Editing Varys (section)

==Recent Events==
===''A Game of Thrones''===
[[File:Mike Capprotti Whisper Campaign.JPG|350px|thumb|Varys whispers to Lord [[Eddard Stark]], by Mike Capprotti © Fantasy Flight Games]]
One of Varys's spies, Ser [[Jorah Mormont]], sends word from [[Essos]] that the exiled Princess [[Daenerys Targaryen]] has wed Khal [[Drogo]]. Varys sends a rider to inform King [[Robert I Baratheon]], who is returning from [[Winterfell]] with his new [[Hand of the King]], Lord [[Eddard Stark]].{{ref|AGOT|12}} In [[King's Landing]], Varys tells [[Catelyn Stark]] he does not recognize the [[Valyrian steel dagger]] used to attack her son [[Bran Stark|Bran]] at Winterfell. Lord [[Petyr Baelish]], however, claims to have once owned it and then lost it to [[Tyrion Lannister]].{{ref|AGOT|18}}

Eddard dislikes Varys during his first meeting with the [[small council]],{{ref|AGOT|20}} finding him unnerving.{{ref|AGOT|25}} After the [[Hand's tourney]], however, Varys disguises himself and, bypassing [[House Stark guards|Ned's guards]], meets Lord Stark at his chambers in the [[Tower of the Hand]]. He warns Eddard that Queen [[Cersei Lannister]] is trying to kill King Robert. He states that his goal is peace and stability and professes to assist Lord Stark in his investigations against [[House Lannister]]. Varys also reveals that the former hand, Lord [[Jon Arryn]], was poisoned with the [[tears of Lys]].{{Ref|AGOT|30}}

In the depths of the [[Red Keep]], [[Arya Stark]] observes a disguised Varys meeting with Magister [[Illyrio Mopatis]], who is asking to delay a war between Houses [[House Stark|Stark]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] until the right time. Arya does not recognize the men, and Eddard believes the two are merely [[mummers]] when told about them by his daughter.{{Ref|AGOT|32}}

Varys brings Jorah's report of Daenerys being pregnant to the small council, which results in Robert's command to assassinate both her and [[Rhaego|her unborn child]].{{ref|AGOT|33}} When Robert goes hunting in the [[kingswood]], Varys attends court while Eddard sits the [[Iron Throne]] in the king's absence.{{ref|AGOT|43}}

When King Robert is wounded while hunting a boar, Eddard orders Varys to halt the attempts on Daenerys's life.{{ref|AGOT|47}} Varys is in attendance when Cersei has [[arrest of Eddard Stark|Eddard arrested]] in the [[throne room]].{{ref|AGOT|49}}

After Robert dies from his wounds, Varys remains master of whisperers for the new king, [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey I Baratheon]]. When Joffrey demands that someone take the blame for his father's death, Varys suggests Ser [[Barristan Selmy]].{{ref|ACOK|3}} Joffrey and Cersei dismiss Barristan from the [[Kingsguard]], a move many outside the council see as a folly.{{Ref|AGOT|57}}

Varys visits Eddard in the [[black cells]] disguised as a gaoler. Varys persuades Ned that for the sake of his daughter, [[Sansa Stark]], he must falsely confess to treason so Cersei will allow him to [[take the black]], thus delaying a war between Stark and Lannister.{{Ref|AGOT|58}} Despite Varys's intentions to spare Lord Stark's life, however, King Joffrey goes against the council's wishes and decides at the last minute to have Ned executed, much to the shock of Varys and the other onlookers at the [[Great Sept of Baelor]].{{Ref|AGOT|65}}

===''A Clash of Kings''===
[[File:Victor-garciavARYStYRION.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Tyrion Lannister]] and Varys in discussion, by Victor Garcia © Fantasy Flight Games]]
[[Tyrion Lannister]] acts as [[Hand of the King]] while his father, Lord [[Tywin Lannister]], is on campaign during the [[War of the Five Kings]]. When Tyrion visits his lover, [[Shae]], at the [[Broken Anvil]], he finds that Varys is already aware of her presence in [[King's Landing]].{{ref|ACOK|3}} Although Tywin had forbidden Tyrion from bringing Shae to the capital,{{ref|AGOT|69}} Tyrion settles her in a [[manse near the Iron Gate]].{{ref|ACOK|8}}{{ref|ACOK|41}}

