Editing Shepherd (section)

==History==
===Origin===
[[Grand Maester]] [[Munkun]], in his ''[[True Telling]]'', suggests the Shepherd was one of the outlawed [[Poor Fellows]]. [[Archmaester]] [[Gyldayn]], in his book ''[[Fire & Blood, Being a History of the Targaryen Kings of Westeros|Fire & Blood]]'', believes the Shepherd lost his right hand for thievery. Otherwise, Gyldayn states that nothing else is known of the Shepherd before his preaching began, not even his name.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}   

===Dance of the Dragons===
During the [[Dance of the Dragons]], the night after word arrived in [[King's Landing]] of the horrors of the [[First Battle of Tumbleton]], the Shepherd began to preach against Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]] in [[Cobbler's Square]]. He claimed that [[dragons]] were [[demons]], the spawn of [[god]]less [[Valyria]], and the doom of men.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon II}} The Shepherd declared [[Westeros]] would only avoid being [[Doom of Valyria|doomed like Valyria]] if King's Landing were cleansed of dragons and the Targaryens. Crowds gathered to hear his words, and by dawn thousands of people were fighting to enter Cobbler's Square to hear him. Any who tried to argue with the Shepherd were assaulted by the crowd, and even forty [[gold cloaks]] were driven off when they tried to clear the square.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}

[[Munkun]] believes that the Shepherd originated the calumnious story that Queen Rhaenyra sent Ser [[Luthor Largent]] to murder Queen [[Helaena Targaryen]]. However, [[Mushroom]] believes the Shepherd only spread the lie that [[Larys Strong]] had manufactured. Wherever the story came from, thousands of people heard the Shepherd rail against Helaena's "murder" and against Rhaenyra.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}

During the [[Riot of King's Landing (Dance of the Dragons)|riots in King's Landing]], the Shepherd declared that just as he had foretold, the day of doom was at hand. During his speech, five hundred men of the [[City Watch of King's Landing|City Watch]], led by Ser Luthor Largent, arrived to disperse the crowd and arrest the Shepherd. However, the Shepherd's acolytes took him to safety, while his ten thousand followers overwhelmed the gold cloaks, slaughtering them. Luthor was pulled down from his armored [[warhorse]], stabbed in the stomach, and bludgeoned to death. The next night, the Shepherd led a mob in the [[Storming of the Dragonpit]], where two of the [[blacks]]' dragons and three of the [[greens]]' dragons were killed by the crowd. A tale oft repeated in King's Landing names the Shepherd as the slayer of the dragon [[Syrax]], Rhaenyra's mount. The Shepherd allegedly stood alone against the dragon, calling upon [[the Seven]] for succor, until the [[Warrior (the Seven)|Warrior]] manifested and beheaded Syrax.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}

===Moon of the Three Kings===
After the Storming of the Dragonpit and Rhaenyra's [[Flight to Dragonstone|flight from King's Landing]], the Shepherd and his mob ruled much of the city from the ruins of the [[Dragonpit]]. This period was dubbed the [[Moon of the Three Kings]] by [[maester]]s even though the Shepherd never claimed [[king]]ship, styling himself a simple son of the Seven. He preached every night among the heads of the five slain dragons, set up on posts by his followers.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}

The Shepherd preached against [[lord]]s, [[knight]]s, and rich men, commanding his followers to cast off fine attire and walk barefoot with roughspun robes. Although thousands obeyed, his crowds grew smaller with each passing night. Other factions of rioters seized control of other parts of the city, particularly [[Trystane Truefyre]] at the [[Red Keep]] on [[Aegon's Hill]] and [[Gaemon Palehair]] on [[Visenya's Hill]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}}

===Arrest and Death===
[[File:The Shepherd Burns by MV Renju.jpg|thumb|350px|King [[Aegon II Targaryen]], supported by two of his [[Kingsguard]], executes the Shepherd. Art by MV Renju, for ''[[The Rise of the Dragon]]''.]]
When Lord [[Borros Baratheon]]'s army neared [[King's Landing]], the Shepherd ordered his flock to keep him from crossing the [[Blackwater Rush]], but few obeyed from his dwindling mob. Forewarned by the fate of [[Gaemon Palehair]], the Shepherd called upon his "[[Barefoot lambs|barefoot army]]" to assemble around the [[Dragonpit]] to defend the [[Hill of Rhaenys]]. Less than three hundred answered his call, however, and they were easily defeated by Borros and Ser [[Perkin the Flea]]. Cursing Borros, the captured Shepherd was carried to the Red Keep in chains and put in a dungeon alongside the other two false kings to await the return of King [[Aegon II Targaryen]] and his judgment.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}

The Shepherd refused to repent when brought before Aegon, cursing the crippled king instead. Aegon ordered the Shepherd's [[tongue mutilation|tongue torn out with hot pincers]] and condemned him and his followers to death by fire. On the last day of {{Date|130}}, two hundred forty-one of the Shepherd's most dedicated followers were covered with pitch and chained to poles on both sides of [[Hill Street]], which ran from [[Cobbler's Square]] to the Dragonpit. As [[sept]]s rang bells in celebration, Aegon's knights set each captive ablaze as the king traveled to the Dragonpit. With two [[Kingsguard]] helping him stand, Aegon set aflame the Shepherd, who was chained amongst the heads of the five slain dragons.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}

===Legacy===
Following the burning of the Shepherd and his followers, Hill Street became known as [[Shepherd's Way]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}} Lord [[Borros Baratheon]] was killed in the [[Battle of the Kingsroad]], and King [[Aegon II Targaryen]] was murdered by [[poison]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II}}

During the [[Hour of the Wolf]], a two-handed man claiming to be the [[Shepherd reborn]] rose and called for the death of the [[northmen]] in Lord [[Cregan Stark]]'s army, as they believed in the [[old gods]] instead of the Seven. Hundreds flocked to hear him,{{Ref|FAB|Aftermath - The Hour of the Wolf}} but [[gold cloaks]] arrested him and removed his tongue.{{Ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}} Another [[false Shepherd]], claiming to be the "Shepherd Reborn", was executed by Ser [[Victor Risley]] by order of Lord [[Unwin Peake]] in {{Date|133}}.{{Ref|FAB|Under the Regents - War and Peace and Cattle Shows}}