Editing Strangler

[[File:Natascha Roeoesli Sansa hairnet.jpg|thumb|400px|right|[[Sansa Stark]] examines the [[silver hair net]] after [[Purple Wedding|Joffrey's poisoning]]. Art by Natascha Röösli. © Fantasy Flight Games]]
The '''strangler''' is a rare [[poison]] that looks like dark purple crystals, much like black [[amethyst]]s, and makes the victim unable to breathe.{{Ref|aCoK|0}}{{Ref|aSoS|66}} The process of making the poison is known to the [[alchemists of Lys|alchemists]] of [[Lys]], the [[Faceless Men]] of [[Braavos]], and the [[maesters]] of the [[Citadel]]. The maesters do not discuss the subject beyond the confines of their order. The [[Asshai]]'i have one name for the plant from which the poison is made, and the alchemists of Lys have another name for the crystals, but the maesters call the poison the strangler.{{Ref|aCoK|0}}

==Preparation==
[[File:Black AmethystsMarc Scheff.JPG|thumb|400px|right|Black Amethysts by Marc Scheff © Fantasy Flight Games]]
The process to make the strangler is slow and difficult, the necessaries costly and hard to acquire. The poison is made from plants that are only found on islands in the [[Jade Sea]]. The leaves of the plant are picked and aged, then soaked in a wash of limes, sugar water, and rare [[spices]] from the [[Summer Islands]]. The leaves are then discarded, but the liquid is kept and thickened with ash and allowed to crystallize. The crystals are dark purple, no larger than seeds, and shine like jewels.{{Ref|aCoK|0}}

==Effects==
Dissolved in [[wine]], the strangler makes the muscles of the victim's throat clench tighter than a fist, shutting off the windpipe. It is said that the victim's face turns as purple as the poison crystals. The effects can be mistaken for choking on a small piece of food.{{Ref|aCoK|0}}

==Recent Events==
===''A Clash of Kings''===
[[File:Gino Whitehall the power of faithII.JPG|thumb|400px|right|Maester [[Cressen]] and [[Melisandre]] drink from a cup of [[wine]] poisoned with the strangler. Art by Gino Whitehall © Fantasy Flight Games]]
Maester [[Cressen]] attempts to assassinate [[Melisandre]] using the strangler. She survives after drinking almost the whole poisoned cup of wine, claiming her faith cleanses her. When Cressen drinks the remaining half a swallow from the same cup, he dies.{{ref|ACOK|0}}

The [[fool]] Ser [[Dontos Hollard]] provides [[Sansa Stark]] with a [[silver hair net]], decorated with what he claims to be black [[amethyst]]s from [[Asshai]]. He claims the net is [[magic]] that will give Sansa justice, vengeance for King [[Joffrey Baratheon]]'s execution of her father [[Eddard Stark]], and take her home to [[Winterfell]].{{ref|ACOK|65}}

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Sansa Stark wears the silver hair net to the [[Purple Wedding|royal wedding]] of King [[Joffrey Baratheon]] and [[Margaery Tyrell]], per Dontos Hollard's orders.{{ref|ASOS|16}}{{ref|ASOS|60}} During the wedding, Lady [[Olenna Redwyne]] secretly takes one of the crystals from the hair net and uses it to poison the wine in King Joffrey's goblet. Joffrey appears to choke on a piece of his wedding pie, and dies, unable to breathe. The wine, originally red, has turned purple.{{ref|ASOS|60}} 

Sansa, fleeing the [[Red Keep]] in the chaos of the assassination, discovers that one of the amethysts in her hair net is missing,{{ref|ASOS|61}} and later learns that Dontos was given the hair net by Lord [[Petyr Baelish]]. Petyr tells Sansa that he and Lady Olenna conspired to murder Joffrey and frame [[Tyrion Lannister]].{{ref|ASOS|68}}

At Tyrion's trial for [[kingslaying]], Grand Maester [[Pycelle]] tells the court that Joffrey was killed by the strangler, and that Tyrion stole it and other poisons from his chambers.{{ref|ASOS|66}}

==Quotes==
[[File:John Goodenough strangler.jpg|thumb|400px|right|A strangler crystal dropped in [[wine]]. Art by John Goodenough © Fantasy Flight Games]]
{{Quote|Such a small thing to hold the power of life and death.{{ref|acok|0}}|thoughts of [[Maester]] [[Cressen]]}}

{{Quote|They said a victim's face turned as purple as the little crystal seed from which his death was grown, but so too did a man choking on a morsel of food.{{ref|acok|0}}|thoughts of [[Maester]] [[Cressen]]}}

{{Quote|I dreamt of a [[Sansa Stark|maid]] at a [[Purple Wedding|feast]] with purple serpents in her hair, venom dripping from their fangs.{{Ref|aSoS|43}}|the [[ghost of High Heart]]}}

{{Quote|'''Sansa:''' You said I must wear the hair net. The [[silver]] net with... what sort of stones are those?<br>'''Dontos:''' [[Amethyst]]s. Black amethysts from [[Asshai]], my lady.<br>'''Sansa:''' They're no amethysts. Are they? ''Are they?'' You lied.<br>'''Dontos:''' Black amethysts. There was [[magic]] in them.<br>'''Sansa:''' There was ''murder'' in them!{{ref|ASOS|61}}|[[Sansa Stark]] and [[Dontos Hollard]]}}

==References==
{{References}}

[[Category:Poisons]]

[[es:El Estrangulador]]
[[fa:حناق]]
[[fr:Étrangleur]]
[[pt:Estrangulador]]
[[ru:Душитель]]
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