An uneasy alliance forms between Varys and Tyrion, with the master of whisperers providing the Hand with information.{{ref|ACOK|8}}{{ref|ACOK|15}} Varys assists Tyrion in gaining control of the [[City Watch of King's Landing]] and informs him that Ser [[Lancel Lannister]] is sleeping with his cousin, Queen [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]].{{Ref|ACOK|8}}{{Ref|ACOK|29}} Varys and Ser [[Jacelyn Bywater]] unsuccessfully search for the missing [[Arya Stark]].{{ref|ASOS|53}}

Varys assists Tyrion in protecting Shae, setting a up a secret route from [[Chataya's brothel]] so Tyrion can visit her and keep her true identity secret from Tyrion's sister, Cersei,{{Ref|ACOK|15}} and finding bodyguards for Tyrion's lover.{{ref|ACOK|29}} During their work together, Varys reveals to Tyrion the origins of how he became castrated as a [[eunuch]].{{Ref|ACOK|29}} It is also revealed that Varys was the one who sent [[Gendry]] with [[Yoren]] to join the [[Night's Watch]], so the boy would not be killed by Cersei's agents simply for the crime of being the late King Robert's bastard.{{ref|ACOK|8}} Varys later helps guide Shae through the [[chamber of the dragon mosaic]] to surprise Tyrion in the [[Tower of the Hand]].{{ref|ACOK|54}}

===''A Storm of Swords''===
After [[Tyrion Lannister]] recovers from the [[Battle of the Blackwater]], he resumes his alliance with Varys, which includes assistance in continuing Tyrion's trysts with [[Shae]].{{ref|ASOS|12}}{{ref|ASOS|32}} Tyrion's father Tywin resumes the position of [[Hand of the King]], and Tyrion instead becomes [[master of coin]] to replace [[Petyr Baelish]].{{ref|AGOT|19}}

[[File:Ryan Barger city of spidersI.jpg|thumb|350px|Varys gathering intelligence, by Ryan Barger © Fantasy Flight Games]]

Varys attends Tywin's meeting with the small council,{{ref|ASOS|19}} and Tywin and Varys discretely have Ser [[Gregor Clegane]], Ser [[Samwell Spicer]], and the brothers [[House Plumm|Plumm]] search for Ser [[Jaime Lannister]] after Tywin's eldest son disappears from captivity at [[Riverrun]].{{ref|ASOS|62}}

Tyrion is put on trial for the murder of King [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey I Baratheon]] at his [[Purple Wedding|royal wedding]]. Varys testifies against Tyrion, providing detailed notes on conversations between the two and a great deal of seemingly-damning evidence.{{ref|ASOS|66}} Varys offers a reward for [[Sansa Stark]], Tyrion's wife who went missing during the wedding,{{ref|ASOS|62}} and he sends fishermen to report on [[Stannis Baratheon]]'s remaining strength at [[Dragonstone]].{{ref|ASOS|72}}

After Tyrion is condemned to die, Varys is forced at knifepoint by Jaime, who has been waiting for Varys in [[Varys's chambers|his chambers]],{{ref|AFFC|8}} to help release his convicted brother, Tyrion,{{ref|AFFC|8}} and Varys drugs the gaolers with [[sweetsleep]].{{ref|ASOS|77}} During the trip through the secret tunnels beneath the Red Keep, Varys leads Tyrion past a ladder that the dwarf recognizes as leading to the chamber of the Hand in the [[Tower of the Hand]]. Tyrion ascends the ladder to kill his father, Tywin.{{ref|ASOS|77}}

During the [[siege of Meereen]], Ser [[Barristan Selmy]] reveals to Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]]'s horror that Ser [[Jorah Mormont]] has been spying on her on behalf of Varys and the small council for gold and in hopes of gaining a royal pardon. Barristan tells her that she is watched and since the day of her wedding to Khal [[Drogo]] there has been an informer at her side.{{Ref|ASOS|57}} After [[Meereen]] is taken, Jorah confesses he took the eunuch's gold and learned some ciphers and wrote some letters. He admits to Daenerys he had suspected that the wine intended for her in [[Vaes Dothrak]] had been poisoned after reading a letter from Varys brought there by caravan. Jorah tells her that Varys wanted her watched, but not harmed. The knight hoped his spying for Varys would allow him to return to Westeros, but Daenerys banishes Jorah for his betrayal.{{Ref|ASOS|71}}

