Spears of the merling king
The spears of the merling king[1] are a geological feature of Blackwater Bay named after the merling king, a deity revered by sailors.
Geography
Barren sea monts rise from the floor of the bay and form spear-like rock formations that can rise above the surface of the water for up to a hundred feet. For every spear that breaks the surface a dozen more lie just beneath.[1]
It is considered treacherous for any ship to sail into the spears, as the hidden monts will rip the bottom of any passing vessel.[1]
Recent Events
A Storm of Swords
Ser Davos Seaworth is stranded on the spears following the destruction of the majority of Stannis Baratheon's fleet by wildfire during the Battle of the Blackwater.[1] He is eventually rescued from Onion Rock[1] by Khorane Sathmantes, captain of Shayala's Dance.[2]
Quotes
He knew where his rock lay, more or less; it was one of a series of sea monts that rose from the floor of Blackwater Bay. The tallest of them jutted a hundred feet above the tide, and a dozen lesser monts stood thirty to sixty feet high. Sailors called them spears of the merling king, and knew that for every one that broke the surface, a dozen lurked treacherously just below it. Any captain with sense kept his course well away from them.[1]
—thoughts of Davos Seaworth
No sensible captain would ever take his ship through the spears of the merling king and risk ripping out his bottom.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 5, Davos I.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 10, Davos II.