Euron Greyjoy

Euron Greyjoy is a character from the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series by George R.R. Martin. He is the younger brother of Lord Balon Greyjoy, and the capain of the pirateship The Silence.

Appearance and Personality
Euron is pale skinned and handsome, with black hair and a black beard. His lips are tinted pale blue due to his habit of drinking "shade of the evening." He wears an eye-patch over his left eye, earning him the nickname "Crow's Eye." According to his nephew Theon, the eyepatch hides a "black eye shining with malice." His right eye is a deep blue, and is often referred to as his "smiling eye."

Euron is wildly unpredictable, known for his ability to play vicious mind games with those around him, something he takes great pleasure in, and which has earned him the hatred of all his brothers. He is a skilled and dangerous warrior, a brilliant tactician, and is cunning, shrewd and very ruthless.

For an unknown reason, he cuts the tongues out of the men serving on his ship ''Silence. ''He has fathered numerous bastard children, but has no regard for any of them.

Early Life
Euron was born the sixth son of Lord Quellon Greyjoy. Quellon's first four sons, born of his first wife, all died during childhood. Euron is the second born of Quellon's second wife. His older brother Balon ascended as the new Lord of the Iron Isles after Quellon's death at sea.

After Robert's Rebellion, Balon attempted a rebellion of his own, known as the "Greyjoy Rebellion." Euron concocted a plan to destroy the Lannister navy at Westerlands. The plan was succesfully executed by Euron's younger brother Victarion; commander of the Iron Fleet.

The rebellion eventually failed however, and Balon bent the knee to King Robert. Some time after this, Euron seduced or raped his younger brother Victarion's salt-wife, whom he loved dearly. Victarion beat her to death, and would have killed Euron too if not for the taboo against kinslaying. For this crime, Euron was exiled by Balon, and told never to return to the Iron Isles for as long as Balon lived.

Euron took his ship, the Silence and sailed it across the known world, pillaging and raping wherever he went, earning him a deadly reputation. He claimed to have sailed as far as Asshai by the Shadow, and to have sailed the Smoking Sea walked the charred ruins of Valyria itself, a feat unmatched by any man alive.

He claims to have once owned a dragon's egg, but supposedly tossed it into the sea during a "foul mood."

A Storm of Swords
After the death of his brother Balon, who fell into the sea from a rope-bridge during a storm, Euron returned to Pyke, sailing in a mere day after his brother's death, and claiming the Seastone Chair as the new king. When Lord Sawayne Botley objected, Euron had him drowned in a cask of seawater.

A Feast for Crows
Aeron Greyjoy, Euron's youngest brother, learns of Euron claiming the Seastone Chair and goes about trying to depose him, believing Euron to be godless, and that no godless man may sit the Seastone Chair. He and many others question the timing of Euron's return, finding it suspicious that Euron returned to Pyke a day after Balon's death, when he was supposedly far away reaving at sea.

Aeron calls a Kingsmoot, an ancient tradition with the purpose of choosing a new king, since Balon's succession was unclear. Many candidates make their claims at the Kingsmoot, chief among them Asha Greyjoy, Balon's daughter and preferred heir, and Victarion Greyjoy, Euron's younger brother. The two of them make their claims to much cheer, but Euron beats them all by showing the Ironborn his Dragon Horn, a legendary artifact with the ability to control dragons. Euron tells them he knows where to find three living dragons, and will use them to conquer all of Westeros for the Ironborn. While Euron wins, there are still some that oppose him. His brother Aeron swears to find a way to depose him, as does his niece Asha, and Lord Baelor Blacktyde flat out refuses to accept Euron as king, which leads to Euron killing him.

Euron leads the Ironborn in a series of raids against the fertile Reach. With most of the Reach's armies and naval forces busy elsewhere, the raids are a great success. Euron uses this as an opportunity to weaken his potential rivals, giving their strongest supporters lands and holdings. Euron gives Victarion the Dragon Horn and sends him and the Iron Fleet to Meereen to find Daenerys Targaryen, make her Euron's wife, and bring her dragons.

A Dance with Dragons
Euron's brother Victarion depars for Meereen. Though Victarion is known for being loyal to a fault, his hatred for his brother makes him entertain thoughts of trechery. He plans to use slaves to blow the Dragon Horn, since if Victarion were to blow it himself, he would die, in order to take Daenerys and her dragons for himself.