the time of the Dance of the Dragons, Daemon was almost fifty while Nettles was seventeen. Many maesters and singers say that their relationship was romantic and sexual in nature while other accounts posit that their relationship was completely platonic or even that Daemon saw Nettles as a daughter.
- The Lad-ette: She was described as "skinny, foul-mouthed, filthy and fearless".
- Like a Son to Me: The non-romantic accounts of her relationship with Daemon paint him as her father figure, with him teaching her courtesies and how to dress and act like a proper lady, doting on her with gifts and even bathing her.
- Meaningful Name: A nettle is a common weed known for its stinging needles, and Nettles was a common girl who packed quite a punch when mounted on her dragon.
- Morality Pet: Prince Daemon is the one who sent assassins to kill Queen Helaena's son before her eyes, an act that drove her insane, but he refuses to allow Nettles to be executed.
- Mundane Solution: She lived this. Want to tame an awesome, flying, magic, feral nuke? Rely on bribery, being friendly and just letting said nuke get used to you. Charm a rogue Targaryen prince getting well sick of his family? Be a tearaway tomboy and outside-the-box thinker with no courtly graces or stuck-up entitlement delusions who just flat out reminds him that dragon taming started out like this in the first place: from zero to riding the lightning (with a little bit of training: staying on a fighting dragon probably takes practice and know-how he could help with).
- Put On A Dragon: Prince Daemon helps Nettles saddle Sheepstealer, then the girl and her dragon fly away and are never seen again, save for one very brief moment during Aegon III's reign.
- Riddle for the Ages: Did Nettles have any Valyrian blood in her? Her lack of Mystical White Hair and mundane way of taming her dragon suggests no, but there's nothing to say she didn't have any at all, either.
- Rugged Scar: Her nose was scarred from where it was once slit open as a punishment for thieving.
- Shrouded in Myth: Given that they Never Found the Body of Prince Daemon, the singers claim he found Nettles again and the two of them lived out their days together.
- A cryptic reference in The World of Ice and Fire suggests she may have hid in the Mountains of the Moon, where the native clan called the Burned Men were formed around worship of a mysterious fire witch and her dragon living in a cave. Fire and Blood at least confirms that's where she was last seen.
- Son of a Whore: Her mother was a common dockside whore.
- Uptown Girl: Inverted. A skinny, dirty, foul-mouthed commoner, Nettles is accused of taking Prince Daemon Targaryen as a bedmate, for which she's condemned to death by Queen Rhaenyra after all the bastards serving under her come under suspicion.
- Unkempt Beauty: Subverted. Nettles was notably skinny, had crooked teeth and a scarred nose that was slit for thievery. Her dark skin also would not be consider attractive by Westerosi standards either.
- Uncatty Resemblance: Together, she and Sheepstealer were said to be "a skinny brown girl on a skinny brown dragon."
- Wrongfully Accused: Suspected of treason after two of the other dragonseeds turn their cloaks, and condemned to death. Averted thanks to the decency of the Lord of Maidenpool and his maester, who tipped Prince Daemon off about the queen's order rather than violate Sacred Hospitality by murdering a guest/child under their roof.
Silver Denys
Silver Denys
Silver Denys was a man living on Dragonstone at the outset of the Dance of the Dragons, who claimed to be the bastard son of King Maegor I Targaryen. His hair and eye color lent some credence to his claim. If not specifically Maegor's bastard, he probably was one from a strongly Valyrian bloodline.- An Arm and a Leg: Sheepstealer ripped off his arm when he tried taming it.
- Blatant Lies: Considering he died in 129 and Maegor died in 48, it is very unlikely he was a bastard of Maegor's. Not to mention that during Maegor's lifetime, he failed to sire even one living child, despite taking six wives. Fire & Blood later corrected this by having him claim to be descended from a bastard son of Maegor, a more plausible if still unlikely claim.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Death-by-dragon rarely is a quiet or calm affair.
- Death by Irony: Claimed to be descended from dragon riders and got eaten by a dragon.
- Family-Unfriendly Death: A dragon ate him and his sons.
