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| “ | Rodrik: I prefer my history dead. Dead history is writ in ink, the living sort in blood. Asha: Do you want to die old and craven in your bed? Rodrik: How else? Though not till I'm done reading. |
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| ~ Rodrik and his niece Asha Greyjoy. |
| “ | Don’t be a fool. Euron shows the world his smiling eye tonight, but come the morrow ... Asha, you are Balon's daughter, and your claim is stronger than his own. So long as you draw breath you remain a danger to him. If you stay, you will be killed or wed to the Red Oarsman. I don't know which would be worse. Go. You will not have another chance. | „ |
| ~ Rodrik during the celebrations after the kingsmoot, convincing Asha to leave the Iron Islands, which will bring her back to the North. |
Lord Rodrik Harlaw, also known as Rodrik the Reader, is a supporting character in the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series. He is the Lord of Harlaw, Lord of the Ten Towers, and head of House Harlaw.
His homeland Harlaw is not the largest of the Iron Islands but it is the richest and most populous. He is known as the Reader because of his deep interest in reading, which is uncommon in Ironborn culture. Unlike the majority of his people, Rodrik is a cautious pacifist who is not interested in war nor in his culture's glorification of death by battle. Rodrik owns a large collection of books, taking up one of the towers and spilling into other parts of his castle. He is constantly reading and keeps purchasing new books from places such as Oldtown. Rodrik is also the captain of the Sea Song, his longship, from which he keeps reading while aboard it. In current days, he needs Myrish lens to assist with his vision for reading.
Rodrik's eldest sister Gwynesse believes she should have Ten Towers, as she is seven years older than Rodrik. His other sister Alannys married Balon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands, and had three sons, Rodrik, Maron and Theon, and a daughter, Asha. When Balon rebelled against King Robert I Baratheon he lost his two eldest sons, Rodrik and Maron, and his only surviving son was sent to be a ward of Lord Eddard Stark. Rodrik's two sons instead died at the Battle off Fair Isle against Lord Stannis Baratheon's naval forces, and he is also a widower.
Rodrik's house is a large family, divided in numerous branches and seats, with many relatives vying to become his heirs. His relatives include Boremund the Blue (Master of Harridan Hill), Ser Harras the Knight (Knight of Grey Garden), Hotho Humpback (Master of the Tower of Glimmering), and Sigfryd Silverhair Harlaw (Master of Harlaw Hall). Rodrik's bannermen include Lords Myre, Kenning, Stonetree, and Volmark. His chosen heir is his cousin, Ser Harras "the Knight" Harlaw, whose mother was a Serrett.
Biography[]
| “ | Euron: I am the storm, my lord. The first storm, and the last. I have taken the Silence on longer voyages than this, and ones far more hazardous. Have you forgotten? I have sailed the Smoking Sea and seen Valyria. Rodrik: Have you? Euron: [stops smiling and becomes very serious and warning] Reader, you would do well to keep your nose in your books. |
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When the Faith of the Seven was still tolerated in the Iron Islands, either during Lord Quellon Greyjoy's rule or during Lord Balon Greyjoy's early rule, Rodrik kept septons at Ten Towers to help care for his books, which he reads in the Book Tower.
Rodrik unsuccessfully advised Lord Balon Greyjoy not to rebel against King Robert I Baratheon. During Greyjoy's Rebellion in 289 AC, Rodrik's two tall sons who died in the sea battle off Fair Isle against the royal fleet, the Redwyne fleet, and the Hightower fleet, led by Lord Stannis Baratheon, the Iron Throne's Master of Ships.
Rodrik is a widower, and he does not expect to wed again. He named his cousin Harras, the Knight of Grey Garden, his heir to rule Harlaw and his seat. Along with Rodrik's sons, the husband of his eldest sister Gwynesse died during the sea battle off Fair Isle against Stannis and the Iron Throne's navy. After her husband death, Gwynesse returned to Ten Towers, where she has remained since. Rodrik had one of the castle's towers renamed the Widow's Tower in her honor. She believes that the castle should be hers, as she is seven years older than Rodrik, and she constantly reminds him of this. According to Rodrik, Gwynesse continues to mourn her husband as deeply as she did when he died years ago, but she also started to forget things (likely some form of dementia) and cannot remember her husband's name.
As years passed after Greyjoy's Rebellion, Rodrik's other sister, Lady Alannys Harlaw, the wife of Balon Greyjoy, began to lose her mental faculties, roaming the halls of the castle of Pyke in search of her lost sons, Rodrik, Maron, and Theon, even walking the castle's rope bridge to the Sea Tower while barefoot. Eventually, by then also estranged to her husband Balon, Alannys moved to Ten Towers to live with her siblings Rodrik and Gwynesse, as Harlaw is less raw than Pyke, being the most pleasant of the Iron Islands.
After Robert's death Balon rebels again, attacking the North, Theon betrays his king, Robb Stark and becomes part of the invasion, briefly leading the harrying of the Stony Shore and then capturing Winterfell. However the Ironborn invasion begins faltering, the North is too large and the Ironborn are not capable at land warfare. Theon is captured by the monstrous Ramsay Snow and tortured. Balon Greyjoy dies, apparently falling from a bridge during a storm. The day after his death, Balon's eldest brother Euron "Crow's Eye" Greyjoy, who Balon exiled years ago, returns and claims the Seastone Chair. Balon's youngest brother Aeron "Damphair" Greyjoy is horrified, fearing Euron, and wants another of his brothers, Victarian Greyjoy, to succeed. However Victarian is younger then Euron, so Aeron decides to call a Kingsmoot, a method by which the Ironborn used to elect their Kings.
Rodrik's niece Asha tries to claim rule of the Iron Islands, as Balon's chosen heir. Rodrik tries to tell her the Ironborn will not accept a woman as ruler, and tells her not to go to the Kingsmoot on Old Wyk. He tries to placate her by offering to make her heir to Ten Towers, but she refuses.
At the Kingsmoot Rodrik calls Asha's name. However Euron reveals his plan to conquer Westeros with dragons and is elected King. Rodrik tells his niece to flee the Iron Islands, fearing Euron will kill her as her claim is stronger then his. Asha travels to Deepwood Motte, the last Ironborn refuge in the North, which she seized.
Euron begins his conquest by seizing the Shield Islands. Rather then give lordship of the Four Islands to his men, he gives them to men who might oppose him. Rodrik's heir, Ser Harras Harlaw, the Knight of Grey Garden, is given Greyshield for his role in the surrender of Grimston. Euron feats on Oakenshield, in the hall of the captive Lord Humfrey Hewett. He announces his plans to sail to Slaver's Bay and claim Daenerys and her dragons. Euron claims to have sailed the Smoking Sea and at Valyria, found a dragon-horn. Rodrik is skeptical of this, asking Euron if his claims are true, leading to the other Ironborn saying they want to continue their raids in Westeros. Realizing his power is faltering, Euron tells Victarian to sail the Iron Fleet to Slaver's Bay instead.
Quotes[]
| “ | This dream of kingship is a madness in our blood. I told your father so the first time he rose, and it is more true now than it was then. It's land we need, not crowns. With Stannis Baratheon and Tywin Lannister contending for the Iron Throne, we have a rare chance to improve our lot. Let us take one side or the other, help them to victory with our fleets, and claim the lands we need from a grateful king. | „ |
| ~ Rodrik to Asha Greyjoy |
| “ | Crows will fight over a dead man's flesh and kill each other for his eyes. We had one king, then five. Now all I see are crows, squabbling over the corpse of Westeros. | „ |
| ~ Rodrik Harlaw |
Gallery[]
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