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 Marwyn, by Nawia © | ||||
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| Title | Archmaester of the higher mysteries | |||
| Allegiance | The Citadel | |||
| Culture | Westeros | |||
| Born | Westeros[1] | |||
| Books |
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Marwyn, also known as Marwyn the Mage, is an archmaester of the Citadel.[2]
Appearance and Character
[edit]Marwyn has a thick neck and a strong jaw. He is short and squat with enormous hands, a thick chest, and a hard ale-belly. The archmaester has white hair coming out of his nose and ears. Marwyn is beetle-browed, his nose has been broken more than once, and his teeth are stained red from chewing sourleaf.[3]
Though he wears a maester's chain of many metals, Marwyn wears a leather jerkin instead of robes.[3] His ring, rod, and mask are made of Valyrian steel.[2]
Other maesters consider Marwyn disreputable for keeping company with whores, hedge wizards, sailors, and other lowborn of Oldtown.[4] He can speak the languages of Ibben and the Summer Isles.[4] Marwyn has unorthodox views of magic,[3] and he often calls the rest of the archmaesters "the grey sheep".[5][3]
Marwyn's chambers are at the Ravenry on the Isle of Ravens. They are found at the top of a flight of stairs in the north tower of the castle, below the rookery of the black ravens.[3]
History
[edit]Marwyn has traveled the lands beyond the narrow sea. He spent eight years in the east, mapping distant lands, searching for lost books, and studying with warlocks and shadowbinders.[4] He encountered Mirri Maz Duur during his travels in Asshai, and taught her the Common Tongue and the secrets of the human body.[6] Marwyn's accounts of his travels confirmed reports that there are no living animals in Asshai.[7]
Marwyn was nicknamed "Marwyn the Mage" by Archmaester Vaellyn after his return to the Citadel. The name was soon all over Oldtown, much to Vaellyn's displeasure.[4]
Before Qyburn was expelled from the Citadel for necromancy and vivisection, Marwyn was the only archmaester who liked his thoughts about dead souls leaving some residue in this world.[8]
Maryn is rumored to have killed a man with his fists.[4]
Marwyn is the author of a book, The Book of Lost Books.[9]
Recent Events
[edit]A Game of Thrones
[edit]
In Lhazar, Mirri Maz Duur mentions to Daenerys Targaryen that she was taught about human anatomy, as well as the Common Tongue of Westeros, by a maester named Marwyn.[6]
A Storm of Swords
[edit]On the way to King's Landing from Harrenhal, Qyburn explains to Ser Jaime Lannister how he came to believe in the possibility of ghosts, and mentions that of all the archmaesters only Marwyn gave the matter any thought.[8]
A Feast for Crows
[edit]In Oldtown, Leo Tyrell tells the group of novices and acolytes assembled at the Quill and Tankard that Marwyn believes the tales of dragons are true, and that he has managed to light a glass candle. When Armen and Roone say that certain archmaesters consider Marwyn to be crazy, Leo shrugs and says it is a simple fact that "the menagerie hates the mastiff", meaning the archmaesters and Marwyn.[4]
In King's Landing, Qyburn explains to Queen Regent Cersei Lannister why he was expelled from the Citadel, calling the archmaesters craven and saying that Marwyn calls them "the grey sheep",[5] a phrase Cersei comes to like.[10]
In the Book Tower at Ten Towers, Asha Greyjoy finds her uncle, Lord Rodrik Harlaw, reading Marwyn's The Book of Lost Books. Rodrik says that Marwyn claims to have found three pages of Signs and Portents, a book of visions written down by Daenys the Dreamer.[9]
Marwyn sees through his glass candle that Samwell Tarly is coming to the Citadel, and sends Alleras to meet him at the Seneschal's Court. Alleras talks with Sam, and brings him to Marwyn's chambers in the Ravenry. Marwyn listens to Samwell's story—that the late Maester Aemon believed Daenerys Targaryen is the prince that was promised—and states that he knows the prophecy, but does not trust it. After Alleras says that Aemon wanted to go to Daenerys to counsel and protect her, Marwyn says it may be a good thing that Aemon died before he arrived in Oldtown, or the archmaesters might have killed him as part of their efforts to rid the world of magic.[3]
Marwyn decides to travel to Meereen in Aemon's place. He orders Samwell to keep quiet about Daenerys and the dragons, finish his studies, and then get back to the Wall as fast as possible. He orders "Pate" to find Sam a sleeping cell in the Ravenry, where he will help Pate tend Archmaester Walgrave's ravens, and he orders Alleras to look after Sam. Marwyn then leaves to catch the swan ship Cinnamon Wind, in order to travel swiftly to reach Daenerys before the Citadel's man does.[3]
Quotes by Marwyn
[edit]
Marwyn: Gorghan of Old Ghis once wrote that a prophecy is like a treacherous woman. She takes your member in her mouth, and you moan with the pleasure of it and think, how sweet, how fine, how good this is... and then her teeth snap shut and your moans turn to screams. That is the nature of prophecy, said Gorghan. Prophecy will bite your prick off every time. Still ...
Alleras: Aemon would have gone to her if he had the strength. He wanted us to send a maester to her, to counsel her and protect her and fetch her safely home.
Marwyn: Did he? Perhaps it's good that he died before he got to Oldtown. Elsewise the grey sheep might have had to kill him, and that would have made the poor old dears wring their wrinkled hands.
Samwell: Kill him? Why?
Marwyn: If I tell you, they may need to kill you too. Who do you think killed all the dragons the last time around? Gallant dragonslayers armed with swords? The world the Citadel is building has no place in it for sorcery or prophecy or glass candles, much less for dragons. Ask yourself why Aemon Targaryen was allowed to waste his life upon the Wall, when by rights he should have been raised to archmaester. His blood was why. He could not be trusted. No more than I can.[3]—Marwyn, Alleras, and Samwell Tarly
Samwell: B-b-but, the other archmaesters... the Seneschal... what should I tell them?
Marwyn: Tell them how wise and good they are. Tell them that Aemon commanded you to put yourself into their hands. Tell them that you have always dreamed that one day you might be allowed to wear the chain and serve the greater good, that service is the highest honor, and obedience the highest virtue. But say nothing of prophecies or dragons, unless you fancy poison in your porridge.[3]—Samwell Tarly and Marwyn
Quotes about Marwyn
[edit]Mirri: Marwyn, he named himself. From the sea. Beyond the sea. The Seven Lands, he said. Sunset Lands. Where men are iron and dragons rule. He taught me this speech.
Jorah: A maester in Asshai. Tell me, Godswife, what did this Marwyn wear about his neck?
Mirri: A chain so tight it was like to choke him, Iron Lord, with links of many metals.[6]
The Mage was not like other maesters. People said that he kept company with whores and hedge wizards, talked with hairy Ibbenese and pitch-black Summer Islanders in their own tongues, and sacrificed to queer gods at the little sailors' temples down by the wharves. Men spoke of seeing him down in the undercity, in rat pits and black brothels, consorting with mummers, singers, sellswords, even beggars. Some even whispered that once he had killed a man with his fists.[4]
—thoughts of Pate
Marwyn wore a chain of many metals around his bull's neck. Save for that, he looked more like a dockside thug than a maester.[3]
—thoughts of Samwell Tarly
References
[edit]- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Marwyn.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 A Feast for Crows, Appendix.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 45, Samwell V.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 A Feast for Crows, Prologue.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 7, Cersei II.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 61, Daenerys VII.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Asshai-by-the-Shadow.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 44, Jaime VI.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 11, The Kraken's Daughter.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 16, Jaime II.