===''A Feast for Crows''===
[[File:Andrew Mina Spidercraft.png|thumb|350px|Spidercraft, by Andrew Mina © Fantasy Flight Games]]
[[Cersei Lannister]] sends Ser [[Meryn Trant]] of the [[Kingsguard]] to find Varys after her father's body is found,{{ref|AFFC|3}} but the spymaster has vanished from the [[Red Keep]] without a trace.{{ref|AFFC|7}} A dungeon turnkey named [[Rugen]] disappears as well.{{ref|AFFC|3}} In Rugen's living space a [[currency|coin]] from [[House Gardener]] is discovered and shown to Cersei, increasing her mistrust of [[House Tyrell]], who had replaced the Gardeners in the [[Reach]] during [[Aegon's Conquest]].{{ref|AFFC|7}} Rugen is one of Varys's disguises.{{Ref|HboGoT|s01e08|DVD Commentary}}

Cersei, now ruling in King's Landing as Queen Regent to her son, King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen I Baratheon]], appoints [[Qyburn]] to fill the position of [[master of whisperers]]. Qyburn notes that many of Varys's spies came to him with secrets to sell, reinforcing Cersei's belief that Varys had always oversold his value.{{ref|AFFC|17}} 

Ser [[Jaime Lannister]] thinks that Varys fled to the [[narrow sea]] with Tyrion, and he also considers the possibility that his brother had murdered Varys and left his body beneath the Red Keep.{{ref|ASOS|8}} Jaime begins to suspect that Varys might have had a hand in the disappearance of [[Tyrek Lannister]], once one of King Robert's squires, during the [[riot of King’s Landing]].{{Ref|AFFC|27}}

Ser [[Shadrich]] searches for [[Sansa Stark]] in hopes of winning the [[gold]] offered as a reward by Varys.{{ref|AFFC|4}}

===''A Dance with Dragons''===
[[File:SaraWintersVarys.jpg|thumb|350px|Varys, crossbow in hand, by Sara Winters © Fantasy Flight Games]]
Varys has [[Tyrion Lannister]] smuggled across the [[narrow sea]] to [[Pentos]], where Tyrion meets Varys's old friend, Magister [[Illyrio Mopatis]].{{ref|ADWD|1}} Tyrion learns that during [[Robert's Rebellion]], Varys, a [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] loyalist, allegedly switched the baby [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Rhaegar)|Aegon]] with that of a [[pisswater prince|peasant baby]]. With the realm believing the prince had died during the [[Sack of King's Landing]], Varys had Aegon smuggled to [[Essos]] to be raised by Lord [[Jon Connington]], the exiled [[Hand of the King]] and the friend of Aegon's father, Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]]. To conceal Jon's activities, Varys concocted the false story that Jon had drank himself to death in [[Lys]] after being caught stealing from the [[Golden Company]].{{ref|ADWD|22}}{{ref|ADWD|24}} Varys, Illyrio, and the Golden Company now plot to wed the teenaged Aegon to [[Daenerys Targaryen]], [[Queen of Meereen]], and place him on the [[Iron Throne]].{{ref|ADWD|1}}{{ref|ADWD|5}}{{ref|ADWD|24}} The [[landing of the Golden Company]] begins in the [[stormlands]].{{ref|ADWD|63}}

Varys employs the secret passages of the [[Red Keep]] to enter the chambers of Grand Maester [[Pycelle]] and kill him. He then dispatches one of his [[little birds]] to fetch Ser [[Kevan Lannister]], now Lord Regent after Cersei's disgrace, under the pretext that the Grand Maester has a message for him. Varys [[Assassinations of Pycelle and Kevan Lannister|shoots Kevan with a crossbow]], going on to apologize and note that his actions are not out of malice but rather because Kevan's competent leadership threatens to undo Cersei's follies and years of Varys's careful planning. Kevan's death will sow further dissent between the Lannisters and Tyrells, making the realm easy prey for Aegon to arrive and be proclaimed king, for the good of the realm. Varys then summons several of his little birds to end Kevan's suffering.{{ref|ADWD|72}}