Crownlands Smallfolk
Marilda of Hull
Marilda of Hull
Mouse
The daughter of a shipwright from Hull on Driftmark, and later a trader and captain. She was the mother of the dragonseeds Addam and Alyn of Hull (later Addam and Alyn Velaryon) by Laenor Velaryon (though it's rumored that Corlys Velaryon is the true father).- Animal Motifs: The mouse, because she was small, fast, and commonborn.
- The Beard: If Corlys did convince her to name Laenor as her sons' father, it both covers up Corlys' infidelity and hushes up rumors of Laenor's sexuality. Two birds, one stone.
- In-Series Nickname: "Mouse", due to being small, quick, and often underfoot at the shipyards.
- May–December Romance: She was only 16/18 when she gave birth to Addam and Alyn, while Corlys was in his middle age. Her being closer in age to Corlys' son probably made the Family Relationship Switcheroo slightly easier to buy.
- The Mistress: Supposedly to Laenor Velaryon, but it's more likely she was a lover to his father Corlys. This may be why Corlys didn't acknowledge Marilda's bastard boys until after his wife Rhaenys was dead, therefore avoiding her wrath.
- Outliving One's Offspring: Her son Addam died in battle at Tumbleton.
- Rags to Riches: Went from a peasant girl who hung around shipyards to captaining her own trading cogs, as well as being mother to the head of House Velaryon. She was even able to build herself a palatial estate in Hull, which she called Mouse House.
- Self-Made Man: She sold her father's shipyard and used the proceeds to captain a trading cog, and later went on to own seven ships.
Reach Smallfolk
Willow Pound-Stone
A washerwoman from Bitterbridge, "simpleminded and half-mad" according to Mushroom, who supposedly accidentally killed Prince Maelor Targaryen.
- Ambiguous Situation: The only information about her comes from a wildly Unreliable Narrator prone to making things up. Thus, it is not known if she was the one responsible for killing Maelor, or if she even existed in the first place.
- And Call Him "George": When the mob at Bitterbridge was fighting over Maelor, Willow clutched him tight and shouted that no one was going to hurt her new son. Unfortunately, she clutched him so tightly she accidentally broke his spine (or so Mushroom says).
- Does Not Know Her Own Strength: Mushroom describes her as a monster of a woman, weighing 30 stone or 420 pounds. Apply that to her clutching a toddler a little too tightly, and...
- Floral Theme Naming: Her name refers to a type of tree, with such a naming convention being common to Westerosi smallfolk.
- Hanging Around: After Maelor's death was discovered, she was hanged by Lady Caswell from the center span of the old bridge. Unfortunately, this was not enough to appease Maelor's uncle Daeron, who burned Bitterbridge to a crisp and put the smallfolk to the sword.
Dornish Smallfolk
Tanselle
Tanselle
Tanselle Too-Tall
A Dornish puppeteer who performed at the Ashford Tourney in The Hedge Knight. Dunk develops a crush on her, and hires her to paint him a new shield. She unwittingly becomes a target of Aerion Targaryen's wrath, leading Dunk to come to her rescue, which results him being arrested for striking a prince.- Betty and Veronica: When compared to Dunk's other love interest Rohanne Webber. Tanselle is a sweet and gentle woman of a similar social standing with Dunk, while Rohanne is a feisty and formidable noblewoman who cannot be with Dunk due to his low birth. Dunk brings this up in The Sworn Sword, chastising himself for dreaming of Rohanne instead of Tanselle.
- Break the Cutie: She's a kind woman who never did anyone wrong, but that didn't matter to Aerion.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Aerion and his men destroy her puppets, attack her fellow puppeteers, and break one of her fingers, all for the "treason" of...putting on a show where a knight kills a dragon.
- The Lady's Favor: Before returning to Dorne, she leaves the shield she finished painting in the care of Steely Pate to give to Dunk.
- The One That Got Away: Between The Sworn Sword and The Hedge Knight, Dunk and Egg travel through Dorne, visiting "a hundred" puppet shows hoping to find her again. Unfortunately, their search comes up empty, though Dunk still often thinks of her longingly.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Leaves for Dorne after Dunk is arrested, apparently not wanting to see Dunk die.
