Difference between revisions of "Strangler"

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[[File:Natascha Roeoesli Sansa hairnet.jpg|[[Sansa Stark]] examining the silver hairnet after [[Purple Wedding|Prince Joffrey's poisoning]] - art by Natascha Röösli. © Fantasy Flight Games|thumb|400px|right]]
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[[File:Natascha Roeoesli Sansa hairnet.jpg|[[Sansa Stark]] examining the [[silver hairnet]] after [[Purple Wedding|Joffrey's poisoning]] - art by Natascha Röösli. © Fantasy Flight Games|thumb|400px|right]]
[[File:Black AmethystsMarc Scheff.JPG|© Fantasy Flight Games|thumb|400px|right]]
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[[File:Black AmethystsMarc Scheff.JPG|Black Amethysts © Fantasy Flight Games|thumb|400px|right]]
The '''strangler''' is a rare [[poison]], which makes the person unable to breathe.{{Ref|aSoS|66}} The knowledge of how to make the poison is known to the alchemists of [[Lys]], the [[Faceless Men]] of [[Braavos]] and the [[Maesters]] of the [[Citadel]]. The [[Asshai]]'i have a name for the plant and the Alchemists of Lys a name for the crystal but to the maesters it is known as the strangler.{{Ref|aCoK|Prologue}}
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The '''strangler''' is a rare [[poison]] that looks like dark purple crystals, 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==
 
==Preparation==
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. It turns a deep purple color.{{Ref|aCoK|Prologue}}
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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}}
  
==Assassinations==
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==Effects==
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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}}
  
* Maester [[Cressen]] attempted to assassinate [[Melisandre]] using the strangler, but she survived after drinking almost the whole poisoned cup of wine. When Cressen drank the remaining half a swallow from the same cup, he died.
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==Recent Events==
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===''A Clash of Kings''===
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Maester [[Cressen]] attempts to assassinate [[Melisandre]] using the strangler, but she survives after drinking almost the whole poisoned cup of wine. When Cressen drinks the remaining half a swallow from the same cup, he dies.{{ref|ACOK|0}}
  
* Lady [[Olenna Redwyne]] used strangler crystals, disguised as amethysts adorning a silver hairnet worn by [[Sansa Stark]], to poison King [[Joffrey Baratheon]]. The hairnet was given to Sansa by Ser [[Dontos Hollard]] under orders of [[Petyr Baelish]].{{Ref|aSoS|61}}
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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}}
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===''A Storm of Swords''===
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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}}
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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}}
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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==
 
==Quotes==
{{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]]
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{{Quote|Such a small thing to hold the power of life and death.{{ref|acok|0}}|thoughts of [[Maester]] [[Cressen]]}}
  
==References and Notes==
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{{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]]}}
{{References|}}
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{{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]]}}
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{{Quote|'''[[Sansa Stark]]:''' You said I must wear the hair net. The [[silver]] net with... what sort of stones are those?<br>
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'''[[Dontos Hollard]]:''' [[Amethyst]]s. Black amethysts from [[Asshai]], my lady.<br>
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'''Sansa Stark:''' They're no amethysts. Are they? ''Are they?'' You lied.<br>
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'''Dontos Hollard:''' Black amethysts. There was [[magic]] in them.<br>
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'''Sansa Stark:''' There was ''murder'' in them!{{ref|ASOS|61}}}}
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==References==
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{{References}}
  
 
[[Category:Poisons|Strangler]]
 
[[Category:Poisons|Strangler]]
 
[[Category:Substances|Strangler]]
 
[[Category:Substances|Strangler]]
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[[es:El Estrangulador]]
 
[[fa:حناق]]
 
[[fa:حناق]]
[[fr:Étrangleur]][[ru:Душитель]]
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[[fr:Étrangleur]]
[[es:El Estrangulador]][[zh:&#25212;&#27515;&#32773;]]
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[[ru:Душитель]]
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[[zh:&#25212;&#27515;&#32773;]]

Revision as of 09:36, 1 June 2020

Sansa Stark examining the silver hairnet after Joffrey's poisoning - art by Natascha Röösli. © Fantasy Flight Games
Black Amethysts © Fantasy Flight Games

The strangler is a rare poison that looks like dark purple crystals, and makes the victim unable to breathe.[1][2] The process of making the poison is known to the 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.[1]

Preparation

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.[1]

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.[1]

Recent Events

A Clash of Kings

Maester Cressen attempts to assassinate Melisandre using the strangler, but she survives after drinking almost the whole poisoned cup of wine. When Cressen drinks the remaining half a swallow from the same cup, he dies.[1]

The fool Ser Dontos Hollard provides Sansa Stark with a silver hair net, decorated with what he claims to be black amethysts 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.[3]

A Storm of Swords

Sansa Stark wears the silver hair net to the royal wedding of King Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell, per Dontos Hollard's orders.[4][5] 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.[5]

Sansa, fleeing the Red Keep in the chaos of the assassination, discovers that one of the amethysts in her hair net is missing,[6] 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.[7]

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.[2]

Quotes

Such a small thing to hold the power of life and death.[1]

—thoughts of Maester Cressen

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.[1]

—thoughts of Maester Cressen

I dreamt of a maid at a feast with purple serpents in her hair, venom dripping from their fangs.[8]

Sansa Stark: You said I must wear the hair net. The silver net with... what sort of stones are those?

Dontos Hollard: Amethysts. Black amethysts from Asshai, my lady.
Sansa Stark: They're no amethysts. Are they? Are they? You lied.
Dontos Hollard: Black amethysts. There was magic in them.

Sansa Stark: There was murder in them![6]

References