- Statuesque Stunner: Making her a rather good match for Duncan the Tall.Dunk: Tanselle-Too-Tall was her name, but she was not too tall for me.
- Street Performer: Part of a group of traveling puppeteers along with her uncle.
- Unresolved Sexual Tension: Her and Dunk's attraction to each other is never acted upon, due to the events of The Sworn Sword. Dunk later ruefully notes how they never even touched or kissed.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Dunk and Egg never find her during their travels throughout Dorne.
Martin has teased that she may return in a future Dunk and Egg installment.
Riverlands Smallfolk
Megette
Megette
Merry Meg
The young, beautiful wife of a blacksmith from Fairmarket, Megette caught the eye of Aegon the Unworthy when his horse threw a shoe and he had to get it a new one. He brought Megette back to King's Landing and was "wed" to her in secret by a mummer playing as septon. The relationship ended when his father Prince Viserys sent Megette back to her husband, who beat her to death within a year.
- Ambiguous Situation: The song "Meggett Was a Merry Maid, a Merry Maid Was She" might be about her.
- Buxom Beauty Standard: She's described as being very beautiful and having a large chest.
- Domestic Abuse: Her husband beat her to death after getting her back.
- Interclass Romance: Aegon IV was a prince, and she was a common woman.
- Odd Name Out: She named her daughters Alysanne, Lily, Willow, and Rosey. Only Alysanne isn't a nature-themed name.
- Rags to Riches: She lived the high life as a prince's mistress and even had her own house in King's Landing...
- Riches to Rags: ...but a few years later Viserys II took that all away and sent her back to where she came from.
- Taking the Veil: Viserys sent Meg's four daughters to serve the Faith as septas.
Jenny of Oldstones
Jenny of Oldstones
- "High in the halls of the kings who are gone, Jenny would dance with her ghosts..."
A commonborn girl who wed Prince Duncan the Small. There was a song written about her, the song that the Ghost of High Heart, her old friend, demands to hear before giving her prophecies.
- Flowers of Femininity: She was known for weaving flowers into her hair.
- Interclass Romance: She's a common girl who married a prince, though he had to cast aside his crown to be with her.
- Love Ruins the Realm: Ser Barristan and several others consider her story to be Exhibit A for this trope. King Aegon V had made several reforms to improve the lives of the peasantry but as part of the compromise to High Lords for taking away their privileges, Egg had to engage his children in Arranged Marriage with several high lords. Duncan's romance with her sparked a rebellion on the part of Lyonel Baratheon, whose daughter was to be married to Prince Duncan. The end result was that Egg's reform initiative faced several roadblocks, especially since it set an example for his other children to Follow the Leader and Marry for Love as well.
- Shrouded in Myth: Her romance with Duncan is the stuff of Westerosi legend and the subject of a popular song.
- Tragic Bromance: Her death deeply affected her dear friend, the Ghost of High Heart. She cried every time she hears the song about Jenny, but its all the Ghost has left of her.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Although its implied that she survived the Tragedy at Summerhall, her ultimate fate is never made clear.
Westerlands Smallfolk
Tess
Tess
A woman from Fair Isle who lived at the time of the Dance of the Dragons. She is known for murdering Dalton Greyjoy after he took her as a salt wife.
- And Now You Must Marry Me: Dalton made her his salt wife after he took over Fair Isle.
- Better to Die than Be Killed: After killing Dalton, she jumped out of a window into the sea before his men could catch her.
- Love Makes You Crazy: One in-universe interpretation for why she killed Dalton is that she was so in love with him, she went mad with jealousy.
- Multiple-Choice Past: Accounts vary wildly about her past, her age, her appearance, whether or not she had been married before, where Dalton found her, how long she had been a salt wife and why she killed him.
- Rape and Revenge: The most likely explanation for why she killed Dalton Greyjoy: he raped her after invading her homeland, so in return she opened his throat from ear to ear with his own dagger.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Her murder of Dalton halted the Ironborn's invasion of the Westerlands and plunged House Greyjoy into a Succession Crisis. This gave the Lannisters the opening they needed to launch a retaliatory invasion on the Iron Islands.
Rebels
Harren the Red
Harren the Red
Claiming to be the grandson of Harren the Black, Harren the Red troubled the reign of King Aenys I when he and his men entered Harrenhal and killed Lord Gargon Qoherys. His band was later put down by Hand of the King Lord Alyn Stokeworth.
- Authority in Name Only: He claimed the titles Lord of Harrenhal and King of the Rivers, but he was little more than a common bandit.
- Outlaw: Never truly started a rebellion against the Iron Throne, as most of his attacks were simple bandit raids.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Yeah, a guy called "Red" wouldn't be invoking blood at all, right? (It could have been because of being a ginger, but given his Hoare claims... That's not what people would automatically assume.)
- Opportunistic Bastard: Another possible interpretation. If you want local support to continue to profit from your lawless ways, you can do worse than paint yourself as the underdog Robin Hood taking on the local Sheriff of Nottingham.
- Rebel Leader: He proclaimed himself Lord of Harrenhal and King of the Rivers in defiance of the Iron Throne — but, mainly "in defiance of the Iron Throne's continuing support of the Qoherys' hold on Harrenhal". Even the majority of Gargon Qohery's men-at-arms joined him. Heck, the Tully's turned somewhat of a blind eye to Harren's escapades for a set of good reasons, too (namely, being royally ashamed of being related by blood and marriage to the dishonourable Gargon).
- Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: Implied. Gargon Qoherys' 0% Approval Rating clearly led some smallfolk and lesser lords to support the bandit calling himself Harren the Red, despite his claim of coming from the very "Black Line" which had exploited the Riverlands for three generations. Qoherys screwed-up so badly, that even a dodgy, saltwife-descended "Hoare" trying to end him looked like a fairly decent alternative.
The Vulture Kings
The Vulture King is the name taken by a series of outlaws who rose against the Iron Throne.
- The Ghost: The third Vulture King.
- Legacy Character: The title of Vulture King was used by several characters over the centuries.
- Sketchy Successor: None of the subsequent Vulture Kings were ever considered a threat like the very first.
The First Vulture King
A Dornishman, the first Vulture King raised an army of thirty thousand commoners in revolt against King Aenys I. He was hunted down and killed by Lord Orys Baratheon and the Marcher Lords in a campaign known as the Vulture Hunt.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Savage Sam Tarly had him tied naked between two posts. Later, he died of thirst and exposure.
- Let's Split Up, Gang!: At its peak, his army had thirty-thousand men. He then made the mistake of splitting it up, knowing that he lacked the supplies to keep such a large army running and hoping that each group would be able to find supplies and keep the battle going. Instead, each group was taken out individually and the Vulture King was hunted down and killed.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: His true name is unknown.
- Rebel Leader: Unlike Harren the Red, the Vulture King did try to start a revolution against the Targaryens.
The Second Vulture King
A Dornish outlaw who tried to rebel against Jaehaerys in 61AC. He tried to use the Red Mountains of Dorne to his advantage, but his camps were found and burned by Jaehaerys on Vermithor. He was aided and abetted by Rogar Baratheons's younger brother Borys Baratheon.
- Combat by Champion: He had his chains struck off by Lord Rogar, given a spear, and told that if he could kill the dying Lord of Storm's End, then he could go free. He proved unequal to the task, however.
- Percussive Therapy: A variation; Jaehaerys found the military campaign against the Vulture King greatly helped him deal with the stress of ruling through the plague known as the Shivers, and his grief over the death of his eldest daughter Daenerys from the disease.
The Rat, The Hawk and The Pig
A trio of outlaws during Aegon V's reign.
- Appropriated Appelation: Got their names possibly from the masks they wore at the masked ball where they attacked Princess Aelora.
- Mutual Kill: Killed and got killed by Prince Daeron.
- Rebel Leader: Against the Targaryens. They may have had connections to the Blackfyres.
